Robert Randolph & The Family Band is a multicultural American blues and funk band composed of Robert Randolph, Marcus Randolph (drums), Danyel Morgan (bass), and Jason Crosby (organ) Frontman Robert Randolph was trained as a pedal steel guitarist in the House of God Church, Keith Dominion, in Nashville, TN and makes prominent use of the instrument in the band's music The group's sound is inspired by successful 1970s funk bands such as Earth, Wind & Fire and Sly & the Family Stone, another multicultural band comprised of former members of the Church of God in Christ Randolph himself has also stated that his main influence as a guitarist is Stevie Ray VaughanAlthough he has only put out two albums, Rolling Stone magazine named Randolph as one of the 100 greatest guitar players of all timeRobert Randolph set the music world on fire in late 2000 and early 2001 when he began to play his first club dates in New York City These were a result of being discovered playing his pedal steel guitar at the first Sacred Steel Convention in Florida in the spring of 2000 Randolph started playing the pedal steel as a teenager and started playing at his Orange, NJ, church just outside of Newark The House of God Church, an African-American Pentecostal denomination, has been implementing steel guitars (or "Sacred Steel") in services since the '30s, with the pedal steel in particular being introduced during the '70s Randolph learned to play by watching other steel players in his church
Strawberry, Grass Valley, California, May 22-27
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