At age 15 he discovered guitar. Preferring to learn on acoustic for the fundamentals Randall became able to play parties. His ability to hold a tune made playing easier as literary ideas stuck to him like glue. He naturally took to a formal liberal arts education if for no other reason than to fuel his own creative language arts/music interests and development. As he got older he became intrigued by the literary ideas associated with blues, folk and bluegrass music.
Randall eventually meandered into his own comfortable style. In the early 1990's he started writing his own lyrics and acoustic guitar music and played on many occasions in Eugene, Oregon.
During this period he was invited to play his first paid gig at Lane Community College for an Earth Day celebration in 1993. Next he organized a group of performers and served as the band leader for a private party celebrating recent graduates of the University of Oregon Landscape and Architecture department which went over well.
His first regular scheduled performances were on Thursday nights at the Glenwood Restaurant on U of O campus. The only time available to audition was 3 a.m. He and fellow acoustic performer Josh Rapport who together formed "The Minstrels" made their way to The Glenwood, played for five minutes and were hired on the spot. "Hired" meaning Randall and Josh were guaranteed one square meal on Thursdays + tips. The tips were collected in an upturned fireman's hat near the Glenwood cash register. In the fireman's hat they found change, dollars or sometimes sticks of gum. Not much, but at very least enough to purchase a symbolic Sierra Nevada Stout or two to celebrate a good night of picking while glorying in their musical accomplishment.
Russ was officially recruited as their server on Thursday nights and played up the service while contributing to the "act" with a wink when guests were invited to sit during the dinner set break. Although "The Minstrels" were not getting rich at The Glenwood, they were getting experience and were lucky to have a controlled yet open ended setlist that was a breeding ground for improvisation. It offered a place to dream and to create. At first their improvisational style was the result of having to stretch the three songs they played into half hour sets due to lack of material. As the sets list developed, regular diners would appear week after week. Josh and Randall would secretly make up tall tales about the background and occupation of some of the regulars, joking that one gentleman was a scout from Warner Brothers.
When they couldn't hold back any longer they finally got the guts to approach the quiet man who appeared weekly at their gigs for dinner. He wasn't a Warner Brothers agent, however, he did attend the U of O music department and had been composing while listening to The Minstrels dinner set which was a subtle form of flattery to the young players.
The Glenwood was Randall's playground. There he would play eccentric three hour sets of music while entertaining the bustling coffee house crowd of U of O students, visiting parents, philosophers, writers, gamers, wayward punks and hippies.
The sets included most styles Americana with appetizers of flamenco, classical and jazz while folk, bluegrass and blues remained the main course. These were improvisational sets that could meander around a familiar motif for as much as a half-an-hour adding an appealing layer to the conversation of dinner guests. He mimicked and mirrored the crowds' energy with his guitar leads that would ebb and flow as Josh thundered acoustic bass lines into multiple crescendos until everyone in The Glenwood was under the same delicious musical spell.
Randall continues his dedication to acoustic music in Portland, Oregon where he, with the help of many good friends, has carved another musical niche for himself.
After playing a few open stages, most notably at Beverly's Green Room Monday Night Open Stage, Randall was searching for new opportunities to play his guitar and test out new material that was coming together since moving to Portland in 2000.
That opportunity came when he met Jellyfish, The Big Island Shindig, Hans and Keesha Knecht and the extended family of Islandfolk Productions.
It was during this period that Jellyfish, a locally renown music and stage effects production wizard, invited him to play a benefit for the newly opening Trillium Art Center which was held at the auditorium inside Day Music Company. Randall opened the benefit show and at the same time opened another chapter as a performer and guitar slinger.
After the Trillium Art Center benefit, Big Island Shindig hosted Randall as the opening act and set break player at The Ratskellar, Conan's Pub and The North Shore on many Friday and Saturday nights. These sets proved to be great transitions into the high energy, kalleidoscope caravan "Get your ass up and dance!" sets the BIS threw down. These sets were more uptempo and raucous as Randall's lifelong jamband interests began to show through his solo playing.
Randall was finding himself in the company of good friends and family as he attempted to contribute his best material to a vibrant and supportive Northwest music scene.
It was during this period that Randall got his new stage and recording guitar, an Alvarez PD80S from Newberg Music. He later installed a Fishman pickup from Day Music Company that he now spools out to a Boss chromatic tuner and a Boss EQ pedal, both enhancing a clean acoustic sound.
He completed his first studio album production on April 9, 2004. Recorded in Mark Jackson's Seahorse Sound studio and produced locally in Portland at Super Digital, Ltd. "Randall's Acoustic Journey" is a culmination of 16 years of sharing with other players and friends.
He played all over the East and West Coast at parties, shows, late night get togethers, campsites, abandoned theatres, open stages, street corners, Amtrack stations, weddings, benefits and finally paid stage gigs. "Randalls' Acoustic Journey" offers a window into that experience.
"Randall's Acoustic Journey" CD art is a story in itself. The image on the disc was lifted from an original photo taken in Eugene, OR. The wheel image is actually the spare wheel from his '71 bus while parked atop Skinner's Butte overlooking downtown Eugene.
The front cover shot is the inside ticket booth and lobby from the Wiltern Theatre in West Hollywood, CA (Corner of Wiltern and Western in Los Angeles).
The inside cover is a shot taken from Lane Community College's 1993 Earth Day Celebration. Randall and former Minstrel partner, Josh Rapport, played this event as their first paid gig. The Kaman "Montana" guitar pictured was purchased from the original "Buy and Sell" music store, originally located on W. 5th St. in Eugene. Inside the guitar sits a Lawrence pickup which is still used as a backup or to share with others who need to plug-in but have no pickup.
The inside right panel of the disc is a scan of an early picture Randall drew while on a creative stint. The image wraps the text, which gives background info. on the songs and where the CD was produced.
The backpanel of the insert is a picture taken at Whiskeytown Lake, CA in Northern California off the amazing Hwy 101. The photo was taken from the inside of lifelong friend Michael Lucket's '78 VW Westfalia microbus which was a fitting way to experience Hwy 101's Pacific Wonderland in the Summer.
"Randall's Acoustic Journey" CD was officially released on 5.15.04 at the Music Millenium NW 23rd Ave. store in Portland. It is available in the local section at Music Millenium East and West. The live show was recorded as a 45 minute set with 14 songs.
Since the release of his first CD Randall has continued to perform with Big Island Shindig, Higher Ground, Ashbury Park, The Shiftless Rounders and Left Hand Monkey Wrench and The Delta Dawgs.
In the summer of 2004 he decided to try something new and volunteered his musical abilities along with Keesha Knecht to host an open stage at the non-profit Portland Hostel located on Hawthorne Blvd in SE Portland.
Beginning in May and running through mid September Randall performed along with Keesha every Thursday for 11 weeks on the "Outdoor Ambient Gazebo Stage". They performed many songs from the "Randall's Acoustic Journey" CD with Keesha singing harmonies as well as also featuring several of Keesha's original compositions with Randall's guitar accompanying Keesha's sweet melodies and Bonnie Rait-like soulfullness.
Each Thursday a laid back crowd would meander together in the side yard. The tapestries, oriental stage rug, ambient lighting and the good vibes of the performers made the stage come alive. The stage was host to many excellent local players, recreational and working pros and many performing hostellers from abroad.
The year 2004 marked many high points in musical development for Randall including releasing his first solo project CD, and getting more involved in stage production, live sound and recording. These side projects - most notably with brother Dave's Hotqua String Band of Roseburg, Oregon - opened up a new genre of Gypsy Jazz and Swing to his repetoire. Hotqua has commissioned him on several occassions for sound board operations as well as recording including two Umpqua Watershed Benefit concerts held at the Elks Lodge in Roseburg, OR.
These benefit shows featured Hotqua as the local favorite and host then featuring the NW regionally acclaimed headliners, Hot Club Sandwich from Seattle. These concerts opened up a new horizon to Randall most enjoyed due to the wide all ages crowds as well as the festive all night pickin' parties.
The year 2005 brought in a busy and successful year with three Portland Saturday Market peformances, a Barn Party in Trout Lake, WA, a couple of jam band festivals, a gig at Oceanside, OR on the beach with Left Hand Monkey Wrench as well as a post String Cheese Incident Show with the Wrench at family camp at Horning's Hideout. Also a seven week Thursday night run at Fire on the Mountain Restaurant in Portland, and several shows with Higher Ground and Ashbury Park as well a couple raucous sets with Delta Dawgs at Devil's Point and an opener show for Dry County Crooks at Ash Street Saloon.
This run of shows brought ample opportunity to test out new live material such as "Soggy Dog", "Wide Open Road", "Confluence", "The Light is Bright" and "Empty Streets". These cuts are to be on Randall's new CD project entitled, "Wide Open Road" which will also be the title track to the CD. This solo project has been recorded and is currently being mixed down and mastered for release in summer or fall of 2007. |
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