Greg Leisz


Gregory Brian "Greg" Leisz is an American musician. He is a songwriter, recording artist, and producer. He plays guitar, dobro, mandolin, lap steel and pedal steel guitar.

Biography

Leisz grew up in the garage band culture of mid-1960s Southern California. He spent time at the Ashgrove, the Troubador, and clubs on the Sunset Strip. He began playing guitar and soon added dobro and lap steel. He was inspired to pick up the pedal steel after hearing Sneaky Pete Kleinow and Buddy Emmons. In 1975, he toured with John Stewart. He was a member of Funky Kings who released their eponymous debut album on Arista Records in 1976. After the band broke up, he became a popular musician both in the studio and on the road.
In 1987, Leisz began working with Dave Alvin. Their collaboration led to Leisz producing several of Alvin's albums, including King of California, Black Jack David, Ashgrove, and West of the West. In 1989, he played on k.d. lang's Grammy-winning Absolute Torch and Twang and joined her on the resulting tour. For the next eighteen years he toured with Lang and recorded with her, including her album Ingenue. Starting the early 1990s, he worked often with Matthew Sweet, played on Sweet's album Girlfriend and toured with him.
In January 2008, Leisz joined the group Works Progress Administration, a band composed of Leisz, Sean Watkins, his sister Sara Watkins, Glen Phillips, Benmont Tench, Luke Bulla, Pete Thomas, and Davey Faragher. The group released their debut album, WPA, on September 15, 2009.
In 2010 and 2011, Leisz toured with Ray LaMontagne as a member of his backing band, The Pariah Dogs. He toured in 2013 as a member of Eric Clapton's band, in 2015 as a member of Jackson Browne's band, and again in 2017. He appeared in the 2016 Cameron Crowe cable television series Roadies, accompanying Jackson Browne on three songs in the last episode of the series.
Leisz's playing has appeared throughout the years on recordings by Aaron Neville, Alison Krauss, Amos Lee, Beck, Bill Frisell, Black Crowes, Bon Iver, Bruce Cockburn, Bruce Springsteen, Cass McCombs, Chuck Prophet, Daft Punk, Dave Alvin, Eagles, Emmylou Harris, Eric Clapton, Glenn Frey, Grant Lee Buffalo, Haim, Jackson Browne, Joe Cocker, John Fogerty, John Mayer, John Stewart, Joni Mitchell, k.d. lang, Lucinda Williams, Matthew Sweet, Meshell Ndegeocello, Paula Cole, Peter Case, Ray Lamontagne, Robert Plant, Ryan Adams, Sam Phillips, Sara Watkins, Shawn Colvin, Sheryl Crow, Susanna Hoffs, The Bangles, The Jayhawks, The Smashing Pumpkins, Tracy Chapman, Vampire Weekend, Whiskeytown, Wilco, and Allen Toussaint.
Another close collaborator is Bill Frisell, with whom he tours regularly and is featured on the albums Good Dog, Happy Man, Blues Dream, The Intercontinentals, Disfarmer, All We Are Saying, and Guitar in the Space Age!.

Awards

In 2010, Leisz was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award for Instrumentalist by the Americana Music Association.
In 2011 he received a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album for his contributions to Ray LaMontagne's album God Willin' & the Creek Don't Rise.

Discography

With Ryan Adams
With Beck
With Jackson Browne
With Peter Case
With Eric Clapton
With Joe Cocker
  • Organic
  • Hymn for My Soul
With Holly Cole
With Shawn Colvin
  • Fat City
  • These Four Walls
With Sheryl Crow
  • The Globe Sessions
  • Wildflower
With Bill Frisell
  • Good Dog, Happy Man
  • Blues Dream
  • The Intercontinentals
  • Disfarmer
  • All We Are Saying
  • Guitar in the Space Age!
With Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt
With Missy Higgins
With Miranda Lambert
With k.d. lang
With Emmylou Harris
With Amos Lee
With Charles Lloyd
With John Mayer
With Joni Mitchell
With The Murmurs
With Randy Newman
With Mark Olson
With Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs
With Sam Phillips
With Bruce Springsteen
With Matthew Sweet
With various artists
With Loudon Wainwright III
With Wilco
With Lucinda Williams
  • Car Wheels on a Gravel Road
  • Down Where the Spirit Meets the Bone
  • The Ghosts of Highway 20
With others
Greg married Estonian musician Mai Leisz in April, 2018.