Randall Bramblett
2
Playing in the Band Whether in the spotlight or as a sideman, songwriter Randall Bramblett finds his rhythm RANDALL BRAMBLETT Saturday, Nov. 12 at 8 p.m. European Street Café, 5500 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville Tickets are $15 399-1740 M any musicians spend their whole career trying to edge their way into the spotlight. But Randall Bramblett has been equally comfortable at center stage and as sideman for heavyweights lik e e Allman Brothers, Trac, Robbie Robertson and Bonnie Raitt. Raised in Athens, Ga., Bramblett studied religion in college at UNC, with ultimate goal of joining the seminary. Aer hearing the music of artists like Bob Dylan and Carole King, however, he surrendered to the higher calling of playing rock music. A top-shelf multi-instrumentalist, he now plays everything from keyboards and saxophone to guitar and mandolin. He appeared on albums and onstage with artists like Sea Level, Cowboy, Gregg Allman and blues-rock belter Bonnie Bramlett. He also released his own solo albums, which revealed a soulful and gospel-based songwriting style. In the ’80s, Bramblett cooled his activities aer making the decision to get clean and sober. Since then, he has released a half-dozen well-received albums, including his latest “e Meantime,” (randallbramblett.com) an enjoyable 12-song aair featuring laid-back cuts like the Civil Rights tale of “Driving to Montgomery. ” Truly a musician’s musician, Bramblett remains an on-call player for cohorts like Steve Winwood, Widespread Panic and fellow Georgia boy and longtime Rolling Stones keyboardist, Chuck Leavell. Randall Bramblett recently spoke with Folio Weekly as he drove back to Georgia from Chicago, with tour mate, singer-songwriter and longtime friend To mmy Talton in the passenger seat. Folio Weekly: How oen are you out on the road these days? Randall Bramblett: It’ s mostly weekends, and I still play predominately in the South. I think the economy is also somewhat hurting professional players and clubs don’t pay much anymore, so I have been doing more and more solo things. But I like doing the solo thing, since it gives me a chance to present the material in a very intimate way , where people can hear the words and respond to them. F.W.: You’ve been an on-call player for so many artists. Have you ever felt that your own songwriting skills were overlooked? R.B.: Well, most people know me from playing with Gregg Allman, Sea Level and Trac. I thin k the re ason that I’m not better known is simply because I never had a big hit record. When you have a few hits, you’re almost instantl y known as a solo artist. So if people just know me from my playing with Steve Winwood, I could do a lot worse. I’ve been blessed by playing with some really good people. F.W.: Do you have dierent approaches to leading your own band and being a backing musician? R.B.: It’s dierent when you’re hired on as sideman, since you’re really just learning their songs and making sure you can perform their music as well as you possibly can. Doing your own thing, you really have to put your heart and soul into it. Y ou’re out there on a limb and that can be a very vulnerable place. As a sideman, the guy out front is feeling all of the pressure. It’ s much easier to be a sideman. F.W.: I’m wondering how this one-time Southern seminary student wound up playing with Gregg Allman and Trac. R.B.: We ll, I moved to Athens aer college, rather than going to grad school and the seminary, because I was getting more into songwriting and that really captured me. Eventually I hooked up with some Macon folks like the “Cowboy” people … Tommy Talton and his wife Patti are sitting here in the car with me. I want a big mention of them in this article. [Laughs.] Tommy says his favorite color is blue and he’ s quit doing most of the heavy drugs. Strike all that. [More laughter.] F.W.: You’ve had the benet of some really long-term collaborative rel ationships. Do you ever nd yourself honing your material with a certain vocalist in mind? R.B.: I don’t ever think th at way. It’ s all I can do just to come up with one song [Laughs.] and something that grabs my attention. And that’s all I’m really looking for — something that feels right. Dan Brown [email protected] Here Comes the Night: Legendary songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Randall Bramblett performs at European Street Café. 24 | folio weekly | November 8-14, 2011
-
Upload
daniel-a-brown -
Category
Documents
-
view
223 -
download
0
Transcript of Randall Bramblett
7/27/2019 Randall Bramblett
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/randall-bramblett 1/1
Playing in the BandWhether in the spotlight or as a sideman, songwriter
Randall Bramblett finds his rhythm
RANDALL BRAMBLETTSaturday, Nov. 12 at 8 p.m.
European Street Café, 5500 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville
Tickets are $15
399-1740
Many musicians spend their whole career
trying to edge their way into the spotlight.But Randall Bramblett has been equally
comfortable at center stage and as sideman for
heavyweights like e Allman Brothers, Tra c,Robbie Robertson and Bonnie Raitt. Raised
in Athens, Ga., Bramblett studied religion in
college at UNC, with ultimate goal of joiningthe seminary. Aer hearing the music of artists
like Bob Dylan and Carole King, however, hesurrendered to the higher calling of playing rock
music. A top-shelf multi-instrumentalist, he now
plays everything from keyboards and saxophoneto guitar and mandolin. He appeared on albums
and onstage with artists like Sea Level, Cowboy,
Gregg Allman and blues-rock belter BonnieBramlett. He also released his own solo albums,
which revealed a soulful and gospel-based
songwriting style. In the ’80s, Bramblett cooledhis activities aer making the decision to get
clean and sober. Since then, he has released ahalf-dozen well-received albums, including his
latest “e Meantime,” (randallbramblett.com)
an enjoyable 12-song aair featuring laid-back cuts like the Civil Rights tale of “Driving to
Montgomery.” Truly a musician’s musician,
Bramblett remains an on-call player for cohortslike Steve Winwood, Widespread Panic and
fellow Georgia boy and longtime Rolling Stoneskeyboardist, Chuck Leavell.
Randall Bramblett recently spoke withFolio Weekly as he drove back to Georgia fromChicago, with tour mate, singer-songwriter
and longtime friend Tommy Talton in the
passenger seat.
Folio Weekly: How oen are you out on theroad these days?
Randall Bramblett: It’s mostly weekends,
and I still play predominately in the South. Ithink the economy is also somewhat hurting
professional players and clubs don’t pay much
anymore, so I have been doing more andmore solo things. But I like doing the solo
thing, since it gives me a chance to present the
material in a very intimate way, where people
can hear the words and respond to them.
F.W.: You’ve been an on-call player for somany artists. Have you ever felt that your
songwriting skills were overlooked?R.B.: Well, most people know me from
playing with Gregg Allman, Sea Level aTra c. I thin k the re ason that I’m not b
known is simply because I never had a
hit record. When you have a few hits, yoalmost instantly known as a solo artist.
people just know me from my playing w
Steve Winwood, I could do a lot worse.been blessed by playing with some reall
good people.
F.W.: Do you have dierent approaches
to leading your own band and being abacking musician?
R.B.: It’s dierent when you’re hired on a
sideman, since you’re really just learningsongs and making sure you can perform
music as well as you possibly can. Doing
own thing, you really have to put your heand soul into it. You’re out there on a lim
and that can be a very vulnerable place. Asideman, the guy out front is feeling all o
pressure. It’s much easier to be a sideman
F.W.: I’m wondering how this one-time
Southern seminary student wound up pl
with Gregg Allman and Tra c.R.B.: Well, I moved to Athens aer colle
rather than going to grad school and theseminary, because I was getting more int
songwriting and that really captured me
Eventually I hooked up with some Macolike the “Cowboy” people … Tommy Tal
and his wife Patti are sitting here in the cme. I want a big mention of them in this [Laughs.] Tommy says his favorite color
and he’s quit doing most of the heavy druStrike all that. [More laughter.]
F.W.: You’ve had the benet of some reallong-term collaborative relationships. Doever nd yourself honing your material w
certain vocalist in mind?
R.B.: I don’t ever think that way. It’s all Ido just to come up with one song [Laugh
and something that grabs my attention.
that’s all I’m really looking for — someththat feels right.
Da
dbrown@foliowee
Here Comes the Night: Legendary songwriter
and multi-instrumentalist Randall Bramblett
performs at European Street Café.
24 | folio weekly | November 8-14, 2011
