James Hurley

Artist Information

Biography

Described by one fan as "Americana...on the rocks, with a twist" James' music has the sophistication of jazz, the immediacy of blues, and the imagery of film. With his smooth, passionate voice and tastefully understated guitar playing (called "jazz-like virtuosity" by minor 7th Magazine) he leads the listener through tales of whimsy and romance, celebrations of life lived, and stories of love won and lost. With wry humor and unflinching honesty, he follows his own muse and invites the listener to come along for the ride.

* Title track from the album "Tempest in a teacup" reached number 1 position in the Adult Contemporary charts at Indie-Music.com.

* Named by Folkworks Magazine one of the Top Ten Live Acoustic Male Singer-Songwriter in L.A.

* Album "The Sun and the Moon" selected as runner-up Album of the Year at the DIY Festival.

* Selected as a "Listener Favorite" on KSCN Radio.

* The song "Whisper" from the album "The Sun and the Moon" featured on NPR's "Open mic".

* Tours consistently throughout the year in the western and southwestern U.S. and U.K.

Instrumentation

James Hurley - acoustic guitar & voice

Discography

"James Hurley" - available at cdBaby, Rhapsody, iTunes, Napster, and most other music download sites.

"The Sun and the Moon"- Same distribution as above... tracks have been aired on NPR, Whole Wheat Radio, KCSN 88.5 FM, KCLU 88.3 FM, KCBX FM90, and others...

"Tempest in a teacup" - Same distribution as above.

Links

• Facebook

Audio

• Mountain
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• What might have been
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• Tempest in a teacup
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• She's the one
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• ...to carry on
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• Mushroom
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• Jealous of the Moon
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• Long way down
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• The Vampire song
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• She won't be down
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• Going home
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• London Bridge
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• Whisper
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• One man woman
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Lyrics

• Mountain
• What might have been
• Tempest in a teacup
• She's the one
• ...to carry on
• Mushroom
• Jealous of the Moon
• Long way down
• The Vampire Song
• She won't be down
• Going home
• London Bridge
• Whisper
• One Man Woman

Video

Leaving to Stay

Whisper

Photo Gallery

Press

• 5 Stars (Out of 5) [+ Show ]
  

  Listening to James Hurley's Tempest In A Teacup, you'd think you were hearing the greatest hits albu...Listening to James Hurley's Tempest In A Teacup, you'd think you were hearing the greatest hits album of an established, major-label singer/songwriter. Instead, Hurley is something of a journeyman guitar player, playing much of the year in small venues in the western US and the UK. Hurley recorded Tempest In A Teacup while on tour, lighting here and there for a day and getting in studio time between Arizona and Washington while on tour. Vacillating between wicked humor and stark poignancy, Hurley spins a master class in the art of story-telling in song that the best-fed minstrel would envy.
  
  Tempest In A Teacup opens with "Mountain", with Hurley sounding like the musical spawn of Mark Knopfler and Colin Hay. Hurley mixes wit and intelligence in a laser-sharp treatise on what we give up to move forward. "What Might've Been" is about forks in the road and the choice between finding out what's ahead or spending your life wondering. Hurley manages to tackle a subject that's been done so many times that the mere thought of it is cliché, yet manages to turn it into a brilliant parable without breaking a sweat. On "Tempest In A Teacup" Hurley laments the human tendency to impress our ideas on others even if it means going to war. The arrangement here is a perfect fit to a brilliant and incisive bit of social commentary that makes both "good guys" and "bad guys" look small.
  
  Hurley shows finesse on "She's The One", a song about the potential of love, and that delicious mix of emotions that comes from infatuation and not knowing where imagination and reality mix to suit both interest and ego. Brilliant is one word you could use, but Hurley manages to capture an essential point of the human condition in song in such an utterly casual manner it's mystifying. Just to mix things up, Hurley throws in "Mushroom" to keep you guessing. It's an entertaining diversion about the insecurities that keep us from moving beyond our own limited world views, and the characterizations will seem fantastic until you realize that he's using allegory to paint characteristics we all share. It's a brilliant, funny and illuminating tune.
  
  For all that can be said about the songs that come before it, "Jealous Of The Moon" may be one of the finest bits of songwriting to cross this desk. Hurley explores the effects that love and insecurity can have on the psyche in a tune that is both serious and ironic at the same time. It's a gorgeous arrangement and an absolutely amazing bit of song craft. Hurley perhaps pays tribute to Paul McCartney on "Long Way Down", with a riff that opens and closes the song that sounds like it might have come from Sir Paul himself. It's an allegorical reflection on loss that will hit home for any who have been there. Ever the entertainer, Hurley changes pace deftly with "The Vampire Song", a whimsical and entertaining song that will make a lot of sense to anyone who doesn't live on the West Coast.
  
  "She Won't Be Down" is a story song about someone who has cocooned themselves away from the world for fear of being hurt. It's a brilliant musical portrait; much to rich to be called a caricature. Hurley turns philosophical on the closing track, "Going Home", telling the story of a prodigal son from his own perspective. Many run away from home and into adulthood to seek their place in the world only to return home years later to finally found what they were searching for. This story, too, has been told many times in song, but Hurley has a gift for taking the mundane and finding the spark within that makes it special.
  
  James Hurley writes songs with the flair of a magician, painting pictures in song so real and vibrant you can nearly touch them. Tempest In A Teacup is quite literally brilliant, shining over and above the pop/rock throng with tuneful, literate songwriting and generous doses of wit. Hurley's voice is eminently listenable and his arrangements are flawless. You'll be listening to this album long after your current flavor of the month has been relegated to your backup hard drive (or traded in for credit). Tempest In A Teacup can only be a Wildy's World Certified Desert Island Disc. Don't miss it.
  
  Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

• "Tempest In a teacup" Review [+ Show ]
  

  He’s a songwriter of consequence. There’s a gentle urgency in his work, a sense that this is a man w...He’s a songwriter of consequence. There’s a gentle urgency in his work, a sense that this is a man who wants to be heard and should be. There is swing, swagger, and soul. There’s both brain and brawn, a nimble confidence of physicality and spirit. His music is distinctively rhythmic, often syncopated, with grooves that shift-shape into little suites. A warmth and tenderness permeates, as does a sense of joy, even when decrying the madness of modern times, a prevalent theme. “Mountain” cunningly surveys the ways modern man bulldozes through the earth when it’s in the way. “Mushroom” resounds with the fun of creativity itself, the joy of making connections, of indulging in the ecstasy of unbound imagination. He’s an inspired guitarist, with a fluid flair that is never flashy, but always in the service of the song. His songwriting voice is such that even when his conceit is a poetic, abstract one, you follow his lead. Sometimes his songs are visceral and anthemic, sometimes comic. sometimes philosophical, but always distinct. “Jealous of the Moon” is a jewel – a lyrical romp with a delightfully chromatic melody that brings McCartney to mind. And “Long Way Down,” with a great gospel choir interplay, is pure passion and heart. This is strong, soul-sustaining music. - P.Z.

• Tempest in a teacup ..."Stops you in your tracks" [+ Show ]
  

  Just when you think Hurley is one of those acoustic-guitar-wielding-every-song-rocks-out kind of sin...Just when you think Hurley is one of those acoustic-guitar-wielding-every-song-rocks-out kind of singer-songwriter, he stops you in your tracks with a pleasing ballad like "Jealous of the Moon," with just his voice, guitar and way in the background, a flute. Or the wistful "Going Home," with a touch of harmonica. The remaining songs have a great back beat but not the decibel screeching kind. The quirky "Mushroom" sounds right out of the They Might Be Giants songbook, with its odd musical changes, weird but sing along-worthy lyrics and even a musical saw. In another song he assures us that vampires are from Southern California, complete with a very cool trombone and in another cut, wonders "What Might Have Been." I love the lyrics in "Mountain": "This is where a mountain used to be, we took it down ‘cause it got in the way and you can’t have that... This is where our conscience used to be... We let it go ‘cause it got in the way and you can’t have that." I’ll bet this guy is a hoot in concert. I’ll be there in my cape and fangs. © Jamie Anderson

• The Sun and the Moon "Refreshing...." [+ Show ]
  

  It's refreshing to come across an artist now and then who knows how to strip it down... Listen to th...It's refreshing to come across an artist now and then who knows how to strip it down... Listen to this CD while enjoying a meal of bread, cheese, and wine under a starry sky. Unplug the phone. Read some Thoreau. Not only will you have found a much-needed respite, you'll have a new favorite in your CD collection.
  
  By Jennifer Layton
  

• "Top Pick" [+ Show ]
  

  James Hurley’s new CD release, The Sun and the Moon, has just become my top pick for a feel-good-tak...James Hurley’s new CD release, The Sun and the Moon, has just become my top pick for a feel-good-take-my-troubles-away album. This is acoustic-based Adult Contemporary music that has definite Blues and Jazz flavors with a little Folk and Rock thrown in for good measure.
  
  Track pick: “One Fine Day” - the perfect song about being glad to be alive.
  
  By Kenny Hart
  
  

• The Sun and the Moon - "..a musical delight.." [+ Show ]
  

  "The Sun and the Moon" is a musical delight in every way. James Hurley owns a rare combination of ta..."The Sun and the Moon" is a musical delight in every way. James Hurley owns a rare combination of talents - pop songwriting that is intelligent in its eloquence of lyrics and chordal changes, oh-so-silky vocals and harmonies, an unpretentious jazz-like virtuosity on acoustic guitar, and the guts to lay those talents bare with a very austere production. Like Stephen Bishop's, Hurley's style is up-beat and catchy, but very genuine. Fans of Brian Wilson's "SMiLE" will love the ethereal vocal coda at the end of "In My Dreams." "Whisper" is reminiscent of Kenny Rankin's Brasilian balladry. There's even a Sgt. Pepperish and playful use of tuba on "London Bridge," disclosing a strong Beatles influence that seems ubiquitous to his generation of songwriters." - by Alan Fark

• The Sun and the Moon [+ Show ]
  

  James Hurley brings out his good-natured fun and soulful crooning voice on his album The Sun and the...James Hurley brings out his good-natured fun and soulful crooning voice on his album The Sun and the Moon. Hurley sings, "One of these nights the sky will shine as the sun and the moon go dancing" on his opening song, "The Sun and the Moon." Indeed, they seem to dance right through the rest of Hurley's music, as reference is made several times to these cosmic wonders.
  
  Such allusions are appropriate for a singer whose voice sounds like it could be comfortable in the great outdoors, around a campfire. A "folky" mix of a slow-paced Eric Clapton and an older Colin Hay, Hurley follows the Norah Jones secret for success: play soothing music that is different from the mainstream and stay within yourself. As a result, no specific song truly stands out as a stellar hit, but upbeat tracks like "One Fine Day" feature effervescent strumming, and soulful songs like "You and Me," boil down lyrics to the most basic loving desires.
  
  While The Sun and the Moon features tuba, clarinet, violin, and hand drums on certain tracks, the main attraction is Hurley's voice as it plays off his guitar. The simplicity of his album makes it appealing to the listener, stripped of any unnecessary ornaments.

Setlist

Original material derived from three solo releases and more;

songs include;

Cold hearted
Light your smile
Take me away
The girl
Somedays
She still loves me
When I'm with you
I wonder
London Bridge
Whisper
In my dreams
Walk away
One man woman
Long way down
Almost believe
The Sun and the Moon
One fine day
Here and now
Together

Basic Requirements

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