the randybonifield.com news&notes page

“To Sing The Blues” video

Tue, 7 Feb 2012 22:50:23 -0600

From a concert held back in September of 2011, here is a video of a solo performance of “To Sing The Blues”. I was gearing up for the Kansas City Blues Challenge and this video captures a great evening with some good friends.
This video can also be seen at my youtube channel. Enjoy and pass it on.

New “Mabel” video

Tue, 7 Feb 2012 22:28:55 -0600

From a concert held back in September of 2011, here is a video of a solo performance of “When Mabel Plays Piano”. I was gearing up for the Kansas City Blues Challenge and this video captures a great evening with some good friends.
This video can also be seen at my youtube channel. Enjoy and pass it on.

Walk MS - April 21, 2012

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 11:55:33 -0600

On January 27, 2011, I found myself in a doctor's office hearing the words, "You have MS."
I never realized that two words and an abbreviation could jar me as much as they did that day. I took myself immediately to what I believed were the inevitable conclusions for people with MS and the questions came racing: What is my long-term prognosis? Am I destined for life in a wheelchair? What does this mean for my wife and my three girls?
One of the first courses of action I took was to contact the National MS Society to gain more information and then I signed up for Walk MS. Our team raised over $2500 toward MS research and I just recently signed up to participate again in the 2012 Walk MS Johnson County. This walk is taking place Saturday, April 21, 2012.
I'm inviting you to join me in my effort this year. Click on the links below for the two specific ways you can help:
• Join my team and walk with us - By joining my team, you will be signing up not just for a day of fun, but also for a celebration of the great things we can achieve when working together for a common cause. I believe each step we take brings us one step closer to a cure - and closer to a world without multiple sclerosis. New treatments are moving forward and new discoveries are being made every day. There is a great deal of promise and hope for those struggling with MS. By joining us, you get to be a part of that effort.
• Make a donation - Any amount, great or small, helps to make a difference in the lives of people with MS. Just like me, every hour of every day someone is diagnosed with MS. If you are unable to participate, I am inviting you to consider supporting my fundraising efforts with a tax-deductible donation. I appreciate your support and look forward to letting you know how I do. And when I say "any amount", I mean it. Seriously...$5 would help make a difference!
 The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is dedicated to ending the devastating effects of MS but they can't do it without our help. It's faster and easier than ever to support this cause that's so important to me.
Thank you, ~randy bonifield

“On Christmas Day”

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600

I wrote this song last year and decided I would record it and give it away as a present to all of those who listen to my music and were looking for something new to listen to this Christmas. You can download this song for FREE at Soundcloud or Bandpage for the .aif file or download the .mp3 at Reverbnation.
Enjoy it for what it is - a fun Christmas song about the love that Santa still has for his Mrs. Claus. And though he loves his work, he can’t wait to get home to be with the one he loves.
Merry Christmas on this, the last new music Tuesday before Christmas. I hope you add this to your Christmas playlist for Christmas Day! Share the link, tell your friends, send it to your favorite radio station. I just hope you enjoy this as much as I did writing it.
Click on the player below to listen.

@Knuckleheads, October 15, 2-6pm - Kansas City Blues Society Blues Challenge Finals

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 20:21:13 -0500

Saturday, October 15 between 2 and 4pm, Randy will be appearing as part of the Kansas City Blues Society (KCBS) Blues Challenge Finals. This event is to determine who the Kansas City Blues Society will send as the KC representative to the International Blues Challenge. The finals are being held at Knuckleheads, 2715 Rochester Kansas City, MO. Click here for a map. The order of the lineup for the afternoon will be picked by a “draw of the hat”.
Come out and support Randy in the finals! And come out and support local music and some of the finest Blues musicians in Kansas City!
The KCBS International Blues Challenge is part of an international search by The Blues Foundation and its Affiliated Organizations for the best Blues Band and Solo/Duo Blues acts ready to take their music to the international stage.

@The Phoenix, August 27, 2-6pm - Kansas City Blues Society International Blues Challenge -

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 16:30:58 -0500

Saturday, August 27 somewhere between 2 and 6pm, Randy will be appearing as part of the Kansas City Blues Society (KCBS) International Blues Challenge Solo/Duo competition at The Phoenix Jazz Club, 302 W. 8th Street, Kansas City, MO. The order of the lineup for the afternoon will be picked by a “draw of the hat”.
The KCBS International Blues Challenge is part of an international search by The Blues Foundation and its Affiliated Organizations for the best Blues Band and Solo/Duo Blues acts ready to take their music to the international stage.

@Take Five Coffee+Bar, September 17

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 16:29:52 -0500

Saturday evening, September 17 at 8pm, Randy will be appearing with Rick Gibson at Take Five Coffee+Bar, 5336 W. 151st St., Leawood, Kansas.
The evening will be a casual evening of music showcasing the bluesy guitar craft of Rick Gibson and the acoustic blues and jazz of singer/songwriter Randy Bonifield in the warm, intimate setting of Take Five Coffee + Bar.
Take Five Coffee+Bar is a fine establishment in Southern Johnson County that features an inviting space where you can meet a friend for a cup of good coffee or a glass of wine. Take Five also features live music from the amazingly talented artists living in the Kansas City area and beyond.

“To Sing The Blues”

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 13:22:27 -0500

My latest song may just round out the blues project and take it on a trajectory toward completion. I had been working on this one for a while, but didn’t feel a sense of completeness to it until this past week after I’d had a conversation with my friend, Kevin Harlan, that centered on the “layers” of songs and how they told one story on the surface, but contained nuggets underneath if the listener was willing to do a little digging. This song is one of those kinds of songs as it weaves together a personal apologetic, a “Theology” of the blues, and a four-chapter worldview.
There are stories in this song that go twenty years back and as recently as January. But they all come together to bring out something I have wanted to say since I started to pen this set of songs.
Click on the player below to listen.

Even MORE New Videos!

Thu, 19 May 2011 16:45:17 -0500

Check out the new videos on the video page.
There are new videos for “When Mabel Plays Piano”, “When You Love Somebody” and “Melancholy Way” from a live performance at Homer’s Coffee House in Overland Park, Kansas.
All of these videos can also be seen at my youtube channel. Enjoy!

An open letter to my friends and family...

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 17:33:02 -0600

Dear Friends & Family -
On January 27th of this year, I found myself in a doctor's office hearing the words, "You have MS."
I never realized that two words and an abbreviation could jar me as much as they did that day. I had known people with MS and their faces came to mind as he said those words. I took myself immediately to what I believed were the inevitable conclusions for people with MS and the questions came racing: What is my long-term prognosis? Am I destined for life in a wheelchair? What does this mean for my wife and my three girls?
Beginning that moment, I have been seeking answers to all the questions I have about Multiple Sclerosis. I have been trying to process all the ramifications of this diagnosis and what it will mean for me, for our family, and what it will mean to flourish in its midst. My response since has been to get all the information I can, learn as much as I can, and dive in with determination to live with hope in the face of this new challenge.
In anticipation of the disease-modifying treatment I was to begin receiving, I spent some time on the phone in earnest conversation with a fellow pastor who has lived with this disease for twenty years, is an avid cyclist with two teenagers, and continues to faithfully serve his church. His testimony of God's faithfulness and provision inspired me to have confidence that my "new normal" is a new challenge that has been placed in front of me and one that calls me to resolutely place my trust in God, who alone can sustain me. I am confident of this not because they are the words I am expected to say, but because I wholeheartedly believe them.
I have timed this announcement with purpose as this coming week, March 14-20, 2011 is MS Awareness Week. If you didn't already, you now know someone with MS and, most likely, it gives additional meaning to what this week represents. Let me encourage you to take some time to learn about the disease and help others to be aware by visiting the National MS Society website.
Right now, I am urging you to join me in my fight in a very tangible way. I recently decided, with an obvious personal and compelling reason, to participate in WalkMS to raise funds to fight back against MS. I have formed a team for the upcoming Johnson County WalkMS on April 16. Please feel free to join my team and walk with us or donate to our team to help us raise money for this cause. I'm inviting you to join me in my effort and here are two specific ways you can help:

• Join my team and walk with us - By joining my team, you will be signing up not just for a day of fun, but also for a celebration of the great things we can achieve when working together for a common cause. I believe each step we take brings us one step closer to a cure - and closer to a world without multiple sclerosis. New treatments are moving forward and new discoveries are being made every day. There is a great deal of promise and hope for those struggling with MS. By joining us, you get to be a part of that effort.
• Make a donation - Any amount, great or small, helps to make a difference in the lives of people with MS. Just like me, every hour of every day someone is diagnosed with MS. That's why I registered for Walk MS and that's why I'm asking you to support my fundraising efforts with a tax-deductible donation. I appreciate your support and look forward to letting you know how I do. And when I say "any amount", I mean it.
Visit http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/randybonifield for more information.

We are incredibly grateful for your prayers, your love and your support. Pray for us - for me, for Wendy and for our three girls - as we begin this new leg of our adventure. We are blessed to have such a caring family around us and thankful to God for all of you.
~randy bonifield