Tomorrow, June 16th, Andy Hall of the Infamous Stringdusters and Roosevelt Collier of the Lee Boys, two noted masters of the slide guitar, will release their first collaborative instrumental studio album, Let The Steel Play. The pair met on Jam Cruise in 2012 and began playing music together whenever their individually extensive touring routes would cross. Both are sought after sit-in players at festivals throughout the counter, known for their dexterity, versatility, and intuitive knack for picking up rhythms and melodies.

Coming from different backgrounds and methods, yet brought together through slide guitar, Roosevelt and Andy have joined forces to create a musical bridge that emanates a freshness yet honors the traditions of both of their musical upbringings. Andy hails from the world of bluegrass and cut his teeth in Nashville’s vibrant country and bluegrass scene, having performed with Earl Scruggs, Ryan Adams, and Dolly Parton (who he is also on two albums with). Roosevelt, a.k.a “The Dr.,” was born into the Sacred Steel sound, learning lap and pedal steel at a young age directly under his uncles and grandfather in the House of God church his family attended in Perrine, FL. Roosevelt has performed alongside greats like BB King, Widespread Panic, The Allman Brothers, and Del McCoury Band.

Ahead of the release of their new album, Live For Live Music is proud to premiere Hall and Collier’s version of time-honored spiritual “This Little Light of Mine,” a standard in both the American bluegrass and gospel canons. Says Hall, “We chose it because it seemed like a natural bridge between our two styles, and it is just fun to play. Roosevelt’s unique way of playing bass parts on the steel is highlighted in the breakdown section”:

Continues Andy, “This project came about really naturally for us through a love of slide guitar. Roosevelt came from the sacred steel school and me more from bluegrass. It was so inspiring showing each other tunes and melding our styles into Let The Steel Play. ‘This Little Light Of Mine’ is a great example of this blend and was a joy to record!”

Let The Steel Play was recorded at Macy Sound Studios in Denver, CO, and produced by John Macy (The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Los Lobos). The mastering was done by Fred Guarino (who also recorded The Infamous Stringdusters’ 2015 album Undercover), at Tiki Recording.

You can head to either Andy or Roosevelt’s websites for more information on the project.

[Cover photo via Jason Charme Photography]