Music
Press
Hinkle presents us with a spirited and swampy album filled with fret-burning guitar work ,rich and soulful voice ,and trade mark eclecticism. - Fort Worth Weekly
The sound of the album is spare and stripped down,with not a note wasted. Ken Shimamoto - Dallas Observer
Hinkle is a breath of fresh Texas air. - San Antonio light
exerpt. In many respects ,james hinkle embodies the depth and versatility of Texas music . shifting from tough blues to late night jazz with no perceptible strain , and on his second solo disc , he displays this talent throughout a set of well executed tunes .
by David Freeland - blues revue
Exerpt from the review in the March 2007 issue; you've just kicked your career, and the bar for locally made recordings , up a whole notch,maybe more. If you ain't the man now-- then he will definitely be knowing your name soon.
C. Nevitt - Southwest Blues magazine
Exerpt from the March issue 2007:
This is another impressive offering from the very talented James Hinkle, an understated (but never under done ) collection of blues and jazz. Hinkle definitely is a musician who certainly deserves european exposure.
by Phil Wight
Scotland , UK. - Blues and Rhythm Magazine ,UK.
exerpt from the june/july issue 2005.
A strong affrimative goes to the questioningly titled Straight ahead Blues ? a killer set of blues,jazz,roots-rock and R&B.
Hinkle is a soulful singer and a dynamite guitar player who adjusts his tone and dynamics to the tune. Vibes ,saxaphone ,organ and piano fill out the sound. It's not even close to Tower of Power. but baby this is hip.
by. Tom Hyslop - Blues Revue
exerpt from May 5-6 th issue 2007..
Blues Breaker of the week.
Hinkle learned to play guitar in the dives of Fort worth ,Texas , mixing blues ,jazz,country and cajun. he calls his style eclec-tex. We call it Mmmm good.
by, Elwood Blues aka Dan Aykroyd. - House of Blues
exerpt from the May 2, 2007 issue.
Blues Now Jazz Later is an excellent disc that has already moved on to my Top Ten list for 2007. I expect that it will still be there at the end of the year.
by Bill Mitchell - bluenights.com
exerpt from the april/may issue #37.
Here are 14 slabs of fat confident contemporary Texas Blues . There must be quite a scene to enjoy in the Lone Star State if this is anything to go by.
by , Roy Bainton
- Blues Matters. The UK's #1 blues magazine
There is definetly cross over material here , Hinkle takes us from Cowtown to New Orleans with ease. - FW Weekly Nov. 08
Discography
1985 release of first 45rpm on Big House Records.produced by Dolye Bramhall sr.
1987 released first full lenght album on Big House records . Housewives' Choice . Produced by Doyle Bramhall sr.
1988 Gator Rhythms, w/ Marcia Ball . Rounder Records.
1990 Hoo Doo Happens w/ Hoo Doo Cats .
1993 Vicious Rumors and Lucky Charms w/ Johnny Mack/ James Hinkle. Big House Records.
1997 Running Too Hard on Big House Records, first solo release.
2000 Podnahs, w/ Ted Roddy & James Hinkle.released on Blue Lights Music.
2002 Roads, Solo singer/songwriter effort released on Cryptic Front Music.
2003 Gave Myself the Blues, JohnnyMack CD for Top Cat Records. Produced , wrote material and Played guitar on this one.
2005 Straight Ahead Blues ? , Blue Lights Music . Produced by Mike Buck & Wes Race . Selected as a top three critics pick by Norwegian Blues News.
2007 Blues Now , Jazz Later . For Blue Lights Music produced by Jim Colegrove. Stayed in the top 25 on both Living Blues Magazine radio airplay chart and Roots Music Report . Many critics from the UK, Canada and the US have hailed this as one of the finest CD thus far in 2007.
The song Track You Down , was featured on Dan Aykroyd's House Of Blues Radio Hour in May of 2007.
July 2008 new Cd Some day released.
January 2009 the song Track You Down was used on The Keith Olbermann show on MSNBC.
2011 Daddies Ju Ju released The Belgian Sessions recorded in Belgium while on tour.
The song Brother Love off the Blues Now Jazz Later cd is selected by FWWeekly music critics as one of their top songs of the past decade.
2012 James Hinkle and the Transatlantics First Crossing released in the US and Europe with tour dates.
Photos
Bio
A native of Fort Worth,Texas, James Hinkle began his musical career playing Country and Blues in local Texas juke joints.
He spent years under the guidance of many well known bluesmen in Fort Worth- a period he refers to as the Bluebird School of Music. Officially taking a degree in Fine Arts from the University of Texas in Austin in 1984, James took to the road for what would turn into a twenty five year and counting journey of musical self discovery. During this time , James has performed as guitarist for Marcia Ball, which took him to some of the worlds most notable venues like The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, The Lincoln Center NYC, Austin City Limits to name but a few. During this time he recorded an album and toured the US, Canada, Mexico and Europe with the group.
Over the years , James has played along side ,recorded with, and or produced some of Texas' finest musical talents such as , Ponty Bone , Ted Roddy, Marcia Ball,Tommy Alverson, Buddy Miles, Johnny Reno, Mike Buck, Rocky Morales, Nick Connolly, Jim Colegrove, Sumter and Stephen Bruton, Albert Collins, Doyle Bramhall sr., Jessie Taylor, Robert Ealey, U.P. Wilson, John Lee Hooker , Billy Gayles, Tommy Allsup and many more.
James has been honored numerous times for his musical endevours :
1995 Best Blues act , Fort Worth Star Telegram
1998 Artist of the Year FWWeekly Music Awards.
1999 Best Jazz and Blues group Fort Worth Star Telegram.
2005 Best Blues Artist FWWeekly Music Awards.
2006 Best Blues Artist FWWeekly Music Awards.
2007 Best Blues / Funk ? Whatever FWWeekly Music Awards.
2007 Blues Now Jazz later made it on critics lists across the world as one of their top CD's for the year. The International Blues Challenge and The Blues Foundation elected it into their top 5 best self prduced Cd's for 2007.
2008 is not starting off to bad either with interviews in Gibson.com online magazine and Guitar World Magazine also doing a write up in the March issue. The June 2008 issue of Buddy Magazine had a cover photo and feature article on James and his new CD Some Day.
2009 just kept rolling on with several tunes being used in Radio , TV,compilation cd's and sound track.
2011 selected as FWWeeklys Guitarist of the year. This year was also the debut of Daddies Ju Ju a side project with Chad Pope featuring new material. The duo toured Europe and recorded a CD while abroad.
2012 finds another collaboration this time with Belgian Harp meastro Eddie de Smul. This project will tour Europe in August and September in support of their upcoming CD currently in production. Look for James Hinkle and "The Transatlantics" First Crossing in early fall.
Through the years James has served on many
non-profit boards and helped with fundraising for groups in the North Texas area , Southwest Blues Heritage Foundation, Arts on Tap, The North Texas Blues Society, Arts Fifth Avenue, The Hip Pocket Theatre, Womens Haven, KNON Radio 89.3 fm, North Texas food bank , Lonestar Film Society and the Austin group HAMM which provides for the medical needs of musicians.
James was also the host for the PBS radio series Texas Music Minutes for two seasons.
Radio promotions : Todd Glazer, toddg@gci.net
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