ABOUT
Randell Young
949.498.6900
(direct mobile)
randell@thedominos.band
randell@libertalia.band
https://randellyoung.com
https://thedominos.band
https://libertalia.band
A few samples (all original material except for All Along the Watchtower, Gotta Serve Somebody and Layla) are available below and many more can be found at https://soundcloud.com/randellyoung. All the guitar solos and guitar parts, bass and keyboard tracks and male vocals on the Libertalia sessions are my compositions and performances.
If you want to hear me on a tune you know, please see All Along the Watchtower, Gotta Serve Somebody and/or Layla (below). The lead vocal and guitar parts on these recordings are me. Copyright clearance for All Along the Watchtower, Gotta Serve Somebody and Layla provided by TuneCore/Tune Licensing (All Along the Watchtower ID 9286 License Number 0489-001; Gotta Serve Somebody ID 21808, License Number 0350-001; Layla ID 233522 License Number 1468828061). Sync license for Layla video provided by WATH (Account: Randell Young).
I like to play, compose, arrange, sing, produce. I am 100 percent motivated by creative satisfaction. I am not hung up on how much the gig pays or who gets the most attention. I am a very seasoned player. Rhythm parts will be precise and consistent. Solos will be melodies and counter melodies -- not just shredding scales.
The guitar tracks provided here demonstrate a certain style and sound which works well within the genres of R&B, Funk/Rock/Fusion, Smooth Jazz, Blues and Reggae/Worldbeat. In terms of solo guitar tone, I prefer a minimum amount of overdrive, just enough to achieve a high level of sustain but still not sound overly processed or harsh. For rhythm tracks, I prefer the classic Strat clean R&B tone, i.e., the front two pickups out of phase. For certain lead lines and solos, I also use a modified version of this clean tone with just the front pick up. I get these three tones from the guitar and amp, not a floor full of noisy foot pedals.
Rather than run through a large menu of tones (and guitars), my approach to a live performance is to play a single guitar (a Carruthers custom Strat) establish a signature lead tone with overdrive, a clean lead tone and the classic Strat rhythm tone and apply them through out the show.
In terms of volume, I like to hear lead vocals mixed just loud enough to be heard clearly above the rhythm tracks but no louder. I apply this same philosophy to instrumental solo tracks (including guitar) and find that these tracks sound best (and can still be heard clearly) at a volume just slightly below the lead vocal. On the live gig, I go for this same mix.
My approach to soloing is well documented in my two pieces On Soloing and More On Soloing which have been published by Jazz Review, Guitar Review, Just Jazz Guitar, Indie Music, GuitarNoise, Six String Soul, Future Music, Music Gear Review, Guitarist, InterMusic, Galaris and Jazz Guitar magazines. The version that follows is my favorite because Karl gives you a little extra background on me and because it is presented as supplemental material for his excellent online guitar course...
http://www.karlaranjo.com/2016/08/06/brilliant-thoughts-on-improvising-from-an-interesting-cat/
If you need a track or a sub, I will help you out if at all possible. Non-smoker (tobacco or otherwise). No booze on gig, I will show up early, well-groomed, well-dressed and ready to play. My favorite sub-in situations are Classic R&B/Dance/Funk, Reggae and Blues.
Of course it will sound immodest to say so but, as a purely factual matter, I am especially skilled at working with exceptionally talented young singers and helping to elevate their game to the next level and beyond. An overview of my basic approach to studio tracks, arrangements, production and talent development can be found in this SoundBetter interview...
https://soundbetter.com/profiles/41016-randell-young
Working directly with United Artists CEO Artie Mogul on the Bob Dylan Revisited project afforded me the opportunity to perform an in-depth analysis of the best works of one the greatest songwriters in music history. The experience enlightened me as to the value of a period of intense focus on a single artist.
Thereafter, I undertook a study of the best works of Frank Sinatra. Even though his style is far afield from my natural inclination toward R&B, I highly recommend for every singer the exercise of mastering a few dozen of the classic American Songbook melodies. These are some of the greatest popular melodies ever composed and in many ways they are far more adventurous and sophisticated than all but a few of the popular tunes that have followed them.
I have just completed a third in-depth study, this time of the most commercially successful guitar player in music history, Eric Clapton. Along with Elissa Metropoulos and Oliva Kyla on keys and vocals, Aaron “The Wolf” Hice on bass and Raymond Genovese on drums, we have launched a new two-hour show entitled The Dominos Present: The History of Eric Clapton. Just a few months now after our first gig and The Dominos have already attracted well over 22,000 facebook fans/followers.
For more about The Dominos, please see...
https://thedominos.band
Ironically, I had this to say way back in a 1993 interview with the LA Times, "You know how you hear a track without a guitar and you kind of fill it in? Stevie Ray Vaughn would have played it one way. Albert King would play another way and Albert Collins would play it yet another way. I generally hear it the way Clapton would play it."
Please see: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-01-05-ca-1041-story.html
One of my original projects (a trilogy of concept albums branded under the registered trademark: "Libertalia") is within three tracks (30 out of 33) of completion and, based solely on our SoundCloud singles (no CDs or videos yet released, no touring and no promotion) currently has over 230,000 facebook fans/followers -- and growing daily.
I am very much aware of the value of audience sharing, especially in this digital era, and open to any sensible collaboration and/or cross promotional program with other original artists and/or projects. The support of my Libertalia fans is, no doubt, what has enabled The Dominos to garner in just a few months, over 23,000 facebook fans/followers... more than seven times the 2,700 fans/followers of The Dominos' principal competitor (The JourneyMan Tribute Band featuring Shawn Hague) and they have taken over 8 years to accumulate them.
Please see: https://www.facebook.com/libertalia.band
Please feel free to hit me up on my personal facebook page where I am blessed to have a marvelous global network of friends including many of the world's greatest musicians and all open for public view. If you are looking for musicians or singers for a project, a great place to start is to browse through my facebook friends.
Please see: https://www.facebook.com/pauvrepapillon/
Note: The photogenic girl with the movie-star smile in the photos is my wife Florentine. She doesn't actually sing professionally but she looks great so we frequently include her in our Libertalia shots. (It's an Ohio Players sort of thing). She also has an inspiring personal story which you can read about here...
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/florentine-randell-young/
On the first row, the middle photo (of me and Artie Mogul on the set of “The Making of 20/20: Bob Dylan Revisited”) was shot on the beach in front of the Monarch Bay Club in Dana Point, California. The photo of me wearing a white hat was taken as we were about to enter The Blue Grotto on the island of Capri (off the Amalfi Coast of Italy). The rest of the first row are all studio shots.
The second row starts with a studio shot followed (left to right) by photos taken at a train station in Paris, just outside the Arles Amphitheatre (one of the locations where Ronin was filmed), on a balcony in Barcelona and, finally, in front of the Shuljakov painting in the lobby of Three Hutton Centre (circa 1993).
The third row (left to right) starts with shots taken in Paris and San Clemente followed by a screen shot of the 1 January 2017 Jamendo (Belgium/Luxembourg) Reggae Chart (with Florentine by Libertalia holding the number one position) and then photos snapped in Sorrento and Newport Beach.
The fourth row shots were taken (left to right) in London, Venice, New Orleans, Venice and Monaco.
The fifth row starts with a shot taken at the Engstler Resort in Austria; followed by a photo snapped at the ruins in Olympia, Greece; a shot taken on the beach at Isle Saint Marie (Madagascar/Libertalia); a snap on the grounds of the Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria; and finishing up with a photo taken from atop the Guaita Tower in San Marino with a view all the way out to Rimini Beach, Italy and the Adriatic Sea.
Except for the Guitare Noire, Hutton Centre and New Orleans photos, all of the shots are relatively (within a few years or less) recent. The candid photos were all snapped by people who just happened to be there. The studio shots were all taken by Bob Hodson (https://studiohodson.com).
For more, please see: https://RandellYoung.com and/or my bio below:
Randell Young (born: 13 January 1955) is an American guitar player, vocalist, songwriter and record producer who is best known for fronting The Dominos Presents: The History of Eric Clapton, a two-hour plus live review of the best of Eric Clapton. Unquestionably, the best Eric Clapton tribute act in the world today, The Dominos bring a unique approach to the tribute band genre, i.e., "British Rocker Eric Clapton emulated American Rhythm and Blues to become the most commercially successful guitarist of all time. Comes now The Dominos, authentic American R&B players with their take on the music of Eric Clapton."
Randell Young began his professional career right out of high school playing initially in R&B clubs in his hometown of Washington, D.C. He has since gone on to work with numerous recording artists of note including: Canned Heat, Poncho Sanchez, Max Bennett, Mayuto Correa, Alphonse Mouzon, Shanica Knowles, David Garfield, Nicolette Larson, Tony Guerrero, Jeff Suttles, Billy Mitchell, John Bolivar, Mickey Champion, Rob Mullins, Nate Phillips, Dan St. Marseille, Reed Gratz, Tyrone Brunson, Melvyn “Deacon” Jones, Harvey “Harmonica Fats” Blackston, Jeff “Skunk” Baxter (of Steely Dan), Nesbert “Stix” Hooper (of The Jazz Crusaders), Jerald and Julie Harris (of Slapbak), Margot Chapman (of The Starland Vocal Band) and Rusty Cox (of The Dazz Band).
Randell Young holds an honorary doctorate in music (D.Mus.) from City University Los Angeles and has written instructional articles for such publications as Jazz Review, Guitar Review, Just Jazz Guitar, Indie Music, GuitarNoise, Six String Soul, Future Music, Music Gear Review, Guitarist, InterMusic, Galaris and Jazz Guitar magazines. His piece entitled On Soloing is still archived by FenderForum as The Best Guide to Soloing I've Ever Read!
A former member of the house band for NBC's The David Allen Grier Show, Young has also served as music director for B. B. King's Hollywood Country All-Stars (house band for B. B. King's Legend in the Making Country Star Talent Search). His composition Don't Know How To Love You is featured on MP3.com's original Best of MP3 CD and in The Complete Idiot's Guide to MP3: Music on the Internet (illustrated text with CD published by Alpha Books). He has also written and produced original music for film and television including the soundtrack for Beverly Skyline Media's Zarbie and The Martians. As a solo artist he has opened for such luminaries as Larry Carlton, Etta James, Steve Lukather, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Leon Russell, Canned Heat and John Mayall.
Randell Young was signed directly by Artie Mogull to produce 20/20: Bob Dylan Revisited, a tribute to the prolific songwriter set to feature guest vocal performances by 20 stars originally discovered by Mogull, the late former Chairman and CEO of United Artists renowned in the music industry for having signed Bob Dylan to his first publishing contract (while an executive at Warner Brothers) and for launching the careers of such artists as The Kingston Trio, The Band, The Beach Boys, The Electric Light Orchestra, Hootie and the Blowfish, Anne Murray, Laura Nyro, Richie Havens, Crystal Gayle, Olivia Newton-John, Helen Reddy, Gordon Lightfoot, John Denver, Kenny Rogers, Deep Purple, Lynyrd Skynyrd and the iconic folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary.
Though the original vision of 20/20: Bob Dylan Revisited was derailed by Mogull's unexpected passing, the mutual respect shared by Young and Mogull had developed into a such a sincere friendship that, rather than pocket the remaining budget, Young completed the project as an homage to the man that, in the history of the music business, ranks second only to Clive Davis in terms of discovering new talent. Needless to say, Mogull never got to review the finished product but he did hear and comment on the first five tunes: “The tracks sound terrific!” was the message Artie left on Randell's answering service. The Blues of Bobby Zimmerman (a collection of 11 Dylan tunes featuring Randell Young on guitar and vocals) and 20/20: Bob Dylan Revisited (the entire two-album project) are both in the can but remain unreleased.
Randell Young's live performances have generated numerous and favorable reviews from a variety of sources. Los Angeles Times music critic Bill Kohlhaase credits Young with “a tight, cosmopolitan sound”. Author/columnist Alan Bock describes the guitarist as “genuinely accomplished and inventive... one of my favorite artists”. KSBR's Infamous Aaron Blackwell assesses Randell Young as “a world-class blues master” while Orange County Register music critic Robert Kinsler touts Young as “a masterful blues player”.
Whether as a sideman, guest artist or featured performer, Randell Young emphasizes a groove-oriented presentation with due respect for the idiom yet still manages to bring something unique to the stage. As explained by Robert Kinsler, “Just as every great guitarist from Robert Johnson and B. B. King to Alvin Lee and Stevie Ray Vaughn has performed the blues with a distinctive style, so has Randell Young taken creative strides to cut his own turf.” Happening Magazine adds, “Randell Young's formula calls for a clean sound built on genuine Blues rhythms backed up with a heavy dose of Soul”. No less an authority on the Los Angeles music scene than the late Laura Mae Gross, former owner and proprietor of the city's oldest blues club, Babe's and Ricky's (established 1964), frequently boasted, “Randell is the best guitar player we got.”
Randell Young's most recent projects include writing, producing and recording a trilogy of concept albums (Deo Juvante, A Rising Tide and Soiree at the Café Liberte) for Libertalia, a nine-piece ensemble performing all original material which can best be described as modern American Rhythm and Blues with elements of Jazz, Rock, Reggae and WorldBeat thematically aligned with the values of freedom and free enterprise, tolerance and respect for the rights of others and the dream of the creation of a new and truly free libertarian microstate, La Republique de Libertalia.
Pre-Release (no CDs or videos) just free tracks available at SoundCloud, Libertalia has already attracted nearly a quarter of a million facebook fans.
More at https://Libertalia.Band.
*Current age demographics of Libertalia facebook fans:
13 to 17 (10 percent)
18 to 24 (61 percent)
25 to 34 (21 percent)
35 to 65+ (8 percent)
*Updated: 1 August 2023
- Screen name:
- Randell Young
- Member since:
- May 05 2021
- Active within 1 week
- Level of commitment:
- Very Committed
- Years playing music:
- 50
- Gigs played:
- Over 100
- Tend to practice:
- More than 3 times per week
- Available to gig:
- 6-7 nights a week
Instrument experience:
- Lead Guitar:
- Expert
- Vocalist:
- Expert
EQUIPMENT
On the live gig, I play a Carruthers Custom S6 (hard tail, ebony neck Stratocaster) through a Mesa Boogie Mark IV-A.
I use the reverb in the Mesa Boogie and loop to a Boss DD-20 for digital delay. The only pedals I use are the channel switching panel of the Mesa Boogie and (occasionally) a Cry Baby Wah-Wah. I get all of my tones from the Mesa Boogie and the guitar... not a stack noisy little boxes.
I also have (and use in studio recordings) a Custom Fender Telecaster, a Les Paul, a Fender Jazz Bass and a 50+ year old Martin 0-18.