RANDALL WILLIAMS: Praying for Land

Randall Williams

Praying for Land

© 2008 Musafir Music (733792777224)

CD IN STOCK. ORDER NOW. Will ship immediately.

(About MP3 downloads at CD Baby)

Thoughtful acoustic with just a bit of edge: real people, real lives.

notes

“Randall has lived some amazing adventures. In ‘Praying for Land,’ we can feel his bold heart calling us all to follow our dreams.” – David Wilcox

Randall’s sophomore radio release is the strongest yet, and without question the most deeply nuanced. “Praying for Land” was produced by David Weber (Carrie Newcomer, Krista Detor) and features vocalist Krista Detor, percussionist Laura Cerulli (Disappear Fear, Cerulean Groove,) Slats Klug on keys and Jack Helsley on bass. From the title track to the haunting “Causeway” by Irish writer Daithi Rua, “Praying for Land” is well-written and tastefully arranged.



Two hours after informing his voice teacher that he was leaving the world of classical music, Randall Williams graduated from the Royal Conservatory of Mons, Belgium at the head of his class.

He felt that classical music lacked the inclusiveness of folk music, and that the inevitable division between performer and audience was unbearable. And so Randall returned to the world of traveling with his guitar, writing songs in train stations and sleeping on couches, then singing and playing on street corners, cafés, and pubs. For a time he lived aboard a 20’ sailboat that he bought for $800, teaching himself how to sail by single-handing through the Baltic and North Seas with his guitar sleeping in the berth beside him at night. He wrote a book about the trip, which begins with the story of almost getting squashed by a tanker before dawn one morning in the North Sea.

He moved to North Africa, then set off across the Sahara by hitching with locals – bouncing through a minefield on the way that made his mother have bad dreams. He loved the adventure, but he missed the music.

In 2005, Randall returned stateside to scrounge up a career as a performing songwriter, hoping it wasn’t too late. So far, it hasn’t been. As the “Partial Capo Guy,” Randall has written two books for Hal Leonard, recorded a DVD for Kyser Musical Products, and given workshops at some of the biggest festivals in United States. As a performer, Randall has been a finalist in the Founder’s Title and Mid-Atlantic Song Contests, A regional finalist at Kerrville, a showcase artist at Northeast and Midwest Folk Alliance, and at the International Folk Alliance in Memphis, and an Audience Favorite at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival. His 2007 live release, “One Night in Louisiana” made a respectable dent in the folk DJ charts (One single, “Lebanon,” was #8 in May,) and he’s generally a nice guy to have around, capos or not.

Randall is as much at home in a Bangkok slum or a Senegalese village, at the Kennedy Center in D.C. or the Fine Arts Palace in Brussels sandwiched between a twitchy orchestra and a full house, or shoeless on the floor of your living room. Randall has sung in a dozen languages in over 35 countries.

Lynne Andrews: “When Randall left the confines of classical music largely behind, they lost a great talent, but the world gained a good friend - a friend who will tell its stories with grace, compassion, humility and humor.”


+++++++++++++++++++++

"Courage," said Amelia, "is the price that life exacts for granting peace." "Why?" asks Chatwin. Why do we yearn for the horizon, walk away from our warm villages, over the next hill, then over the next again?

On July 2nd 1937, a tiny plane dropped into the Pacific, tearing the fabric of humanity's hopes on its way down. The search for her captain continues: if we ourselves don't jump headlong into the breach, then we are perversely fascinated by those who do. Our inner landscape resonates just as boldly as a mountain summit or a solo ocean crossing, with identical wanderlust. Some of us gape at the heady adventurers, appalled at their boldness, while secretly wishing we could follow them.



All of us are praying for land.

reviews

Please log in to review this album.

  • author: Emily Brook

    This CD makes me want to quit my job, sell all my stuff, and satisfy my own wandering soul for awhile. Each song conjures powerful emotions, vivid images and palpable sensations,and generally speaks to Randall's talent as a singer, songwriter, and performer. Amazing.

  • Praying For Land
    author: Ron Shaffer

    This thing kicks butt. Reminds me of David Wilcox, with production along the lines of Shawn Colvin. Don't waste your time reading this... buy it!

  • author: Dave Townsend

    I first heard Randall Williams singing "I Will Come For You" Based on a true story, it's lyrics and melody was absolutly beautiful. The rest of the CD is full of the same kind of thoughtful lyrics and nice melodies, I would agree that his music and songwriting style reminds me of David Wilcox. A very enjoyable CD.

email

Please log in to email this artist.