James Harman: singin', blowin' harmonicas and shakin' stuff!
Nathan James: playin' electric and/or acoustic guitars and singin' sometimes!
James Micheal Tempo: playin' a world of cool Afro-Cuban percussion!
Steven Hodges: layin' down a vibe on drums & percussion like nobody else!
Troy Sandow: playin' upright and/or Fender bass as needed!
When a guitar fill in must happen it's:
Rick Holmstrom, Junior Watson, Kid Ramos, Kirk Fletcher, Tommy Harkenrider or "Little Frank".
When a drum fill-in must happen it's:
Steve Mugalian or Don Heffinton.
We are all missing our dear friend and bass player of the past 14 years, Dale "Buddy" Clark. RIP Buddy!
Influences
There is not enough blank space in the whole stinkin' net to cover that subject ... let's just move on.
Sounds Like
Otis Redding and a visiting Calypso Band, drunk on homemade wine, fist fightin' Howlin' Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson and The Mighty Sparrow, in a double wide 57 foot, rusty trailer, parked in the Walmarts parkin' lot, in Two Egg Florida on the 5th of July in 1962!
James Harman lives in southern California, but his music clearly reflects his southeastern roots. Born in 1946 in Anniston, Ala., to musical parents, Harman began piano lessons at age four and sang in the church choir. His father's Hohner Marine Band harmonicas were in the piano bench, and he would play them after his piano lessons. He experimented with other instruments as well, including guitar, organ, bass and drums, performing solo and with family members at dances and country suppers. He found the blues early in life, both on black radio and on the street corner: "Radio" Johnson, a local blind street singer who played slide guitar with a knife, was an early influence and collaborator.
Harman's professional career began in 1962 after moving to Panama City, Fla. Soon after the move, he discovered like-minded friends, who invited him to black nightclubs to see such performers as Little Junior Parker, Jimmy Reed, Little Milton Campbell, Slim Harpo, Bobby Bland, O.V. Wright, B.B. King, Otis Redding, Solomon Burke, Joe Tex and James Carr. He began hanging out on a regular basis and was eventually asked to sit in by local house bands, becoming known as "that boy who sings like a man." Encouraged by this acceptance, Harman launched the first of his many rhythm 'n' blues ensembles, using such names as King James and the Royals; Snakedoctor; Disciples of Soul; Disciples of Blues; The Disciples; Voo Doo Daddy; Soul Senders; Pieces of Eight; Kingsnakes; and finally, The Icehouse Blues Band.
The buzz surrounding James' live shows attracted talent scouts from several southern record companies. Earl Caldwell, manager of the Swinging Medallions, signed Harman and took him to the Ken-Tel recording studio on Peachtree Street in Atlanta, GA. In 1964, 18-year-old James cut the first of nine regional 45 RPM singles that would appear on five different labels and put him on the road. James toured the eastern half of the country for the rest of the decade, playing radio station dances, fraternity parties, nightclubs, college concerts, after-hours joints, striptease parlors, bottle clubs (in which Harman would play all night, literally, performing six to eight sets of music) and honky tonks. When he wasn't headlining his own show, he was opening for and/or backing the top R&B artists of the day.
During the mid 1960s, Harman relocated to Chicago, New York, Miami, and New Orleans, in efforts to find a home for his music. For various reasons, these moves didn't work: In Chicago, the club scene was sewn up tight by Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Junior Wells, Buddy Guy, Charlie Musselwhite and Paul Butterfield. Also, the Windy City, like New York, was just too cold for this Southerners thin gulf coast blood. New Orleans was a violent place, and its music scene at the time consisted of "47 bands on Bourbon Street playing 'Proud Mary," Harman recalls, and a ghetto club scene devoted to R&B and soul music. His recorded work seemed to be of no help. Harman did enjoy some success in Miami. He played free "love-ins" from the backs of flatbed trucks for large crowds of hippies, by day. By night, he played such clubs as the Climax or the Jet-Away Lounge. At the latter, he was the first white act to perform and one of the very first to do so with a racially integrated band. Still, opportunities in Miami were limited; even with a history of recording and touring. All that most local bands could hope for was an opening slot on a larger show.
So, in 1970, at the advise of his fellow record collector friends, Canned Heat's Bob Hite, Alan Wilson and Henry Vestine, Harman moved to southern California. Within a month, Harman was performing at the Golden Bear, Troubadour, Ash Grove and Lighthouse, where he and his band were able to play real blues for real blues audiences. Almost immediately, Harman connected with a small community of kindred spirits, such as Rod Piazza, who was leading the band Bacon Fat, Kim "Goleta Slim" Wilson and John "Juke" Logan of the band Brother Chaos. Collectively, these four performers and their bands backed and/or opened for the last great blues artists of an earlier era, both those who lived in the Los Angeles area or visited it while on tour. The "Icehouse Blues Band featuring James Harman" played one- to six-night stints with the likes of Big Joe Turner, John Lee Hooker, Freddie King, Muddy Waters, Albert King, B.B. King, T-Bone Walker, Lloyd Glenn, Lowell Fulsom, Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, Johnny "Guitar" Watson and Albert Collins. The disco and urban cowboy fads of the late '70s nearly killed club work for blues musicians. Two bouts with bleeding ulcers and two painful divorces almost killed Harman himself! But in 1977 he rebounded to form a new band, with his old piano player, Gene Taylor, using his own name for the first time.
The James Harman Band has been a touchstone for notable players, including Phil Alvin and Bill Bateman, who left in 1978 to form the Blasters; "Piano Gene" Taylor, who left in 1981, also to join the Blasters before moving on to the Fabulous Thunderbirds; and David "Kid" Ramos. Ramos played 10 years with Harman, retiring in 1988, return to the blues as guitarist for the Fabulous Thunderbirds, for a time. Alumni also include the late Michael "Hollywood Fats" Mann, who played five years with James after leaving his own band in 1980; multi-instrumentalist session man and tunesmith Jeff Turmes played saxophones with James for years, switching to the bass for six more years beginning in 1988. Alumni drummers include Richard Innes, Stephen T. Hodges, Steve Mugalian and Paul Fasulo to name a few. Along the way, Harman's own production company: Icepick Productions, has generated more than a dozen releases to add to the fifteen he had released before using his own name. These thirty releases are the fruit of his almost fifty year career, at this point. While Harman continues to perform and record, he also produces recording projects for other artists. As a producer he uses the four decades worth of studio experience and his special knack for "hearing" how songs should be recorded. Harman and his guitar player/engineer partner, Nathan James, have produced several other blues artists both from America and Europe. They usualy produce at least one other artist every winter, when the blues festival season comes to a close. The pair have worked together since Nathan's 19th birthday in 1997.
Meanwhile, seventeen songs from James Harman's releases have been featured in films and television, the most famous being "Kiss of Fire" (from Those Dangerous Gentlemens on Rhino Records), which was the background for the infamous rape scene in "The Accused" (starring Jodie Foster). James' "Jump My Baby" (from Thank You Baby on Enigma Records) has been in three different movies, including "Burning Love." Harman has received 19 W.C. Handy (now changed to Blues Foundation) Blues Award nominations, for his songs on his own releases and for other artists albums, such as his friend and alumni Kid Ramos. Through the years Harman has received 19 W. C. Handy Blues Award nominations, for Blues Song of the Year, Blues Single of the Year and even Re-release of the Year for the CD reissue of his landmark 1987 album, Extra Napkins. James Harman has been inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame and twice won the Best Blues Album of the Year" award, from Canada's Real Blues Magazine.
Harman has performed live shows in 23 countries, as many as 250 dates per year, including appearances at such North American festivals as the Long Beach Blues Festival, the New York State Blues Festival, the Kansas City Blues and Jazz Heritage Festival, the King Biscuit Festival in Helena, AR, the Bumbershoot Festival in Seattle, the Bayfront Blues Festival in Duluth, MN, the Waterfront Festival in Portland, OR, the Edmonton (Canada) Blues Festival, and other festivals from Montreal to Mexico City. Abroad, Harman has appeared at the Peer and Spring Blues Festivals in Belgium, the Notodden and Hell Festivals in Norway, The Moulin Blues Festival in Holland, the Great Britain R&B Festival in Colne, England, the Milano and Pistoia Festivals in Italy and the Bayron Bay Festival in Australia, to name a few.
In almost five decades of touring and recording, Harman has staked his claim as an original, legitimate blues artist, musician and producer. In his recordings and live performances, James creates music that stands out as unique and personal yet clearly reflects his passion for the roots of the blues. Harman learned a key secret years ago: You have to develop your own approach and identity in order to have lasting success. As vocalist, musician and songwriter, James Harman chronicles life with energy, wit and humor. He has a novelist's eye for detail and irony, and the result is well-conceived music that stands the test of time. Harman's roots are apparent in his recordings and live performances. He is a disciple of the classic qualities of the Southern blues tradition. Still, like his mentors, Harman is telling his own stories. He knows the difference between innovation and imitation, and his own character as a blues artist is fully reflected in his work. In all cases, he remains true to his credo: Strictly the blues.
--Bryan Powell
Been thinking about you. Hope your doing good. See your playing up at the Yale. Blaine Spencer called me the other day. You'll probably be seing him up there. Take care James.
When the Boogie Woogie Splashes In your Soul this Weekend, enjoy the Flow, Touch it, Feel it...Let it wrap it's Funky, Sweet, Powerful Groove all around you and Rejoice!! You are Free, Free to unleash your own Groove on Someone you Love...Someone you want to Love! Let them know just How you Feel!! Ooooh Yeah, Turn It Up and do the Dance of Life...The Boogie is On! Have a Great Weekend Buckaroos!
Bringing on the Boogie is like encountering the Force of a Wild Tornado on Tuesday knowing that Hump Day is Tomorrow and Friday Morning at 6am MST is so very close and this is when everyone gets a Real Good Dose of The Orbit Lounge with JaBeaux on KAFM! The Boogie is On!
No matter how you feel about these Wars that the Powers to be have us in, these are our Son's, Daughter's, Father, Mothers, Husbands and Wives...They Dream, they wish, to have a Sunday like us So, take some time Today and just think about these Americans who do the Dirty Work so we can enjoy the Boogie here at Home! Enjoy this Fine Fall day and call someone and tell them how much you care for them...Go ahead, it'll make you feel good and ya' just never know...You could get Lucky!
Ooooooh Yeah, It's Showtime Buckaroos!! It's been such a Long Time but this Saturday at High Noon MST on KAFM I'll be back on the Air unleashing the Boogie for everyone on this Rock we Ride, It's all about the Groove we share in life that makes this Trip such Tasty Party...KAFM has a High Stream...Oooooh it has been such a Long Time and even the crack of Dawn is running from me! Go out this Weekend and Dance, Dance, Dance until ya' make your Soul Shine! It's so good to be back in Colorado and back where it all began! Tune In and Turn It Up!! The Boogie is On! Get on the Phone and call someone who needs to know just how you feel about them, tomorrow just might be too late! Roll the Dice and enjoy the World of Boogie Woogie and Jive!
yo Bro James, How you doing mang?!? Hope that all is Smoooth at your door. Just swingin' by to shout out at ya'! Want you to know we are really looking forward to seeing and hearing you play again at Battle of The Blues Harps in Long Beach next month. . . Always a real good time! Oh, I'll be the one sitting there smiling hysterically. thanks again, Chet
I saw Mark Hummel last night and met Jimmy Johnson....we shared a few stories and some laughs. He says hello from the road. He kept trying to remember my name, not sure he will. Take care
You got that right!!! WEll your comment didn't show up on my home page, but I know ya sent it and thats all that matters to me!! Hope you continue to stay cool and healthy. I turn 58 this Friday and I'm glad to still be able to pound them skins and make a few people tap them toes!!!
Glad to hear from ya' uncle James!!! That health thing is a good idea no matter how old we get. My dad has sugar and he is doing alright at 83. I have trying to get offa' da suds and back to more water. Sounds like we're geting old....no not old, better. God Bless!! Take care!!
