Lucky Oceans was born into a music loving family in Philadelphia in 1951. He co-founded (and named) Asleep at the Wheel in 1970 and toured the USA and the world with them while based in Austin, Texas. Asleep at the Wheel were pioneers of the New Country music movement, reviving the almost forgotten style Western Swing, and playing it in vibrant shows for crowds of all ages and backgrounds. In so doing, Asleep at the Wheel introduced a new generation to one of the unique American styles of music. Western Swing breaks the rules by mixing country, jazz, blues, pop and Mexican styles into a sound that pleases dancers and allows the band’s soloists to stretch out, playing jazzy solos on fiddles and steel guitars.
As the band’s pedal steel and lap steel guitarist, Lucky introduced many people to a hot, improvised approach to his instruments. This earned him two Grammy Awards for Best Country Instrumental and a place in Hugh Gregory’s book, ‘1000 Great Guitarists.’ In 1980, Lucky moved to Perth, W. Australia where he began composing for film and television and continued playing the pedal steel guitar in jazz, country and rock bands, including touring and recording with two of the country’s greatest artists, Paul Kelly and Joe Camilleri. In 1995, Lucky became the presenter of ‘The Planet,’ a daily world music program on ABC Radio National, a position that enabled him to introduce Australia (and the world, through the internet) to his many musical passions and which made him a central figure in Australia’s cultural life.
Immersed in so much great music from around the world, Lucky realized that the pedal steel guitar, with its great power of emotional expression, could be used in formats other than country, jazz, rock or western swing. In Fremantle, the artistic hub of Perth, W. Australia (The most isolated city on earth), he began composing a repertoire that expanded his instrument’s voice into African, Reggae and as yet-un-named grooves. The result is ‘Secret Steel,’ a CD recorded in a couple of days with Dave Brewer (Australia’s answer to Buddy Guy), drummer Ric Eastman and double bassist Matt Willis, with the emphasis on ears-open improvisation and interaction. Passionate and innovative in its explorations, ‘Secret Steel’ signals a new direction for the pedal steel guitar.
Reviews of Secret Steel:
It swings delightfully, I like the variety, the solos are excellent, this is the next step beyond what I've heard, like Speedy West and Buddy Emmons.
Howard Mandel, jazz journalist, Down Beat, Signal2Noise, author 'Future Jazz'
A head-spinning, genre-dissolving album of deliciously bent notes and reimagined "sacred steel" rave-ups.
Richard Gehr, Village Voice
As Lucky Oceans has opened the ears of Australia on his musically explorative ABC radio show "The Planet" so too has his own vision widened. His enhanced breadth of tastes is reflected in "Secret Steel", a beautiful album that not so much genre hops as embraces various musical threads as filaments in a continuum. The elements include strains from West and South Africa, Ireland, Louisiana, Western Swing, and the so-called ''Sacred Steel'' school of church musicians of the US, whence sprang Robert Randolph. Oceans, a co-founder of the Western Swing outfit Asleep at the Wheel, confirms his reputation as one of the finest exponents of the pedal steel guitar. Here is proof that the oft maligned, much misunderstood instrument's microtonalities can express extraordinary emotionality. It helps that he is abetted by an exemplary ensemble: Dave Brewer, ever tasteful guitarist for the Mighty Reapers and the Catholics, drummer Ric Eastman and bassist Matt Willis. Bill Rogers, Oceans' bandmate in Fremantle's Zydecats, adds harmony vocals on "Two Trains", where Lucky makes a rare outing as a singer. The music is all Oceans originals, apart from a sublime rendering of the yearning Irish-Louisiana ballad "The Banks of the Ponchartrain". The band dig deep into the blues (or is it gospel?) on "In the Stillness of the Night" and pick up their heels for a Cajun workout on "Junior's Breakdown", where Lucky moves to Dobro and button accordion. This is Oceans' first album under his own name in more than 20 years, and more than worth the wait. Each listening brings fresh pleasures.
Ken Williams, The Melbourne Age, Amazon Review February 26, 2006
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