Astonishing !
Totally possessed by his music, he strums or rather slams and slaps his resonator guitar so hard that it's a miracle the strings survive each song, knocks the beat on the body, and is unable to stay on his seat, suddenly lifting up his right leg as if he'd been stung by a bee, sometimes throwing both legs in all directions like an octopus, or playing his instrument in all kind of positions, all that while singing his succulent stories with a powerful rasping voice ! Just watch some of the videos listed below, you won't believe it !
Of course it's difficult to reach such a level of energy and intensity in studio, especially when you perform alone, but the album still gives an exciting idea of the man's incredible style. He's a great guitar (and banjo) player, a born storyteller and a very expressive singer.
Contrary to his live concerts, the album doesn't feature any cover, James wrote all fourteen tracks with a wonderful songwriting creativity. His expert guitar picking, perfectly recorded and mixed, sounds superbly deep and transports you a century ago on the road with itinerant roots musicians traveling from street corners to railroad workers camps, from medicine shows to juke-joints, from Louisiana or the Carolinas to Mississippi, Kentucky or Texas.
In studio he reminisces at times Doug MacLeod, both vocally and by his guitar picking. Blues, folk, early country, ragtime.., James explores and brings back the past in the present.
If “Cryin' Blind”, “I'll Break Your Promise”, “I've Haddock Up To Here”, “John Ross Said”, “The Water's Always Changing, But The River…” are identifiable as from the blues tradition although James often deconstructs the traditional blues structure, how to classify a delicate ballad like “Rosa's Sweet Lil' Love Song” ? Or the a-Capella “Wooden Tombstone” ? After all it doesn't matter much as far as the songs are nice !
Two excellent tracks, “A Sugar Smallhouse Valentine”, and the rejoicing speedy “Miss Noreen”, on banjo, stand halfway between pre-bluegrass mountain folk and hokum, while the album ends with the clear gospel flavor of “Path Of Ashes” on guitar & banjo.
A man of the same class as artists like Corey Harris, Guy Davis or Alvin Youngblood Hart, James has performed over the US, in Canada and Western Europe, as well as in Russia (in 2013 with Phil Wiggins and Guy Davis) and Turkey.
Based in Portland, in Maine, James has released six albums up to now. “For Rosa, Maeve and Noreen” is the middle opus of an acclaimed trilogy also featuring “Songs Famed for Sorrow and Joy” (2008) (read below) and “And for the Dark Road Ahead” (2012).
James is not only a fantastic continuator of great musical traditions, but also a wonderful innovator, contributing to bring back the roots of modern music to the ears of contemporary listeners, provided they're willing to leave their comfort zone and enter a forgotten territory. ■
► “For Rosa, Maeve And Noreen” on YT (audio)
Everything which made “For Rosa, Maeve And Noreen” such an incredible album was already prsent in this previous work.
► “The 'Here Comes Nina' Country-Ragtime Surprise” live (bad sound, sorry) : https://youtu.be/EO3-r6HplEg
■ The writer■ Your cat is not allowed in music venues, don't panic, musicians bring the show to them. This is the unusual project of Kitty Critic, an Internet music series featuring musicians from Portland (Maine) performing in homes for the cats of their fans !
Videos
► Monroe County Library, MI, 2012 : https://youtu.be/4J9aRlbJ2MM
► Augusta Blues and Swing Week, Elkins, WV, 2016 :
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