Off to one side of the star, somewhat anonymous to the fans – such is the role of a sideman. Some so-called sidemen are impossible to ignore, however, as their touch and style on the guitar shines out of every recording they play on. Greg Leisz is such a one: rightly regarded as one of the world’s finest pedal steel players, he’s just as at home tearing it up on lap steel, Dobro, Weissenborn, mandolin and regular guitar. When we caught up with him via Zoom at his Californian home he had recently returned from London after recording with Mark Knopfler for the latter’s next album, which has yet to be announced but which may see the light of day next year.
How did the sessions with Mark Knopfler go?
“I was honoured that Mark reached out to have me join in with his long-time band. Some of them have been playing together for nearly 30 years.
