Mostly solo - James Hollingsworth - vocals, guitar, harmonica, percussion, bass, piano and stuff (various objects, beaten, strummed or banged together)
Roy HarperJohn Martyn Peter Gabriel Tori Amos Jethro Tull Nick Drake Tim Buckley Janis Joplin James Taylor Joni Mitchell Otis Redding Bob Dylan Shawn Colvin Paul Simon Francis Dunnery George Harrison Yes Ozric Tentacles Fairport Convention Pink Floyd Kate Bush Genesis Neil Young Nic Jones Joe Jackson Lefties Beatles The Who Counting Crows Richie Havens Jimi Hendrix Fred Neil Tom Waits David Bowie Sure Bert Janch Martin Carthy Joan Baez Ewan MacCall Pete Seeger Al Stewart James Brown Peter Tosh Desiderata Paul Weller Miles Davis Jeff Buckley Permaculture
Bob Marley Ravi Shankar Miles Davis Carlos Santana Jalal al-Din Rumi Aldous Huxley Herman Hesse Gabriel Garcia Marquez John Steinbeck The Byrds Buena Vista Social Club Buddy Guy Pearl Jam Beatles Leadbelly Jack Karouac Jamie Hewlett Maria João & Mário Laginha George Orwell Virginia Woolf Iris Murdoch Vikram Seth Amos Milburn CSN Blues Brothers Alexander Technique The Doors Johnny Cash Johnnie Burns Robbie Burns Robbie Allen Alan Groves 1993-1994 Kurt Cobain Douglas Adams Mogwai The Green Inspiration Band Banco de Gaia Gong Steve Vai Antonio Forcione Eduardo Niebla KarateBruce Lee Richard Bach Rush Ernest Hemingway Ben Okri Moon Suk Kang Kahlil Gibran Jacques Loussier The Bhagavad Gita Jesus Bill Hicks The Mushroom Jam The Crescent
Woodstock Altamont Live Aid Billie Holliday Vegetarianism Jeremy AC Langham Salvador Dali Timothy Leary MC Escher Rene Magritte Anthony Burgess Punk The Flying Picketts Dr Feelgood Alfred Kinsey The Rolling Stones Dr Phibes and the House of Wax Equations Christy Moore Mary Shelley Cervantes Monty Python The Young Ones My Brother, obviously... even Dr Quentin King (and family) Jo Hollingsworth Franz Kafka Steve Martin Robin Williams Ross Noble Eddie Murphy Emo Phillips Red Dwarf Charles M. Schulz William Blake Terry Pratchett Cats and Dogs The I Ching Homer Pythagoras Plato Astrology Gloria Roca Riera Terence McKenna Tony Hancock Keith Floyd John AC Langham Roux Brothers My Mum David Part OBE World Cuisine generally Brian Eno Rodney Matthews Josh Kirby Richard Prior Dan Aykroyd John Belushi Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Nigel Frith JRR Tolkein My Dad Barry Hughart GK Chesterton Carlos Casteneda Charles Darwin Calvin Miller HG Wells Bram Stoker Carl Jung Fritjof Capra RD Laing Gentle Giant Daniel Quinn Tony 'Little Sun' Glover I Paprika
Sounds Like
join my mailing list and I'll email you a FREE mp3, then you can find out what I sound like away from your computer.
Still, people variously refer to me as being a bit like the following: Yes Cat Stevens Roy Harper John Martyn Nick Drake Nick Harper Ben Harper Peter Gabriel Traffic
Clifford T Ward Tim Buckley James Taylor Dylan Bish Paul Simon Francis Dunnery Don
Mclean Pink Floyd Neil Young Nic Jones Joe Jackson Billy Mackenzie Counting Crows
Richie Havens Sam Cooke Hendrix Fred Neil Paul Weller Miles Davis Jeff Buckley Bob
Marley Ray Lamontagne Jack Johnson Jason Mraz, um...
oh, and (apparently) Damien Rice, Dave Matthews, thingie, and the other one.
..
Buy my album Coming
Home to Stay on i-Tunes, or click the Paypal 'Buy Now' button to buy the
CD. It's acclaimed! Lucky me. Alternatively, get the mp3 version of the album for just $4.99 on Soundclick or TuneTribe.com and even IAC, the Independent Artists Company where you can also find Rachel Fuller and Pete Townshend, nevermind me, eh?
Unless you're in the USA, that is! In which case click the album cover above to get the CD from CD Baby, those tremendously motivated people halfway across the globe who stock 3 of my cd's and can mail them to any of 2400 Independent Record Stores around the globe. Here's a list on my website.
"It’s rare nowadays for it to be irrefutably true that a vocalist genuinely means
every word he sings. This much doesn’t so much confirm itself to be true as leap out
from behind a nearby rock and slap you about the face with a frozen kipper.
Hollingsworth’s guitar playing is also gloriously uncalculated and astonishingly
heartfelt, sometimes giving little concern to structure. If it wasn’t for the
excellent production I’d believe that these tracks were recorded on a portable tape in
a mountain forest in a single afternoon." - Live
Music Scene
""Musically, lyrically and vocally, it's stunning and thought-provoking... James
Hollingsworth is UNIQUE and dare I go out on a limb, I don't think he has an
equal" - ..EDEN of
Albuquerque
"you will love this CD from what must be one of the best song writers in the
country." - Bristol Rocks
"The timer on my music player tells me this is exactly one hour long. What it
doesn't tell me is the words and phrases that James squeezes into that hour. 12 minute
plus epics feel as at home as two minute blitzes." - FATEA Records
"The much-touted young Bristol-based guitar wizard and songwriter, who has been compared to Richard Thompson, Al Stewart and early Fleetwood Mac, travels in possession of a mean harmonica style and a rapid-fire, Spanish-influenced guitar-picking technique." - 5 best gigs - The Independent
I've been playing music since the age of 6 first on the piano then violin then later bass guitar and finally guitar and harmonica. Today I'm also dabbling with the snake-like vibrations of the Indian flute and the Ocarina. I've been full-time music since late 2006. Now, in 2008 I'm incredibly busy doing my own promotion and writing, recording, producing and hand-making CD's of my music mostly to sell at gigs, although I sell also on the relatively maintenance-free i-Tunes, Napster and so on (made possible by the highly recommended CD Baby).
"one of the best song writers in the country" - Bristol Rocks
Life is good, I'm living in a flat in Bristol with plenty of loft storage, a small herb-garden, off-road parking and situated near a patch of ancient woodland conveniently within two miles of the city centre. And it's reasonably cheap being a converted council house on the edge of a (fairly peaceful) estate, and bought to be let to wayward people, including itinerant musicians such as myself.
I remember someone else's gig in Swansea in about 1990 when I was at University living with an eclectic bunch of other boho's and drop-outs, and one of the band members launched into a passionate Christian monologue about how the band getting a lighting rig for free was a miracle. Uncomfortably skeptical at the time, I later realised that such serendipitous grace doesn't appear to know the difference between religions.
Anyway, I stayed in Swansea playing in various bands, until, jobless, in 1993 I made a near prodigal return (having graduated with a BSc 2.2 hons in Marine Biology), spent a few months in London
catching my breath, saw Jeff Buckley play a solo set at The 12 Bar Club in Tin Pan Alley, London, which inspired me to relaunch myself following an offer to play bass guitar and sing in a West Country-based rock band, The Electric Druids. I'd known them in Swansea. I also had friends in the area, so accepted the offer, did a cluster of gigs with them, but left the band 9 months later (for a number of reasons) and I've remained here in Bristol ever since. In the latter half of this period I have been able to leave the temp jobs and part-time (yawn) salaried employment and move to sustaining myself through making original music, mostly solo, but also being singer and frontman for JEBO, a rock band produced by John Burns whose work includes definitive albums by Genesis, Jethro Tull, Burning Spear and John Martyn in the 70's. During my time with them we played at the Royal Abert Hall and built a strong following in Germany. Now I'm looking forward to working alonein my new studio as well as producing a chaotic Catalan poet/rhapsode, Xavier Panades and the CAT.
Actually, I am still grateful for the skills I learned in my mostly admin-related, temp jobs which helped kick-start my practical ability to make a living from music. In the few years of professional life I've had to spend far more time on the phone, dealing with large amounts of the data necessary for the operation of the business than actually playing guitar. But at least I was working for myself and I'm pleased to say it's paying off.
Now I have time to be creative again! For 20 years I made little recordings of ideas on cassette and wrote reams of lyrics on scraps of paper saved from bins near photocopiers (my equivalent of the back of an envelope). Of course, I finished a few songs along the way, but now I've reached the period I always planned for: to turn that resource into songs, and thanks to the internet there's something I didn't plan for too: the concept of a website to tie all those songs together.
I can't afford a mortgage. I love it anyway.
Bristol is fast gaining a reputation for being a Music-City and is a convenient central point to base myself. Meanwhile there is an increasing necessity for me to travel all over the place in order to find live audiences, which I enjoy as a kind of reward for all the hard work I do. I'm mostly working the pub circuit, but I also play a few festivals including Priddy Folk Festival, which is a fairly big deal in the folk world. I've been lucky enough to play some great supports for accomplished artists including Hazel O'Connor and Cara Dillon.
See my website for the unfolding fruits of my labours. And a nice bread recipe.
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"Probably the first thing to strike every listener is James striking voice. The only comparison I can readily make, is to the voice of Tim Buckley, and this is something I do not suggest glibly. Listen to the songs and hear the vocals rise clear and pure, soaring high as they deliver the words. But listen carefully, in places they will drop in pitch to bring emphasis to certain lines and phrases. This is a talent few singers possess and in the right hands it becomes a most effective tool. It is little wonder that legendary producer John Burns (Genesis, Jethro Tull, etc) recently exclaimed "What a voice!" I only wish I'd heard it before now." - Woven Wheat Whispers.
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I just love that ' in your own time ' I want to hear it all its great. I got your number now so I will ring you tomorrow cause your probably gigging now.
We are playing at Komedia, Bath on Friday night. It'll be the last chance to see the full lineup this year so come if you can Details HERE We'll be off stage by 11.30pm in time to get last train to Bristol, but we'll be partying til 2am to DJ Liberati One Love!
Hi James, how is life threating you?? long time since visiting your page but always a pleasure to come here and listen your music!! Much Love always your way...E
or all those friends from hawaii to hong kong - from the northwest to the tip of the south west - here is all you need to know about the coming Croissant Neuf Summer party
Croissant Neuf Summer Party promises to be the feel good festival of the summer. With its intimate, boutique style and all power on site provided by renewable energy, organic food, locally brewed ales and one of the most eclectic music line-ups of the year, it will be nothing short of spectacular. Held just outside Usk, Monmouthshire - it’s the perfect family weekend in the country.
it not long now and hear its' going to be hotter than july, cooler than september, yes - august is going to be the month to remember - ..............
Hi, please go to my blog about the young man with cancer and leave an encouraging comment. He reads my blogs and will be encouraged by knowing that there are some loving and compassionate people in the world who care enough to reach out to him and offer their support. And if you can find the time, please spread the word and invite others to come and comment about this brave young man facing death. Of course if you're too busy, I understand, and thanks anyway. Thank you for your time and attention. Froggy.
Hi James, Good to hear from you and great to hear that you may be gigging in Spain. I have some good live music contacts in Valencia so let's keep in touch.
Gonna dedicate a new song from my new album "La Femme francaise" to you and all your friends this week. It's off my new album' Some songs'.
I have finally returned to regular live music and played 2 gigs in Valencia last week , including a jazz club!
Good luck with your many gigs this year and congratulations once again for living the life of a full-time musician. It takes guts and perseverance to live a life this way... so you deserve your success.
Hi James, Good to hear from you and great to hear that you may be gigging in Spain. I have some good live music contacts in Valencia so let's keep in touch.
Gonna dedicate a new song from my new album "La Femme francaise" to you and all your friends this week. It's off my new album' Some songs'.
I have finally returned to regular live music and played 2 gigs in Valencia last week , including a jazz club!
Good luck with your many gigs this year and congratulations once again for living the life of a full-time musician. It takes guts and perseverance to live a life this way... so you deserve your success.
My music is like a morbidly depressed Tori Amos blended with experimental/tortured cello. http://www.tylean.com
Check me out on August 9th at The Bridge House 2 - Bidder Street,
Canning Town, London. London and South East E16 4ST. Hope to see you
there!
I am booking many shows right now, not only in the UK, but in Europe
and Australia, and possibly even America. If London is too far travel,
help me come to you by letting me know where you are:
Have A Beautiful Week:)
Eve
&
Online Now!
