Libertalia writes, records and performs modern American dance music with significant elements of Jazz, Rock, Reggae and WorldBeat… but absolutely no AutoTune.“In this crazy, mixed-up world where the alleged Land of the Free has the highest incarceration rate of any country, the inhabitants of Prison Planet cry out for some small corner of the Earth where health, wealth and happiness might be pursued unburdened by the Dictates of Oligarchs or the Tyranny of the Masses.“That land, that dream, that nation, we call… Libertalia.”Libertalia – It’s not just a band. It’s a nation!(ToneFlame Magazine - November 2015)"Not unlike Steely Dan, which at its peak consisted of keyboardist/vocalist/writer Donald Fagen, guitarist/bassist/writer Walter Becker and whatever sidemen the duo considered the best fit for recording each individual track or performing the body of material live, Libertalia is essentially vocalist / dancer / actress / fashion designer Joni Margaux, guitarist / bassist / vocalist / writer / arranger / producer Randell Young and whoever else they use (either live or in the studio) to pull off their aggressive and challenging material."Randell Young began his professional career right out of high school playing R&B clubs in his hometown of Washington, D.C.  Nearly three decades later, Joni Margaux began her professional career at age 11 cast as The Young Nala in the Walt Disney Company’s production of The Lion King at the Pantages Theater in Los Angeles."Soon after her year-and-a-half run ended at The Pantages, Joni Margaux met Randell Young at the Henry Fonda Theater in Los Angeles during an audition for an ambitious children’s entertainment project called Zarbie and The Martians. Joni’s version is that Randell had already been hired to write and record the soundtrack and that he insisted Joni be cast as Zarbie. Randell’s recollection is that Joni had already been cast in the lead and lobbied hard for the executive producers to bring in Randell. The discrepancy speaks volumes about the duo. They are both quick to recognize their collaborators’ contributions and give away credit wherever possible."Despite the difference in their ages, the two future Libertalians became great friends working on the Zarbie project as they soon discovered they shared not only the same birthday (13 January) but the same philosophy, i.e., the art comes first and cannot be compromised. If the project generates financial rewards, great, but the focus is always on the music, period, not the money, the individual accolades or opportunity for career advancement."The two always assumed they would work together again at some point but it was nearly a decade after Zarbie that they actually teamed up in the studio. In the interim, Joni would complete a bachelor’s degree in World Dance at UCLA and travel to Europe and Argentina to both study and perform while Randell would, among other things, be signed by Artie Mogull to produce Bob Dylan Revisited, a tribute to the prolific songwriter set to feature vocal performances by numerous stars originally discovered by Mogull, the former Chairman and CEO of United Artists Records renowned as being second only to Clive Davis in terms of the number of careers launched in the popular music business."For more about Joni Margaux, Randell Young and Libertalia, please access the full text of this and other independent reviews at Libertalia.Band.