High Cold Wind
Randy Steele is a career fire fighter from Chattanooga, Tennessee, who took up the banjo to help relieve some of the stress of his job. He also began songwriting to fill up some of his down time. As a result, he became quite well-known in the area, winning awards for his playing and for his songs. He traveled with his band High Cold Wind which included John Boulware (mandolin), Tyler Martelli (guitar) and Justin Hupp (bass) until he was sidelined by knee surgery in 2023.
After recovery he ran solo for some time until deciding to reform the band and put out this new EP of originals, with Faye Petree joining the group in the studio on fiddle and vocals. With the band’s name as the project’s title, the selections, all composed by Steele, include “There’s a Part of Me,” “It Happened,” “Eight Thirty Eighteen,” the interesting “Nashville Drinking Song,” and the banjo-vocal solo “A Golden Smile.”
While Steele has a pleasant voice, it is the songs and his banjo playing that are featured on this project. Backed by some excellent instrumental work from Martelli, Petree and Boulware, this EP is a nice reintroduction to his music.
