Samuel James ' music is rich with intensity, stories, emotion and exceptional guitar work. Part Richie Havens, part Tom Waits, part Son House and part Leo Kotke, Samuel James is a songster. The Portland, Maine native was taught piano at age eight by his father (a former west coast session piano player), and has been playing music for more than 20 years since.
"It's more than acoustic blues," says Samuel James. He continues, "Think about the similarities between Mississippi John Hurt and Tom Waits. Both story tellers, one's a bit more fantastical than the other, but the only real difference is time. Waits is essentially a white, updated Hurt. Now, I'm not saying I'm a black Tom Waits, but I'm not NOT saying that either."
Apart from songwriting and storytelling comparisons, Samuel James is a performer of singular talent. A master of fingerstyle, slide, banjo, harmonica, and piano.
Simply put Samuel James is the most relevant young acoustic artist to come our way in quite some time. He has diligently steeped himself in the traditions of his elders and created his own voice that speaks with clarity and pathos to a contemporary audience.
Remarkable stories, performed remarkably. Infidelity, humor, murder and the KKK -- and that’s just the opening track. The thirteen that follow boast the musically universal themes of love, violence, sex and death in ways that will bring a tear to your eye, a smile to your face and a stomp to your foot.
“I'm following a black American tradition that includes, but is not only blues. It's an attempt to make permanent a larger, musical, cultural heritage. We're the only minority in the U.S. brought here against our will and because of this Black America has always had a feeling of impermanence. A symptom of this impermanence is our creation and immediate disregard of these beautiful art forms like blues, jazz, hip-hop....And just like hip-hop, these musical styles all had lifestyles that they came out of, but now the subtle details that were important for the beginning musical development within those styles are gone. To me this means that I'm not gonna write stories as though I lived then. I don't live then. I live now. I’m not a revivalist, I’m just continuing a tradition.”
For Rosa, Maeve and Noreen is Samuel James’ third album and second for the NorthernBlues label. It is produced by David Travers-Smith whose credits include Ani DiFranco, Harry Manx and Russell Crowe.
Both live and recorded Samuel James cherishes “the intimacy of one man screaming his heart out…a conversation between him and his audience as opposed to between band members. When I think of the best, most intimate forms of entertainment—maybe a flamenco guitar player, or a stand-up comedian, spoken word—it's one individual. There's a power there. You can't listen to Son House or Skip James and tell me that an electric band can touch that." Based on consistent standing ovations, Samuel James clearly knows what he's talking about.
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Media:
Michael McClune Media & Marketing
310.319.1199 or michael@michaelmcclune.net
Management & Booking
Steve at 704-399-2210 or steve@piedmonttalent.com
Label:
NorthernBlues Music
866.540.0003 or info@northernbluesmusic.com
