Joe Goldmark

Joe Goldmark is a pioneering pedal steel player who has consistently redefined the instrument by taking it out of the country music sphere. He has released multiple solo albums since the late '70s and, steel guitar at his fingertips, has explored the music of such groups as the Beatles (the album Steelin' the Beatles), the Byrds ("Eight Miles High"), Bob Seger ("Her Strut"), Fastball ("The Way"), the Grateful Dead ("China Cat Sunflower"), Don Gibson ("Sweet Dreams"), the Band ("Whispering Pines"), and Otis Redding ("These Arms of Mine"). He has also explored the world music of Africa, the Caribbean, and Mexico with his instrument.

When not toppling preconceptions about the pedal steel on his own albums, Goldmark has played with the likes of Mike Bloomfield (on his final recording), Taj Mahal, David Byrne (on True Stories), and Laurie Lewis. He is also responsible for writing the International Steel Guitar Discography, book that has been published in several editions and that attempts to list every steel guitar instrumental recorded. Goldmark is also co-owner of the record store Amoeba Music and partner in three pizzerias in San Francisco.