These are the liner notes for the first release from Randy McAllister, Diggin' For Sofa Change, just released on JSP.
Randy McAllister Liner
Ver 1.0 7/9/97
I was born in Dallas, Texas and raised in the northeast Texas town of Novice. My family has been in Texas for at least 5 generations that I know of. Many of them are also from the northeastern part of Texas. My father, Jack, played drums and sang in a band when I was a kid. They did a lot of covers of the popular blues songs of late 60's and 70's. He played for fun and to supplement his income. I sometimes went to his house parties and rehearsals and he would let me sit in and play around on the drums. Those are some of my earliest memories of being exposed to blues and R&B music.
I eventually bought my own drum kit in the 5th grade with $40 I earned mowing lawns. From that moment on, if I wasn't fishing or hanging out in the country with my buddies, I was locked in my room singing and playing to myself. I went into the Air Force in 1979 and was stationed in Bedford, Massachusetts. I continued to play, and with the encouragement of some friends, I began to concentrate more on singing and blowing harp. I finished my tour of duty and moved back home to Texas in 1984. In 1989 I moved to Alaska and had a band up there for about 3 years. We played a lot of the little fishing towns out on the Aleutian chain. A lack of places to play along with being homesick for Texas caused me to move to Dallas in 1992. When I moved back I had to throw a band together quickly since music was my only source of income. In a few weeks I put together the Self Righteous Blues Band and was working on a steady basis shortly thereafter. I met Jr Boy a year later and we would work together from time to time during his breaks from the road with Charlie Musselwhite. He's been like a big brother to me. I value his insight and suggestions. Eventually I disbanded the Self Righteous Blues Band and began to work under my own name. Thanks to some spotted work with Mike Morgan and gig references from Sam Myers I was able to keep paying the bills. However I needed to play my own songs with my own voice so I eventually pulled out of playing a lot of places that did not cater to blues and original material. That started to thin out the work load.
I feel privileged to be able to make a living playing my own music and to record it on this project.
Acknowledgements
I want to thank my family, Jack, Linda, Lisa, and Kelly McAllister. Thanks also to Margie, Jamie at the Keys Lounge, Tim at Danielle's Blues Club in Fort Worth, Mike Morgan, Smokey Logg, Andrew "Junior Boy" Jones, Danny Cochran, Jim Milan, Johnnie, Kiki at the Hole in the Wall, Phyllis and Tracy, Bailie, Dewey and Michelle, my grandparents Babe and Nan. Plus everyone else that stuck with me when things weren't pretty! I appreciate the opportunity to record my music, my way, and wish to thank John Stedman and JSP for that opportunity. I'd like to dedicate this album to my grandfather, Ray "Babe" Anderson.
Personnel:
Randy McAllister-Vocals and Harmonica
Andrew "Junior Boy" Jones-Guitar
Tommy Hill-Drums
Oliver Mowat-Piano
Tommy Tucker-Bass
Recorded June 20-25, 1997 at Audio Dallas Studio, Dallas, Texas
Engineer and production assistance-Paul Osborn
Produced by Andrew "Junior Boy" Jones and Randy McAllister
All songs written by Randy McAllister
Booking Information: 817-294-2948
1. Scary Woman
2. Diggin' for Sofa Change
3. Bob's #2
4. You Got No Right
5. State of Confusion
6. Actions Speak Louder
7. Woman On a Mission
8. Babe and Nan's Thing
9. I Don't Like It
10. My Battle Cry
11. I Got It
12. Down in the Gutter
Back liner
Harp player and vocalist Randy McAllister has played blues and R&B across the USA, literally from Massachusetts to Alaska, before returning to his home state of Texas to find his own unique sound. On this, his debut CD, he is joined by a backing band that is used to playing with one of the best harp players in the world. Producer and guitarist Andrew "Junior Boy" Jones and drummer Tommy Hill played with Charlie Musselwhite and were in his band when it won Blues Band of The Year honors at the W.C. Handy awards. All of the songs on this album are Randy McAllister originals and you'll find both his vocals and harp stylings to be all his own.
Once again, JSP Records has gone to the rich, deep well of Dallas/Fort Worth blues talent and has drawn a bucketful of sweet sounds. Find yourself some sofa change, buy this CD, and drink deeply. You'll find the sounds within most satisfying indeed.
Don O.
KNON FM
Dallas