Randell Young

Randell Young began his professional career right out of high school playing initially in R&B clubs in his home town of Washington, D.C. He has since gone on to work with numerous recording artists including Max Bennett, Nicolette Larson, Poncho Sanchez, Mayuto Correa, Mickey Champion, Rob Mullins, Nate Phillips, Billy Mitchell, John Bolivar, Tony Guerrero, Dan St. Marseille, Reed Gratz, Tyrone Brunson, Melvin "Deacon" Jones, Harvey "Harmonica Fats" Blackston, Jeff "Skunk" Baxter (of Steely Dan), Nesbert "Stix" Hooper (of The Jazz Crusaders), Julie and Jerald "Jara" Harris of Slapbak, Margot Chapman (of The Starland Vocal Band), Fito de la Parra (of Canned Heat) and Rusty Cox (of The Dazz Band).

Young holds a 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!

Young was signed by Artie Mogull to produce Bob Dylan Revisited, a tribute to the prolific songwriter set to feature vocal performances by numerous stars originally discovered by Mogull, the former Chairman and CEO of United Artists Records 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 Anne Murray, Laura Nyro, Richie Havens, Crystal Gayle, Olivia Newton-John, Helen Reddy, Gordon Lightfoot, John Denver, Kenny Rogers, Peter, Paul and Mary, Deep Purple, Lynnyrd Skynnyrd, Hootie and the Blowfish, The Electric Light Orchestra, The Beach Boys, The Kingston Trio and The Band.

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 - B. B. King's - Los Angeles).

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 complete soundtrack for Beverly Skyline Media's Zarbie and The Martians.

He has recorded three solo albums, Nefarious Rhythms & Blues, Guitar Noire and Tsarabanjina. A fourth, Soiree at the Cafe Creole, is in progress. As a solo artist he has opened for such luminaries as Larry Carlton, Etta James, Steve Lukather, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Canned Heat and John Mayall.

His 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 Young as, "a world-class bluesmaster" 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 Laura Mae Gross, owner and proprietor of the city's oldest blues club, Babe's and Ricky's (established 1964), says, "Randell is the best guitar player we got."