Randy Muller Boom Chang Bang - Welcome To My Life
Randy Muller has provided the soundtrack to our lives. For over four decades the multi instrumentalist/songwriter/producer has been at the helm of classic soul and funk hits by the likes of Brass Construction, Skyy, Raphael Cameron, Charles Earland and more. The master of reinvention, Randy surprised fans by stepping into a jazzy alter-ego, Boom Chang Bang and releasing a smooth jazz album a decade ago. The intervening years has seen various funk, dance techno and even afro beat projects (Brooklyn Soul Biscuits, Solodinjgo, Carolyn Harding). Now Boom Chang Bang is back, with a twist. His new album, Welcome To My Life, is a kaleidoscopic glimpse into Randy%u2019s vast musical world, spanning classic Brazilian bossa, contemporary smooth-jazz, jazz-funk, to raw soulful boogie which harkens back to some of his halcyon recordings in the late %u201970%u2019s and early %u201980%u2019s. Welcome To My Life is testimony that Muller retains his place as a music trailblazer. In a world that%u2019s increasingly niche, Randy Muller Boom Chang Bang%u2019s long awaited follow-up dares to embrace a myriad of moods, eras and genres.
%u201CThe first Boom Chang Bang album, Groovin%u2019 U, was released in 2007. And the reception has been amazing,%u201D Randy says. %u201CIn fact, Smoothjazz.com referred to the album as %u2018without a doubt, one of the best independent releases of 2007. More than 10 years on, the popularity of that album continues to grow, so I knew I want to do a follow up. I just didn%u2019t know it would take this long%u201D
Of the old school feel of the album, Randy states: %u201CIt%u2019s true, some of the tracks have that 70s/80s vibe. This was the period when a lot was going on in terms of musical progression and I was lucky enough to be in the thick of it all. Artists such as Stevie Wonder and Roy Ayers are good examples of this evolution. My work with Skyy, Brass Construction and Charles Earland which tried to push boundaries too, I would like to think, is no exception.%u201D
But Welcome To My Life is not a nostalgic retread down jazz-funk memory lane.
%u201CIt%u2019s intended to be a glimpse into my musical DNA; my musical life, going back to my days in British Guiana,%u201D explains Randy. %u201CI was captivated by the lush string sounds of Mantovani, Bert Kaempfert and his orchestra, Percy Faith%u2019s silky orchestrations and later the smokey cool of Stan Getz and Gilberto%u2019s %u201CGirl from Ipanema%u201D. This arrived in our home via the family%u2019s living room vacuum tube Grundig radio by day and a distant-sounding, crackling AM transistor radio by night,%u201D Randy says. %u201CThen, we land firmly in the present with the sonic state-of-the-art dance grooves on the album, which I%u2019m probably better known for.%u201D
The album features a stellar cast of NY%u2019s finest musicians: Raheim Le Blanc (GQ/%u201DDisco Nights), Ron Richardson (Phyllis Hyman/RoyAyres/Will Downing), Nikki Rios, Shelia Slappy, Carolyn Harding (Movin%u2019 On/ Al Mac Dowell), drummer-Bernie Davis , Allison Foster (Stevie Wonder, Bobby Brown, Meli%u2019sa Morgan, Chrisette Michelle, NEYO) Charles Daugherty, guitarist Larry Marsden, Shareef Clayton (Macy Gray, Stevie Wonder, The Roots, Michael McDonald), among others.
The first single, %u201CJoy In The Rain,%u201D a beatific slice of summery soul featuring solo star Angela Johnson on lead vocals, has proved extremely popular in the UK. The feel good factor stays front and center with the funky %u201CGroovin%u2019 U%u201D, the unashamed party chant, %u201CBooty Bump%u201D and %u201CWhat Are We Gonna Do%u201D, which wouldn%u2019t have sounded amiss on a Donald Byrd/Blackbyrds album. The title track %u201CWelcome To My Life,%u201D spotlights Muller%u2019s jazzy chops on Fender Rhodes juxtaposed with a catchy flute motif. The chilled bossa lilt of %u201CBrazilian Nights%u201D, is a gorgeous slice of down tempo magic and %u201CSomething Simple%u201D keeps the laid back tropical feel, with Muller%u2019s flute playing front and center.
%u201CPimms and Lemonade%u201D and %u201CSummer Luv%u201D just reminds me of summertime in London,%u201D Randy, a part time anglophile confesses. %u201CWhen you put it all together, hopefully you have an album that not only makes sense but is interesting and diverse.%u201D
A masterful songwriter with a trove of hits and several hundred recorded tunes under his belt, Randy has never let his love of a groove overshadow his knack of crafting an infectious melody over the top. This combination is no more evident than with %u201CSo Happy%u201D, featuring GQ vocalist Raheim Le Blanc. It stays logged in the brain after just one play.
The sultry down tempo offerings on the album give us a chance to catch our breath. %u201CNice And Slow%u201D is topped with a sinuous, sensual flute solo. It%u2019s a post party/late night jazz funk stroll that you could imagine Dr. Dre sampling back in the day. %u201COver And Over%u201D is a dose of warm, lazy Sunday morning soul.
There%u2019s more: The emotive ballad %u201CI Cry,%u201D a cheeky urban jazzy lowdown funk, %u201CSlip N Slide,%u201D and the boho R&B feel of, %u201CLover To Lover,%u201D featuring vocalist Nikki Rios. In fact, this is an unmissable album brimming with grooves, moods, jazz and a whole lot of soul.
%u201CIf you%u2019re only after radio play, things can get formulaic,%u201D says Randy. %u201CIn recent years, that seems to have influenced the music we consume, especially in the commercial realm. That%u2019s why I wanted to do an album that had a number of different styles; something out of the box. This collection is not about niche narrowcasting. It%u2019s reflective of the type of diversity we as a global society should naturally embrace.%u201D
%u201CIn the late 60s- and into the 70s, many major influences shaped my musical vocabulary,%u201D Randy expounds. %u201CJames Brown, Maceo Parker, Mongo Santamaria, Mandrill, Kool and the Gang, Motown, Chick Corea, Ramsey Lewis, Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis, Herbie Mann. I could go on and on. %u201CHubert Laws and the whole Creed Taylor CTI roster of artists and the amazing lush arrangements of Don Sebesky were huge influences,%u201D he adds. %u201CThis album is intended to be a delicious manifestation ...part one of a 360 degree representation of all this.
Welcome To My Life!%u201D
CREDITS:
Produced, Arranged, Written by Randy Muller-for Plaza Records/ Wavehill
Published by One To One Music Publishing Co., ASCAP.
Musicians:
Welcome To My Life: Flute,Vocals, Keyboards, Percussion- Randy Muller, Bass- Ron Richardson, Guitar- Larry Marsden, Drums- Bernard Davis.
What Are We Gonna Do: Flute,Vocals, Keyboards, Percussion - Randy Muller, -, Bass-Thomas Gooding, Drums- Bernie Davis, Guitar- Larry Marsden, Randy Muller
So Happy (Groovy Kinda Thang): Lead Vocals- Raheim Le Blanc, Background vocals, Synth Keyboards/Clav, Drums, Percussion- Randy Muller, Guitar- Larry Marsden,Trumpet %u2013 Shereef Clayton, Sax- Irwin Hall
Joy in the Rain: Lead Vocals- Angela Johnson, Background Vocals- Carolyn Harding, Allison Foster, Randy Muller, Drums/Bernie Davis, Bass, flute, Percussion- Randy Muller, Guitar- Larry Marsden, Horns: Trumpet %u2013 Shereef Clayton, Sax-Irwin Hall
Over and Over: Lead Vocals- Nikki Rios, Guitar- Mike Cirincione
Background Vocals, Flutes, Percussion all other instruments- Randy Muller,
Nice and Slow: Flute,Vocals all instruments Randy Muller
Brazilian Nights: Flute, Vocals, Keyboards- Randy Muller, Bass/Drums, Brazilian Percussion- Itaiguara Brandao
Something Simple: - Flute, Vocals, Keyboards, Bass, Percussion -Randy Muller, Congas-Roland Guerrero, Horns: Trumpet- Eddie Munez, Mac Gollehon, Trombone- Khadafy
Pimms and Lemonade: Flute,Vocals, Keyboards, Percussion, all other instruments- Randy Muller
Slip N Slide: Background Vocals- Veronica Daeh, Guitar- Larry Marsden/ Randy Muller, Bass- Kevin Scott, Flute,Vocals, Percussion, all other instruments- Randy Muller
Summer Luv: Background Vocals- Shelia Slappy, Flute, Organ/ Keyboards, percussion- Randy Muller, Guitar-Larry Marsden
Lover To Lover: Lead Vocals- Nikki Rios, Background Vocals- Nikki Rios/Randy Muller, Bass-Kevin Scott, Drums/All other Instruments- Muller
Booty Bump: Flute, Vocals, Keyboards, all other instruments- Randy Muuller
I Cry: Piano, Vocals-Randy Muller
Groovin%u2019 U -Single Mix: Vocals- Shantel (formerly 4Flavas-UK), Drums- Bernie Davis, Guitar- Clyde McPhadden, Sax- Charles Daugherty, Trumpet- Aaron Smith, Flute, Keyboards, all other instruments-Randy Muller
All tracks recorded in Plaza Studios and Mixed and Engineered by Dave Darlington and Randy Muller at Bass Hit Studios, NYC
Photographer: Emmanuel Afolabi
Cover Photo design- Jake Holloway
Package Design: Amy Bennick
Stylist- Lauren Muller
Randy Muller has provided the soundtrack to our lives. For over four decades the multi instrumentalist/songwriter/producer has been at the helm of classic soul and funk hits by the likes of Brass Construction, Skyy, Raphael Cameron, Charles Earland and more. The master of reinvention, Randy surprised fans by stepping into a jazzy alter-ego, Boom Chang Bang and releasing a smooth jazz album a decade ago. The intervening years has seen various funk, dance techno and even afro beat projects (Brooklyn Soul Biscuits, Solodinjgo, Carolyn Harding). Now Boom Chang Bang is back, with a twist. His new album, Welcome To My Life, is a kaleidoscopic glimpse into Randy%u2019s vast musical world, spanning classic Brazilian bossa, contemporary smooth-jazz, jazz-funk, to raw soulful boogie which harkens back to some of his halcyon recordings in the late %u201970%u2019s and early %u201980%u2019s. Welcome To My Life is testimony that Muller retains his place as a music trailblazer. In a world that%u2019s increasingly niche, Randy Muller Boom Chang Bang%u2019s long awaited follow-up dares to embrace a myriad of moods, eras and genres.
%u201CThe first Boom Chang Bang album, Groovin%u2019 U, was released in 2007. And the reception has been amazing,%u201D Randy says. %u201CIn fact, Smoothjazz.com referred to the album as %u2018without a doubt, one of the best independent releases of 2007. More than 10 years on, the popularity of that album continues to grow, so I knew I want to do a follow up. I just didn%u2019t know it would take this long%u201D
Of the old school feel of the album, Randy states: %u201CIt%u2019s true, some of the tracks have that 70s/80s vibe. This was the period when a lot was going on in terms of musical progression and I was lucky enough to be in the thick of it all. Artists such as Stevie Wonder and Roy Ayers are good examples of this evolution. My work with Skyy, Brass Construction and Charles Earland which tried to push boundaries too, I would like to think, is no exception.%u201D
But Welcome To My Life is not a nostalgic retread down jazz-funk memory lane.
%u201CIt%u2019s intended to be a glimpse into my musical DNA; my musical life, going back to my days in British Guiana,%u201D explains Randy. %u201CI was captivated by the lush string sounds of Mantovani, Bert Kaempfert and his orchestra, Percy Faith%u2019s silky orchestrations and later the smokey cool of Stan Getz and Gilberto%u2019s %u201CGirl from Ipanema%u201D. This arrived in our home via the family%u2019s living room vacuum tube Grundig radio by day and a distant-sounding, crackling AM transistor radio by night,%u201D Randy says. %u201CThen, we land firmly in the present with the sonic state-of-the-art dance grooves on the album, which I%u2019m probably better known for.%u201D
The album features a stellar cast of NY%u2019s finest musicians: Raheim Le Blanc (GQ/%u201DDisco Nights), Ron Richardson (Phyllis Hyman/RoyAyres/Will Downing), Nikki Rios, Shelia Slappy, Carolyn Harding (Movin%u2019 On/ Al Mac Dowell), drummer-Bernie Davis , Allison Foster (Stevie Wonder, Bobby Brown, Meli%u2019sa Morgan, Chrisette Michelle, NEYO) Charles Daugherty, guitarist Larry Marsden, Shareef Clayton (Macy Gray, Stevie Wonder, The Roots, Michael McDonald), among others.
The first single, %u201CJoy In The Rain,%u201D a beatific slice of summery soul featuring solo star Angela Johnson on lead vocals, has proved extremely popular in the UK. The feel good factor stays front and center with the funky %u201CGroovin%u2019 U%u201D, the unashamed party chant, %u201CBooty Bump%u201D and %u201CWhat Are We Gonna Do%u201D, which wouldn%u2019t have sounded amiss on a Donald Byrd/Blackbyrds album. The title track %u201CWelcome To My Life,%u201D spotlights Muller%u2019s jazzy chops on Fender Rhodes juxtaposed with a catchy flute motif. The chilled bossa lilt of %u201CBrazilian Nights%u201D, is a gorgeous slice of down tempo magic and %u201CSomething Simple%u201D keeps the laid back tropical feel, with Muller%u2019s flute playing front and center.
%u201CPimms and Lemonade%u201D and %u201CSummer Luv%u201D just reminds me of summertime in London,%u201D Randy, a part time anglophile confesses. %u201CWhen you put it all together, hopefully you have an album that not only makes sense but is interesting and diverse.%u201D
A masterful songwriter with a trove of hits and several hundred recorded tunes under his belt, Randy has never let his love of a groove overshadow his knack of crafting an infectious melody over the top. This combination is no more evident than with %u201CSo Happy%u201D, featuring GQ vocalist Raheim Le Blanc. It stays logged in the brain after just one play.
The sultry down tempo offerings on the album give us a chance to catch our breath. %u201CNice And Slow%u201D is topped with a sinuous, sensual flute solo. It%u2019s a post party/late night jazz funk stroll that you could imagine Dr. Dre sampling back in the day. %u201COver And Over%u201D is a dose of warm, lazy Sunday morning soul.
There%u2019s more: The emotive ballad %u201CI Cry,%u201D a cheeky urban jazzy lowdown funk, %u201CSlip N Slide,%u201D and the boho R&B feel of, %u201CLover To Lover,%u201D featuring vocalist Nikki Rios. In fact, this is an unmissable album brimming with grooves, moods, jazz and a whole lot of soul.
%u201CIf you%u2019re only after radio play, things can get formulaic,%u201D says Randy. %u201CIn recent years, that seems to have influenced the music we consume, especially in the commercial realm. That%u2019s why I wanted to do an album that had a number of different styles; something out of the box. This collection is not about niche narrowcasting. It%u2019s reflective of the type of diversity we as a global society should naturally embrace.%u201D
%u201CIn the late 60s- and into the 70s, many major influences shaped my musical vocabulary,%u201D Randy expounds. %u201CJames Brown, Maceo Parker, Mongo Santamaria, Mandrill, Kool and the Gang, Motown, Chick Corea, Ramsey Lewis, Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis, Herbie Mann. I could go on and on. %u201CHubert Laws and the whole Creed Taylor CTI roster of artists and the amazing lush arrangements of Don Sebesky were huge influences,%u201D he adds. %u201CThis album is intended to be a delicious manifestation ...part one of a 360 degree representation of all this.
Welcome To My Life!%u201D
CREDITS:
Produced, Arranged, Written by Randy Muller-for Plaza Records/ Wavehill
Published by One To One Music Publishing Co., ASCAP.
Musicians:
Welcome To My Life: Flute,Vocals, Keyboards, Percussion- Randy Muller, Bass- Ron Richardson, Guitar- Larry Marsden, Drums- Bernard Davis.
What Are We Gonna Do: Flute,Vocals, Keyboards, Percussion - Randy Muller, -, Bass-Thomas Gooding, Drums- Bernie Davis, Guitar- Larry Marsden, Randy Muller
So Happy (Groovy Kinda Thang): Lead Vocals- Raheim Le Blanc, Background vocals, Synth Keyboards/Clav, Drums, Percussion- Randy Muller, Guitar- Larry Marsden,Trumpet %u2013 Shereef Clayton, Sax- Irwin Hall
Joy in the Rain: Lead Vocals- Angela Johnson, Background Vocals- Carolyn Harding, Allison Foster, Randy Muller, Drums/Bernie Davis, Bass, flute, Percussion- Randy Muller, Guitar- Larry Marsden, Horns: Trumpet %u2013 Shereef Clayton, Sax-Irwin Hall
Over and Over: Lead Vocals- Nikki Rios, Guitar- Mike Cirincione
Background Vocals, Flutes, Percussion all other instruments- Randy Muller,
Nice and Slow: Flute,Vocals all instruments Randy Muller
Brazilian Nights: Flute, Vocals, Keyboards- Randy Muller, Bass/Drums, Brazilian Percussion- Itaiguara Brandao
Something Simple: - Flute, Vocals, Keyboards, Bass, Percussion -Randy Muller, Congas-Roland Guerrero, Horns: Trumpet- Eddie Munez, Mac Gollehon, Trombone- Khadafy
Pimms and Lemonade: Flute,Vocals, Keyboards, Percussion, all other instruments- Randy Muller
Slip N Slide: Background Vocals- Veronica Daeh, Guitar- Larry Marsden/ Randy Muller, Bass- Kevin Scott, Flute,Vocals, Percussion, all other instruments- Randy Muller
Summer Luv: Background Vocals- Shelia Slappy, Flute, Organ/ Keyboards, percussion- Randy Muller, Guitar-Larry Marsden
Lover To Lover: Lead Vocals- Nikki Rios, Background Vocals- Nikki Rios/Randy Muller, Bass-Kevin Scott, Drums/All other Instruments- Muller
Booty Bump: Flute, Vocals, Keyboards, all other instruments- Randy Muuller
I Cry: Piano, Vocals-Randy Muller
Groovin%u2019 U -Single Mix: Vocals- Shantel (formerly 4Flavas-UK), Drums- Bernie Davis, Guitar- Clyde McPhadden, Sax- Charles Daugherty, Trumpet- Aaron Smith, Flute, Keyboards, all other instruments-Randy Muller
All tracks recorded in Plaza Studios and Mixed and Engineered by Dave Darlington and Randy Muller at Bass Hit Studios, NYC
Photographer: Emmanuel Afolabi
Cover Photo design- Jake Holloway
Package Design: Amy Bennick
Stylist- Lauren Muller
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