Don M

I speak both Spanish and Italian. Nominated for a GRAMMY in 1993. The City of Austin, Texas named June 24th as "Don McCalister Day". I have been teaching since 1991 & have taught hundreds to enjoy music. Ages 5-90. Also, I am certified in Special Education throught the Texas Region 13 Alternative Certification Program. CMJ article reads..."Intelligent songwriting and Don's smooth tenor, backed by a Western swing and jazz-tinged country sound, drew comparisons to other Texas mainstays, including Asleep at the Wheel, Walter Hyatt, Lyle Lovett, Hal Ketchum, and Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys.  Some of the musicians that played with Don include Grammy award-winning Floyd Domino on piano, George Strait sideman Gene Elders, Texas legend Johnny Gimble & Champ Hood on fiddle. Lynn Frazier  on pedal steel, Stan Smith on clarinet, "Texas Tornado" Ernie Durawa on drums,  and Dan Hicks & The Hot Licks diva Maryann Price on vocals. Don signed to Dejadisc in 1993 and his debut album, Brand New Ways, got Don rave reviews in and around Austin, plus airplay on regional radio stations. He was nominated for a Best Male Vocal, Country, GRAMMY in 1993 for “If I Never Love Another” off his debut album. In total, the 1990’s saw Don release no less than 10 projects for labels as diverse as Disney, Dejadisc, Appaloosa, Vinyl Junkie and Club de Musique. Dontoured the US and Europe extensively during the 1990’s in support of his “Brand New Ways’, “Love Gone Right”, “Down in Texas” and “Born in a Hurricane” projects. He has headlined some of Europe’s most prestigious music festivals, Glasgow’s long running  Mayfest; The International Singer/Songwriter Festival in Frutigen, Switzerland and of course the famed Country Circle Festival in Bad-Ischl, Austria. Here at home he has been equally at home headlining the Kerrville Folk Festival  as well as The Legends of Western Swing Festival. His shows have been recorded live by the BBC, Swiss DRS-3, and Public Radio for syndication. Don has shared the stage with Leon Russell, Willie Nelson, The Bellamy Brothers, Asleep at the Wheel, Micheal Martin Murphy, Junior Brown, The Flatlanders, Marcia Ball, Holly Dunn, Jerry Jeff Walker, John Anderson, and Lucinda Williams, to name a few".