COMPOSER STEVE MCALLISTER: I HOPE YOU ARE OKAY
On this episode of Big Blend Radio, composer Steve McAllister discusses the music on his new album “I hope you are okay.” Featuring stellar players, the album is made up of ten songs, recorded primarily during COVID with everyone working from home.
Says Steve, “It was a fun process: I’d write a song and form, send it to the drummer. It’d come back to me, I’d make a few additions then send it to Mike or Dave. Back it’d come, more tweaks, then on to the next person. Finally, off to the mixer. Then we’d go ‘round with the next one. Despite it being recorded in California, Arizona, Arkansas, Massachusetts, Texas, and England, it sounds like a band in a room.”
On the album:
Rafael Bernardo Gayol (Leonard Cohen, A-ha, Robbie Robertson) – Drums
Mike Keneally (Frank Zappa, Steve Vai) – Guitars
Dave Gregory (XTC, Peter Gabriel) – Guitars
Dana Colley (Morphine) – Saxes
Dony Wynn (Robert Palmer, Robert Plant) – Additional Drums
Says Steve, “I’ve been a musician my whole life. I’ve composed film scores, written jingles, dabbled with game music, performed with an orchestra, toured in a van, and composed a few hundred works for an enormous variety of clients.”
In-between drawing maps of places that don’t exist and trying to learn Portuguese, Steve McAllister has had a bizarre and entirely unique relationship with songwriting. He wrote the conference music for the World Economic Forum for some years. Those globalist’s ears were feasting on his music and didn’t even know it. At least two members of the RnR HOF have played on his records, and at least one sitting President has listened (in addition to a Texas Governor). Music for commercials and film work. A ballet.
Slipping through the cracks were day-jobs, tangents, asides, and about 15 albums worth of songs, as either leader or co-leader. Plus, assorted singles, EPs, and such. Slippery things, songs. Along the way he’s hidden behind a variety of alibis, aliases, band names, pseudonyms, and nom de plumes. So many, it’s hard to keep track.
This is his first album under his own name. More: http://www.stevemcallistermusic.com/
