The Eloquent Roar of Steve Robinson
You’d never know he was a killer.
The way he enters a room is completely unassuming, drawing little or no attention to himself beyond a polite “hello,” or two while shaking hands with pals. Guitar case in hand.
Steve is one of those guys who presents himself with the kind of modesty where you pick-up on the fact that he’s a really smart guy. He’s not flashy about it, but this dry-witted individual is definitely present.
And then he plugs in and takes aim.
Steve Robinson has been working with a variety of groups over the last few decades as a knockout, no-excuses hard rock lead guitar player. I’ve been aware of his playing for almost 10 years now. When he’s working in the realm of covering songs in a traditional way, Robinson is masterful and replicating traditional renderings respectfully. He is very, very good at this. When he is in the realm of original thinking and improvisational situations inside the music, he feels just as free to step out of those bounds and enter the realm of, “let’s see where this goes,” improvisation and invention. He enjoys and shares tremendous freedom, here as well.
If you’ve been out in the scene, then you’ve seen Steve most likely along the way. But today we have him here to chat a little bit. Please welcome Steve Robinson.
Chuck Schiele: Hi Steve. Please tell us where your music journey begins; and what inspired you…or how did your start in music come about?
Steve Robinson: I grew up in Potsdam, which is home to the Crane School of Music. My younger sister and I went to school with many of the children of Crane faculty members, and my mother was a big music lover. We both took music lessons, and my sister became an accomplished pro violinist. Me, on the cello, not so much. Music was all over the place for us growing up.
CS: You obviously fell in love with guitar. Tell us how that happened.
SR: Led Zeppelin! One of my 6th grade friends had the proverbial cool older brother, who noticed that I was listening to stuff like The Archies and The Monkees – bubblegum mostly. He played “Heartbreaker” from Led Zeppelin II for me one day. I had never heard anything that intense and dirty sounding, especially Jimmy Page’s solo in the middle! A couple of weeks later, he managed to get an imitation Les Paul Custom that he used an old tube radio to amplify. He made loud, stupid noises with it for a few minutes or so. I was hooked from that day on…
CS: Please tell us a bit about the influence of others that factor into the shape of your own sound and style, tendencies, and instincts.
SR: After I had heard Jimmy Page, my friend’s brother played “Truth,” the first Jeff Beck album. Beck has been the alpha and omega of rock guitar for me since, and is my favorite electric guitarist, along with Wes Montgomery. I should also mention Double Axel, a Potsdam band that played everywhere in the north country. They also managed, and eventually owned the one music store in Potsdam where you could buy a Fender Strat and a Marshall amp. Double Axel was a totally pro group – they nailed all kinds of rock covers both instrumentally and vocally, and were a huge inspiration and source of help for me and my budding musician friends.
CS: How has your music journey been so far? Who are some of the people and the groups you’ve played with?
SR: My wife and I moved to the Syracuse area a few months after we saw 805 play at SUNY Potsdam. I eventually got around a little bit and played with quite a few bands. I played with Featherstone in the early 90s, with Mike Featherstone, the late and great Al Dunn, Bob Holz, and later on, Pete Szymanski. There were a couple of stints in the Boston area, but nothing really stuck together there, so I’m here for good!
CS: What are some of the highlights in your musical career?
SR: Playing in Mike Featherstone’s band was a truly great experience, both musically and friendship-wise with those guys. Doing a couple of the Vinyl Live shows was really fun. I’m really grateful to have been featured in the May ‘90 issue of Guitar World magazine, in the “Hometown Heroes” column.
CS: Who are you working with these days?
SR: I am having a great time working with Surf School! I’m really looking forward to seeing what trouble we get into. I also freelance, which is a fun, challenging way to make music.
CS: Do you have anything to say regarding the evolution of guitar and guitar playing –from the point when you entered the stream [so-to-speak] up until now?
SR: A couple of passes on YouTube is enough to make mortals like me want to hang it up! There’s so much good guitar playing out there, and it’s not only mindless displays of technique…there’s lots of great guitar playing for music’s sake. Lots of young people carrying the torch!
CS: What is your primary advice to anyone who wants to tackle guitar?
SR: Find a good teacher who teaches music as well as guitar – they’re not separate entities. If your goal is to play in a band, take what you’re being taught and find other like-minded people who are a little bit better than you, and apply your knowledge. Listen to everything.
CS: What are your thoughts on the Syracuse music scene in Central New York area?
SR: The number of great musicians and bands in Syracuse has only increased over the last 30 or so years. The scene here is world-class.
CS: What can we look forward to in your near future music agenda?
SR: More shows and other shenanigans with Surf School, and hopefully I will put out some more of my own tunes before too long.
CS: How do we stay in touch with you and your music endeavors?
SR: My Facebook page can be found at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Steven-Robinson/74424349326?sk=app_2405167945
CS: Thank you Steve for taking a little time to talk with us here at Sounds of Syracuse. We appreciate your time and hope you have a rocking new year.
SR: Thanks for taking time to do this!
