Randall Bramblatt

" I had songs recorded in the 80s, in the 90s, in the 2000s, and 2010s, but I never once had the joy of hearing one of the songs that I wrote from the perspective of a Black woman recorded by a Black woman. With this project…I hope to change that." - Alice Randall. Alice Randall is a New York Times bestselling novelist, award-winning songwriter, and educator. She is widely recognized as one of the most significant voices in modern Black fiction. She lives in Nashville where she writes country songs. We are honored to partner with Alice Randall and a community of Black, female musicians to bring you My Black Country - The Songs of Alice Randall. Alice Randall has written songs performed by Glen Campbell, Moe Bandy, Marie Osmond, Jo-El Sonier, Judy Rodman, Radney Foster, Holly Dunn, and Trisha Yearwood. She is the first Black woman to have a number-one hit on the country charts. Her influence in country music and as a voice in the Black community is immense. Here we present a collection of Alice's songs re-imagined and re-recorded by Black female artists from around America.

" I had songs recorded in the 80s, in the 90s, in the 2000s, and 2010s, but I never once had the joy of hearing one of the songs that I wrote from the perspective of a Black woman recorded by a Black woman. With this project…I hope to change that." - Alice Randall

Teresa Stich-Randall While American-born sopranos have been making waves since the days of Lillian Nordica in the early 1900s, West Hartford, CN, native Teresa Stich-Randall may have been the first American soprano whose popularity abroad outstripped her reputation at home. Stich-Randall studied voice at the Hartt School of Music, Columbia University, and finally New York University, where she made her debut in 1947 creating the role of Gertrude Stein in the premiere of Virgil Thomson's opera The Mother of Us All. In 1948 Stich-Randall also created the title role in Otto Luening's opera Evangeline.

Lyttelton had secured a recording contract with the major Parlophone label. At that stage his only serious rival was Freddy Randall who also joined the Parlophone ranks in 1951. Lyttelton's band was stylistically evolving, but Randall chose to base his band in the Chicago style of Eddie Condon, Wild Bill Davison and their cohorts. It was driving, foot-stomping stuff led by Randall's fiery trumpet playing. For seven years the band recorded some excellent tracks for Parlophone and they are restored and presented here. Noted Jazz critic, Digby Fairweather wrote "[Randall's] records of the 1950s period are great Jazz in any language".