randykohrs.com

RK LEADS BAND FOR CHILDREN’S CHARITY TELETHON

March 2, 2010

For over fifteen years, Randy Kohrs has donated his talents and time to the annual telethon put on by Variety, the Children’s Charity, in Des Moines, Iowa, by acting as band leader for the house band.  On March 6 and 7, the current Nashville resident will resume the role again in the 24 hour event near his own hometown of New Virginia, Iowa.

Kohrs began his participation in the fund-raising event in 1993, when his nephew was born premature with extenuating complications.

“His lungs weren’t fully developed and a very experimental procedure, at that time, was used to keep him alive.  I learned so much about what it took to even be able to conduct the research to develop these ideas, the cost of it all, that I wanted to help in whatever way I could,” Kohrs explains.  “The telethon plays such a huge role in helping fund the children’s hospitals in Iowa, so I walked into Stan Reynold’s (President of Variety) office and offered to do anything they needed, whether it was answer phones, sweep the floors, anything.  They needed help in the music department, so it worked out perfectly!”

On its 36^th year, the telethon has raised more than $70 million for over 300 charities throughout Iowa and neighboring regions, and attracts volunteers internationally, from the current reigning Miss World to sports celebrities to Hollywood actors, not to mention the A-list group of Nashville musicians put together by Kohrs every year.

“With such a random group of people like we have every year, you never know what you’re going to see or be involved in that will be broadcast all over the country,” laughs Kohrs.  “Especially around three or four in the morning, when you’re still excited to be there but your body may be wearing down.  A few years ago, I ended up in a Blues Brothers skit, complete with hat, tie, and sunglasses, alongside soap actors Emma Sams and Jason Cook and (wrestler) “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan!  We’re all in it for the same reason and look forward to it every year.”

Kohrs’ passion for the future generations is evidenced in that he can also be seen performing every year at the Musicians Against Childhood Cancer festival held just outside of Columbus, where all proceeds go to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.  For more information on the Variety Children’s Charity telethon, visit www.varietytelethon.com.

THE QUICKSAND REVIEWS ARE IN!!!

February 17, 2010

The reviews are still coming in, but the results seem to be the same – Quicksand gets a big thumbs up!  Here is some of what the critics are saying:

FAME – From start to finish, Quicksand is a feast of bluegrass, Appalachian, country, and other musics adeptly penned and played, the sort of thing to make even Sam Bush, who tipped in the liner’s introductory accolades, smile from ear to ear as he sits back on the verandah and watches the sun set slowly in the west.

Today’s Country Magazine – Quicksand is arguably Kohrs finest body of work to date and just as you’d expect from him, you will hear top-notch musicianship, great lyrics backed by an equally great voice delivering them, and solid songs from one to the next.

Country Weekly (February 8, 2010 issue) – Randy blends country and bluegrass with generous amounts of soul and hints of jazz and gospel.  Quicksand marks another step in the right direction for this up-and-comer.

Roughstock – Even though all of those songs are great, the Codie Prevost-penned “Quicksand” is the obvious highlight of the record as it finds Kohrs’ pliable tenor singing about how some bad choices can derail life.

International Country Music Database – Randy Kohrs has put together a magical mix of songs that should be in everyone’s CD player. Quicksand is a wonderful example of how to create music that is touching and timeless.

The Bluegrass Blog – I…recommend that you pick up a copy for yourself. You won’t regret it. I know it’s only January, but I’m ready to predict that Quicksand will still be in my top 5 albums for 2010 come next January.

Stacy’s Music Row Report – Randy Kohrs calls his music a mixture of blues, country, bluegrass and Americana.  It is all of that- and more.  Kohrs delivers 13 songs, several of which are as attention-getting as his cornucopia of musical influences.

Country California – At its best, Quicksand is perfectly titled – an album that stops you in your tracks, envelops you in a consuming experience.  A highly rewarding listen for fans of soulful acoustic music that’s reverent without ever being stodgy.

My Kind of Country – There is a mixture of blues, country, and bluegrass, all acoustic. The backings, from a variety of mainly bluegrass musicians, are fabulous throughout, and always appropriate for the song. The whole album is a pleasure to listen to.

RANDY KOHRS FILMS IN-STUDIO RECORDING DEMONSTRATIONS

January 29, 2010

The combination of Royer Ribbon Microphones and Grammy®-winning producer and engineer, Randy Kohrs, has proved to be quite a successful union and a series of videos posted on YouTube by the popular audio company illustrates how.  In Kohrs’ own unique Slack Key Studio in Nashville, TN, he demonstrates recording techniques on resonator guitar, banjo, and drums in a way few in Nashville can – by playing them himself, as well.  Fiddle is also demonstrated – seemingly the only instrument not listed on Kohrs’ resume.

Click Here to watch the videos on Royer Labs’ YouTube channel!

January 14, 2010

Randy Kohrs recently held a Quicksand CD release party/Grammy®-nomination party at his own Slack Key Studio in Nashville, TN, on January 12th, 2010, and it was a night to be remembered!  The Randy Kohrs Band performed a few songs from the celebrated new release, Quicksand, and Jim Lauderdale was on hand to sing a few songs off of his Grammy®-nominated, Kohrs produced CD, Could We Get Any Closer.  Several members of the music media were on hand to cover the event, including websites Today’s Country Magazine and The 9513, which even posted a video of the band performing the title track, “Quicksand,” that night.

Randy Kohrs’ Interview on THE 9513 Website

December 15, 2009

Visit www.the9513.com to read about Randy’s new CD, Quicksand, and how he views his own unique “genre-blending” style.  Also, he dishes to writer Sam Gazdziak about his upcoming country CD and what he thinks of country music today.

RANDY KOHRS, SLACK KEY STUDIO GET GRAMMY NOD WITH JIM LAUDERDALE’S LATEST CD

December 3, 2009

In 2008, Jim Lauderdale took home the prestigious Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album with The Bluegrass Diaries, which was produced, engineered, and mixed by world-renowned musician/artist Randy Kohrs in his own Slack Key studio.  Kohrs distinctive resonator guitar and harmony vocals can also be heard on every track.  The two paired up again for Lauderdale’s latest, Could We Get Any Closer?, and discovered that two years later, the combination is still a hit as they have been honored, once again, with a Grammy nomination in the same category for the coming 2010 awards.  This is Lauderdale’s fifth nomination and potential third win – he and Ralph Stanley won in 2002 with their collaborative effort Lost in the Lonesome Pines – and Kohrs solely produced the last two, as well as co-produced the one before.

The process in making Could We Get Any Closer? was drawn out for well over a year, as shortly after the first recording session, Lauderdale developed polyps on his vocal chords and was forced to postpone. The severity of his condition resulted in surgery, and following a nine month recovery, he and Kohrs entered the studio yet again.

“Jim’s voice was stronger and clearer than it had been in years when he healed from the procedure, and the difference was magnified in the studio,” Kohrs explains. “Being the engineer, as well as the producer, when it came to recording his vocals allowed me to recognize every little detail, and the second I’d hear him get tired, we’d stop for the day. I used a microphone on him, the Violet Flamingo, which picks up even the tiniest inflection. As a result of this, and the talents of some of the most incredible musicians on the planet, I believe we have one of Jim’s best albums to date and I wish him the best of luck at the awards.”

Slack Key studio may best be known, thus far, as a bluegrass recording studio thanks to the accolades received with Jim Lauderdale’s previous two bluegrass recordings, but in the last few months, the clientele has ranged from Native American music to British pop, not to mention Kohrs’ own projects. A prominent resonator guitarist and singer/songwriter himself, his upcoming, highly-anticipated acoustic CD, Quicksand, is due to release on January 12, 2010, on Rural Rhythm records.

Article in Kalamazoo Gazette

Kohrs juggles musical genres

Sunday, January 04, 2009

Kalamazoo

BY MARK WEDEL

KALAMAZOO — Randy Kohrs is a dobro player, songwriter, band leader, studio owner, producer and session musician.

He might as well declare himself an excellent juggler as well. As Kohrs spoke recently via cell phone, he was struggling with a debit-card reader at a Nashville, Tenn., Kroger as he was thinking about an upcoming appearance on ….Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” where he was to play with Little Big Town, one of the many country/bluegrass/Americana groups who grab him when they need a supreme dobro talent.

Of the late-night shows, ….I’ve done them all, except Conan, with Dolly.” Kohrs has been a regular player with Dolly Parton in the past decade. He’s also played for Dierks Bentley, Cowboy Troy, Hank III, Tom T. Hall, Hank Thompson, Continental Divide and others. Kohrs has been on more than 500 albums since he moved from his home state of Iowa to Nashville in 1994.

At the Cooper’s Glen Music Festival, set for Friday and Saturday in Kalamazoo, Kohrs will appear with Grammy Award-winning Americana singer/songwriter Jim Lauderdale. Kohrs, as producer, helped win that 2008 Grammy for Lauderdale’s ….The Bluegrass Diaries.”

But Kohrs also will perform with his own band at the festival. On his own, Kohrs has gotten attention from last year’s ….Old Photograph” (Rural Rhythm) and from a video for a gospel country song from the album ….Who’s Goin’ With Me” that received airplay on GAC and CMT Pure.

That reminded him: ….Yeah, we need to get more (videos done). Need to do a new one, but we’ve been putting it off, because we’ve been remodeling the studio (his home studio, Slack Key), producing acts, and it’s so hard to juggle everything.”

Like his career, Kohrs juggles genres in his music. Bluegrass, country and gospel are all in his sound. Elements might jump in from his bass player Elio Giordano’s ….old-school rockabilly” talents or Kohrs’ love of the blues.

….So we’re liable to pull out just about anything,” he said. ….I try to put something into my set that everybody will like at some point.”

….Make use of all the pickers,” he said, while bands take breaks from touring in the winter. ….My craziest times of the year are between November and January.”

But he’ll find time this January to come to Kalamazoo. ….It’ll be nice to look at a live crowd instead of computer monitors in the studio,” Kohrs said.

REVIEW: GONE COUNTRY MAGAZINE

Randy Kohrs is certainly not a newcomer to any fan of bluegrass based music, however with his current single “Who’s Goin’ With Me” getting a whole lot of play on GAC and CMT, even being in the top 10 on the fan voted “Pure 12 Pack” for the past few weeks, Kohrs is quickly gaining new fans and I am happy to say I am one of them. With his latest offering Kohrs delivers honest lyrics with the subject matter ranging from an everyday woman (Lena Mae), to more spiritual subject matter (Can You Give Me A Drink) to his current single (Who’s Goin’ With Me) that combines his spiritual side with a great story about falling for the preacher’s daughter as an adolescent. Randy Kohrs musically brings modern bluegrass to the table but is smart enough to combine it with a modern country feel that you find spread throughout the mainstream in bands like Little Big Town. As with a majority of bluegrass music, the musicianship is a key element to the music. You will usually find outstanding musicians on bluegrass albums and you have that here as well. From banjo, to mandolin, to a guest spot from the Queen of Bluegrass, Rhonda Vincent on “Don’t Let Your Wounded Heart Come Between Us,” Kohrs takes his bluegrass influenced style and packages it perfectly for any fan of modern country and I suspect that even those that aren’t bluegrass fans will love Randy Kohrs style and vocals and will quickly be adding “Old Photograph” to their collections of music.

REVIEW: CASHBOX MAGAZINE 4-07-07

Singer-Songwriter Randy Kohrs delivers a masterpiece in his new album Old Photographs. Folks this cd debuting at #19 on the Cashbox Bluegrass charts is Grammy® material.

Randy is one hell of a songwriter and this album showcases his talent. All 12 tracks are like diamonds in the rough on this cd. Now I’ve heard of genre bending but track 6 stands way out front “Can You Give Me A Drink” not only combines gospel bluegrass but black gospel too. This track will have you jumping to your feet. This is definitely a single release somewhere. If you never thought you would hear such a combination you have it here and believe ole J.D., I’ll stand by this track, its fantastic. Other tracks include “Rockwell’s Gold”, “Old Photograph”, “Two Boys from Kentucky”,and the more country oriented sounds on “White Ring” and “She Ain’t Coming Back”. I hope to be hearing a lot more from Randy Kohrs. This is a truly great artist, not from the Nashville Cookie Cutter Society of Sound Alike Rich Cowboys. All you major guys learn from a pro like Randy Kohrs. This cd is real honest down to earth music, the way its meant to be heard.

JDH 5 STARS

REVIEW: by Joe Ross May 2, 2007

Singularly impressive all-around talent
Well-known Nashville musician Randy Kohrs’ fifth solo album project since 2001 also marks his debut as one of the “new tradition” on the Rural Rhythm label. It’s a noble nod to one of the masters of the acoustic music scene, and “Old Photograph” is a brilliant testimonial to Kohrs’ artistic craftsmanship. Randy’s work continues to showcase his singularly impressive talents as producer, songwriter, instrumentalist, vocalist, and engineer. If there were an award for “Best All-Around Musician,” Randy would get my vote!

Randy’s participation as a session musician on over 500 albums has emphasized his expert virtuosity. He’s also toured with the likes of
Hank Williams III, Tom T. Hall, Holly Dunn, Hal Ketchum, Hank Thompson, Continental Divide, John Cowan Band, and Dolly Parton. His talent helped him find comfortable niches with country, bluegrass and even some folk acts. And his presentation on “Old Photograph” demonstrates his continuing affinity for many genres. While the Iowa native who relocated to Tennessee in 1994 can play all the bluegrass instruments if he wants to, Kohrs’ international fame is primarily due to his fine resophonic guitar work. For the other exceptional instrumental work on “Old Photograph” he enlists support from buds like Scott Vestal (banjo), Tim Crouch (fiddle), Jim Hurst (guitar), Jesse Cobb (mandolin), Jay Weaver (bass), and many others. In 2006, Randy formed his own band, “The Lites.” Three cuts early in this set (Rockwell’s Gold, Lena Mae, Two Boys From Kentucky) are most representative of his band’s sound with the inclusion, to varying degree, of his young bandmates Scott Haas (banjo), Andrew Crawford (guitar), Ashley Brown (fiddle), and Aaron Ramsey (mandolin, bass).

Whether singing country, bluegrass or gospel, Randy gives us a distinctive, brawny delivery throughout his considerable range. For a softer edge, he’s more lyrical than vigorous with “Don’t Let Your Wounded Heart Come Between Us” (sung as a duet with Rhonda Vincent), “White Ring” (straight-ahead acoustic country), and “Shallow Grave” (sung and played solo to close the album). There are some interesting guests who make minor appearances in the mix. Melinda Doolittle, an American Idol contestant, sings high harmony on “Can You Give Me A Drink.” A member of MuzikMafia, Shannon Lawson co-penned “Who’s Goin’ With Me” with Del Gray, and she sings tenor on that song. Chris Wood’s percussion appears on three tracks. Many other guests like Clay Hess, Carl Jackson, Stephen Mougin, Darrin Vincent, and Don Rigsby stopped by Randy’s Slackkey Studios to provide a vocal or instrumental track or two.

I’ve already gone on record as saying that the consummate Randy Kohrs is a deserving member of the contemporary bluegrass elite. His exciting stylistic presentation is full of both tang and twang. His songs have thoughtful substance and gripping delivery. Whether racing or reflective, Kohrs’ music on “Old Photograph” will stand as another triumphant milestone and superlative effort for one of the most happening musicians in Nashville. (Joe Ross)