Steve Postell and Immediate Family
If you are one of the many fans Denny Tedesco’s award-winning film, The Wrecking Crew then you are familiar with the elite group of LA based session musicians who created the backtracks for many if not most 60s hit recordings by The Beach Boys, Frank Sinatra, Simon and Garfunkle, Elvis Presley, Mama’s and Papas to name a paltry few.
Players like Carol Kaye, Hal Blain, Leon Russell, Glen Campbell and Tommy Tedesco (Denny’s father), who we know now as virtual producers of those essential recordings, were largely uncredited as the 60’s artist image ruled.
With the advent of the 70’s singer-songwriter and LP liner credits, the next generation of session aces were becoming known entities, a select set surfacing again and again, album after hit album.
In Tedesco’s latest film, The Immediate Family we are introduced to the faces behind, and creative contributions of four particularly familiar names from those liner notes; drummer Russ Kunkel, bassist Lee Sklar, guitarist Danny Kortchmar and guitarist Waddy Wachtel.
Listening to classic hits by Linda Ronstadt, Elton John, Don Henley, Bob Dylan, Carol King, Rod Stewart, Etta James, Joni Mitchell, Joe Cocker, Harry Nilsson, Glen Frey, Jackson Browne, David Bowie, Stevie Nicks, George Strait, Iggy Pop, The Doors and so on… there’s a good chance the groove and catchy lick you’re hearing was created and performed by some combination of Kunkle, Sklar, Kootch and Waddy.
A few years ago, these four legends, along with newest family member, LA based songwriter, producer and session mainstay, Steve Postell came together to form the bona fide, appropriately named supergroup, The Immediate Family producing predictably awesome singles, albums and tours of their own and inspiring the Tedesco documentary
Last year, Postell, who Takamine has known since 1987 and his Kaman Music product demo days, took delivery of a P5NC from Tak’s top-of-the-line Pro-Series to serve as backup for his longtime mainstay, circa 2001 TNV460SC and was so excited to see the box arrive that he decided to share the grand opening with us all.
Like his session-ace siblings, Postell has managed to assemble a healthy collection of guitars over the years, each make and model chosen for its particular flavor and function. But as Steve explains in his Why I Play Takamine unboxing video, the Tak brand has earned a particularly sweet spot in his heart and arsenal - a familiar sentiment among working guitarists, but particularly relevant coming from the likes of the great Steve Postell.
One of the many artists Steve has worked closely with was the late, great David Crosby. Steve’s TNV460SC had played such a dominant roll in past Crosby tours that it was not unusual to see David playing it himself. So, Postell could no longer afford to tour without a proper backup. Enter the P5NC.
In lieu of that tragically cancelled tour, Steve has joined a group of Crosby’s family and friends including James Raymond, (Crosby’s son and bandmate) Astrid Young (Neil Young’s sister) and Jeff Pevar, (lead guitarist for David Crosby and Graham Nash) for the Our House tour to celebrate the music of CSN&Y
Check out Postell’s video Tedesco’s, Immediate Family documentary and keep an eye out for those Our House dates in your area
