Jon Randel
Jon Randel is a singer/songwriter and plays guitar, keyboards, and harmonica. He's written and performed music in various genres, including folk, rock, progressive, pop, blues, and choral. One of his choral compositions premiered in Rome, Italy in 2001. He studied voice in New York with opera singer Katherine Lakoski and the late Broadway vocalist Terri Di Leva.
Born in Troy NY, Jon lived in New York City for many years, where recordings of his music were produced by studio musician/jazz guitarist David Spinozza and Andy Chernak, who was musical director for Garland Jeffreys. He performs both acoustically and with electric accompaniment and is a member of the rock band Magnetic Horse in Vermont, where he's lived since 2010.
Album
Released in October 2023, Filters Force the Light spans genres of rock, progressive rock, folk, and electronica. Guitarist Joe Musolino appears on four tracks and Dave Clark (bass/harmony) and Brian Kolins (drums) on one. Jon did the remaining vocals, instruments, arrangements, and production. The album can be heard on all of the major streaming platforms or purchased as as CD from jonrandel.com.
Reviews
“Jon Randel used to lead a band called Monolith, featuring none other than Joe Musolino, who is a brilliant guitar player. Randel was amazing. Now, years later, he puts out this great new CD, and it’s amazing. This guy’s the real deal; always has been the real deal. ‘Sound Wave Rider’ is as good a prog thing as I’ve heard anybody do in a long, long time, and his version of the Tom Rapp song is astounding.” - Jim Barrett
“I encourage everyone to listen in headphones. There's so much to experience, and it's all so gorgeously made. The lyrics are among the best I've heard: witty, fresh, but also moving. And the vocals are astounding, sublime. The voice is truly an instrument here, and the compositions are never formulaic. Some songs are richly layered, with so much to hear, and the stylistic variety from piece to piece kept surprising me. It's innovative -- the harmonies, the gorgeous guitar, the cello, the percussive counterpoint. What a work. To summarize -- it's brilliant. I haven't been this entranced and impressed by music in a long time.”
