Sort of OT - RIP Buddy Cage

[CEB]

Buddy Cage passed away. Pedal Steel player. Big influence of mine. Panama Red by New Riders of the Purple Sage was a tune that made me want to learn steel.

 

 

[GRollins]

Why would the death of a non-keyboard musician be off topic? Yes, keyboards--piano and organ in particular--can be played solo, but the world would be a much poorer place if we didn't have each other.

 

I have been tempted to buy a pedal steel from time to time. For me, the influence would be Steve Howe of Yes. I would never, in my wildest dreams, have thought to incorporate steel into prog rock, but he makes it work. The only reason that I haven't followed through is that I've got enough instruments that I need to learn as it is...keyboards being my top priority, followed closely by hammered dulcimer, but there are others waiting in the wings.

 

Grey

[Legatoboy]

I played a handful of gigs with Buddy, he was living in NYC or the area about 10-12 years ago and alot of the old San Francisco crew from the 60's actually came from NYC..including Michael Falzarano (Hot Tuna), and David Bennett Cohen (Country Joe/Fish) who took my place in my old band when I left... The Kerry Kearney Band - Kerry was with Marty Balin's band for 5 years and did one Jefferson Airplane tour on Guitar/Vocals (lead etc)...so I got to play and hang with a lot of those folks...and Michael gigged with KKB often.

 

The last gig w/Buddy I can remember was a big hippie wedding at a upscale jazz venue in Manhattan, I had played an hour or so of solo piano downstairs in the lounge before the gig on a nice Steinway M they had on a smaller Jazz stage in a traditional Jazz room setup... the main gig was in the restaurant upstairs.

 

In NY he played often with Commander Cody and we doubled a lot with them on those shows and he worked with Levon Helm also occasionally and we doubled with Levon also at times..

 

He reminded us he was the only one at the gig dinner table on the Hippie wedding gig who actually had recorded with Dylan after Bob came up in conversation..He's on Pedal Steel guitar here (below) - from the 'Blood On The Tracks' album on 'Meet Me In The Morning'...he taught me a lesson - ALWAYS 'Dig In' on a gig , always, even if your gear isn't kicking back that day or the rooms acoustics..I was struggling with my rig and piano sound that afternoon on the band part of the gig and he knew it, he looked directly at me and he dug in hard to his PS strings and really got behind it...like saying - 'just dig in anyway'... RIP Buddy - I remember!

 

[SamuelBLupowitz]

He reminded us he was the only one at the gig dinner table on the Hippie wedding gig who actually had recorded with Dylan after Bob came up in conversation..He's on Pedal Steel guitar here (below) - from the 'Blood On The Tracks' album on 'Meet Me In The Morning'...he taught me a lesson - ALWAYS 'Dig In' on a gig , always, even if your gear isn't kicking back that day or the rooms acoustics..I was struggling with my rig and piano sound that afternoon on the band part of the gig and he knew it, he looked directly at me and he dug in hard to his PS strings and really got behind it...like saying - 'just dig in anyway'... RIP Buddy - I remember!

A great story and a wonderful piece of wisdom. Thank you for sharing it with us.