B.F. Deal Sampler Official Site – Just another WordPress site

The Album

In 1976 a visionary Musician Record Producer by the name of Mike Williams approached four very talented and young Musicians with the idea of putting together a record sampler, a compilation of four artists representing a mix of Folk Music, Country, Pop, Blues and Eclectic Songs from the Austin Music scene. After some deliberation and discussion the birth of the BF Deal Sampler Vol. 1 had begun.... The group of songwriters, engineers, musicians and producer took themselves to Odyssey Recording Studio and proceeded to spend hours compiling one of the most under-rated works coming out of the Austin Music Scene of the 70's. The four artists were Frank Zigal, Will Walker, Nanci Griffith and John Garza, each one presenting three songs for this musical sampler.

The Artists

Frank Zigal

Sings with a rasp and a grin that both come from two-thirds of the way down from a bottle of crown royal!

Nanci Griffith

She's either a butterfly or a bird of paradise ......or maybe a sparrow just in out of the rain.

Will Walker

Always seems to be smoldering, and when he picks and sings, it breaks out in to Cajun fire!

John Garza

He packs a ten foot voice! It comes busting out, impossibly high and strong, like a street corner horn on a free Saturday afternoon!

The Producer

Mike Williams: Musician and Producer

Mike Williams is a country, folk music singer, songwriter and record producer. Founded the B.F. Deal record label in Austin, TX in the mid-seventies, which released Nanci Griffith's debut album in 1978. Mike Williams also produced albums for Allen Damron, Austin TX musician and Kerrville Folk Festival aficionado.

For more about Mike go here Read More.

At this time the whereabouts of Mike are unknown to the creators of this site. At last communication he was living in New York with his wife. Although we would love to forward your emails for Mike, as we have done in the past, his last known email address is no longer viable. We suggest contacting the Kerrville Folk Festival Foundation as we know he has played there recently.

The Line Up

The Musicians and Crew of the BF Deal Sampler were a talented and diverse bunch, ranging from Bluegrass, Rock, Jazz and multifaceted fields of Music, Art, Politics and Graphic Design. The sessions were down and dirty (Live Takes) and rehearsals were sparse. The quality of the musicianship speaks in the…

Bill Blachly – The Engineer

Bill Blachly was the recording engineer for the Sampler, his contribution was possibly the most stellar one on the whole album. Bill has a long history of recording engineering credits that spans several decades and some of the most incredible artists there have been in the history of music.…

Sam Yeates – Cover Art

Sam Yeates created the images on the cover of the BF Deal Sampler, his work has been a part of the Austin Music Scene from the earliest inception. Without the talent of Sam Yeates the Sampler would not stand as recognizable as it does today! As a veteran crew member of…

Stephen Doster – Lead Guitar

Stephen Doster has been described as one of Austin’s most ubiquitous musicians. Working Class Hero He has appeared on recordings, stage, and television with such talents as Nanci Griffith, Lyle Lovett, Mark O’Connor, Bill Carter, and Will Sexton. As a songwriter, his songs…

Spencer Starnes

Spencer Starnes played bass on several cuts on the Sampler, an outstanding musican, and now the owner and engineer at Bee Creek Studio a recording studio he founded in 1982. Spencer Starnes is an experienced bassist, engineer and producer with three Grammys to his name; one for his musicianship as bass…

Patterson Barrett

Patterson played pedal steel on the Sampler and having him on the record was a real treat. Patterson Barrett moved to Austin shortly after appearing on Jerry Jeff Walker’s eponymous first release on MCA records, playing pedal steel, dobro, and guitar (including the song “L.A. Freeway”). Not long…

East Side Flash

Bennet Spielvogel, or better known as the East Side Flash, was one of the most instrumental (no pun intended) musicians on the Sampler, he played Dobro, Piano, Acoustic Lead Guitar. Since those days Bennet has played and recorded just about everyone in the Folk,Country and just about every genre of…

The Music

The music of the BF Deal Sampler is as diverse as the people who played on the album. From a raucous raspy down to earth blues, to a lilting waver of a butterflies wings folk song, you will hear many sounds and feelings pour from the hearts of the artists.

The BF Deal sampler was (as the liner notes put it) a down and dirty recording live and untouched by automated hands. The only editing there is was done by Bill Blachly, the engineer who's expertise only added to the recording and never diminished it.

If you doubt what we say, judge for yourself, and go HERE to listen to the songs of the BF Deal Sampler V1.