64
Nov. 7 - Nov. 20, 2015
Arts
www.SanTanSun.com
Randolph expects 2016 to be breakthrough year BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI
A self-professed big sports fan, Robert Randolph has done his bit to contribute to recreational activities. A customized version of Robert Randolph and the Family Band’s song “Take the Party” is used as the theme song to “SEC Nation,” a traveling college football pregame show. “I’m always following sports,” said Randolph, known to be a master at the pedal steel guitar. Rolling Stone named him one of the 100 greatest guitarists. If that isn’t enough, his New York Mets made the World Series. In an interview before the World Series ended, he was very excited about the prospect of the Mets winning it all. ((The Kansas City Royals destroyed that dream.) But he’s just as thrilled about his forthcoming album. “I got a new record that should be done in the next month or so,” he said. “It should be cool. I have a lot of great songs. I’ve recorded so much material that we’ll just lay everything down and see which songs actually make the final cut. “This time I don’t have too many guests. I recorded with Buddy Guy and Carlos Santana and some of those guys. Hopefully some of those songs make the record. If not, I have enough great material that the fans are going to love it.” He has appeared on songs by both of those artists as well. Randolph said he and his funk-blues band best known for
the song “Ain’t Nothing Wrong with That” will let others choose which tunes make the collection. “I usually tell them to send me a list of their favorites,” he said. “Sometimes you could write a song and get too attached. It could be really good or not that great. All of us music artists go through it.” He went with a different approach for the album that has yet to be named. Instead of writing songs in the studio, Randolph penned the tracks when he was inspired. “This time I wrote songs on the fly, at least twice a week,” he said. “You feel them and then you just go. I just keep it going. I went into the studio. I did a demo and then I would come back, record them and let people listen to them. Sometimes in the past, we’ll wait to record this song in the studio. Once it’s on the record, it’s on the record. Six months later, by the time we play it live, it’s a completely different song.” To hold off recording them and listening to them two to four months later worked out better for Randolph and his band. “I’ve learned from other people like Clapton and Dave Matthews that that’s the way to do it,” he said. “You cut a thing, step away from it, come back and add this, take this out. It’s a normal musician thing.” Randolph expects to play some of the new songs when he performs as part of the Downtown Chandler Concert Series on Saturday, Nov. 21.
Robert Randolph and the Family Band perform on Saturday, Nov 21, as part of the Downtown Chandler Concert Series at Dr. A.J. Chandler Park. Submitted photo
“I’ll play at least about four of them,” he said. “I’m not sure which ones. But we have some shows before then.” For 2016, Randolph is expecting it to be a breakthrough year for the band. “We’re looking at 2016 to really sort of be a next-level year,” he said. “There are talks about big tours, big shows with some other big bands. It’s really supposed to take it to another level.” Robert Randolph and the Family Band perform Saturday, Nov. 21, as part of the Downtown Chandler Concert Series in Dr.
A.J. Chandler Park, 125 E. Commonwealth Ave., Chandler. The music runs from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., with Randolph hitting the stage around 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 to $65. For more information, visit http:// www.downtownchandler.org/downtownchandler-concert-series/. Christina Fuoco-Karasinski is the executive editor of the SanTan Sun News. She can be reached at christina@ santansun.com.