Samuel James
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Samuel James

Portland, Maine, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2006 | MAJOR

Portland, Maine, United States | MAJOR
Established on Jan, 2006
Solo Blues Singer/Songwriter

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This band has not uploaded any videos
This band has not uploaded any videos

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"Samuel James: Stunning Delta Blues for the 21st Century"

There are those who keep the tradition of Delta and country blues from the 20s and 30s alive by reverentially reproducing the music. They should be lauded for providing a very real and valuable service. However, it is the exceedingly rare blues musician who can take the most classic of blues genres and bring it forward kicking and screaming into the 21st century, in the process respecting and honoring the form while making the content relative to modern times.
With And for the Dark Road Ahead (Northernblues), his fourth release, singer/songwriter/guitarist Samuel James has broken new ground, setting the bar high for his peers and anyone else brave enough to follow in his tracks. The 12 original songs and one unexpected cover contain his virtuoso fingerstyle guitar and unparalleled literate lyrics in a monumental musical statement. The effect of his music is made all the more powerful by the stark, low volume arrangements that cut like a scythe through the drama of his commanding, yet restrained vocals and the dynamics of his various guitar accompaniments. From the spoken word version of the two-part ”The Execution of Big Black Ben,” with the lines, “Big, black Ben had long retired from his chosen vocation, from his very special brand of promoting miscegenation” to the existential blues of ”Camus”, James has traveled to the heart of darkness and emerged with welcome catharsis for a troubled world. His startling interpretation of Elton John’s “Rocket Man” into a blues parable is nothing short of amazing.
Samuel James in one large leap for mankind has created a work of breathtaking art for the ages that satisfies on proud, profane and spiritual levels. Get it now, experience the transforming magic of his blues and help spread the word for the benefit of all. - Dave Rubin


Discography

Songs Famed for Sorrow and Joy (2008)
For Rosa, Maeve and Noreen (2009)
And for the Dark Road Ahead (2012)
Aphorisms, Bumper Stickers, Truths and Rhymes (2014)

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Bio

Samuel James is in a class by himself. Among the most creative guitar players and songwriters performing today, this roots-based singer/songwriter has dazzled audiences around the world for the better part of a decade.

A mixture of Son House, Preston Reed, Bill Withers and Townes Van Zandt , Samuel James' guitar will have you stomping your feet, wondering how he's getting all those sounds out of one one guitar. His songwriting will have you remembering old heartbreaks and falling in love all over again. 

James was born the last in a long line of performers including dancers, story tellers, choir singers, porch-stomping guitar thumpers, and a session-jazz pianist dating back to the 1890s.

His critically acclaimed trilogy of albums, Songs Famed for Sorrow and Joy (2008) For Rosa, Maeve and Noreen (2009) And for the Dark Road Ahead (2012) for Toronto's Northern Blues label has gained Samuel praise not only for carrying on great traditions, but being an innovator as well. 

Samuel James has been compared to Leonard Cohen as well as Jimi Hendrix. Give him a listen and find out why.