All of my titles are for
secure online sale
thru pay-pal
or your credit card at
amazon.com
(simply search music
with the keywords
"James Lawless" or
"James LAWLESS banned")
and you will be led right to
"the brightness switch"
(solo 2007),
"TRUST ME"
(solo 2008),
my January 2009
solo release
"Footprints".
My May 2009
release
"ART'S BACK".
My October 2009
re mix/re-release of
"Not EASY -
the defining edition"
(solo & banned 2005/09),
My all guitar magic CD
"GUITARISTIC
INTENTIONS"
(Out for Halloween '09)
& my last outing for '09,
the Long awaited release of
"lost in the wood -
Original Signature &
AcoustiCovers"
(maybe so long awaited
because the friggin TITLE
is so L O N G!
Write me for discounts
& instructions;
or just order from amazon.com.
All CDs
are released by
JLbanned records,
and published by
JL banned records/
publishing/
products LLC.
For the upcoming
S, D & L Tour,
which will span
The East Coast for a few months;
& then points West
a few months later!
Sometimes Opening;
Headlining at
smaller venues
My mind is BLOWN!
The banned will include
several OLD FRIENDS
and NEW
Who just LOVE THE MUSIC:
Thank you New York City,
particularly Greenwich Village;
more particularly
The Baggot Inn for helping to restore
my confidence.
STILL My kind of town.
Decided to go back to
South Jersey -
Live near the water
& be happy again.
Influences
Allman Bros./ B.T.O/ Joan Baez/ Ginger Baker/ the Banana Splits/ Gato Barbieri/ Count Basie/ Beach Boys/ the Beatles/ Jeff Beck/ Adrian Belew/ Tony Bennett/ Blondie/ Blues Brothers/ Blues Traveller/ Boston/ David Bowie/ David Bromberg/ Mel Brooks/ Jack Bruce/ Johnny Cash/ Chicago/ Eric Clapton/ Harry Connick Jr./ Alice Cooper/ Chick Corea/ Elvis Costello/ Crack the Sky/ "play it" Steve "the Colonel" Cropper/ C.S.N. & Y/ Sammy Davis Jr./ Dead Kennedys/ Deep Purple/ DEVO/ Neil Diamond/ Al DiMeola/ Dr Hook/ Dr John/ Donovan/ Doors/ Dread Zeppelin/ Dream Theater/ George Duke/ Donald "Duck" Dunne/ Bob Dylan/ Eagles/ Earth, Wind & Fire/ Elliot Easton/ Brian Eno Melissa Etheridge/ Electric Light Orch./ Emerson Lake & Palmer/ Wild Man Fisher/ Ella Fitzgerald/ Flaming Lips/ Flo & Eddie/ Foreigner/ The Four Tops Peter Frampton/ Michael Franks/ Kinky Freedman/ Robert Fripp/ The G.T.O.s/ Marvin Gaye/ Lowell George/ J.Giles Band/ "Dizzy" Gillespie/ Godley & Creme/ Grand Funk Railroad/ Grateful Dead/ Green Day/ Guess Who/ Arlo Guthrie/ Herbie Hancock/ Emmylou Harris/ George Harrisson/ Debbie Harry/ Ritchie Havens/ Screamin' Jay Hawkins/ Jimi Hendrix/ Gil Scott Heron/ Billy Holliday/ John Lee Hooker/ Gary Howey/ Jethro Tull/ Robert Johnson/ Quincy Jones/ JO JO Gunne/ Albert King/ B.B. King/ Carol King/ King Crimson/ King's X/ The Kinks/ KISS/ Lambert, Hendricks & Ross/ Led Zeppelin/ Alvin Lee Tom Lehrer/ John Lennon/ Tony Levin/ Jerry Lewis/ Little Feat/ Jim "Dandy" Mangrum/ the Marsalis Brothers/ Tommy Mars/ Dean Martin/ Groucho Marx/ Paul McCartney/ John McLaughlin/ Meat Loaf/ Me First & the Gimme Gimme's/ Melanie/ Steve Miller Band/ Charles Mingus/ The Monkees/ Jim Morrison/ Van Morrison/ Muzzy Napodano/ Nazareth/ New Riders/ Randy Newmann/ New York Dolls/ Harry Nilsson/ Charlie "Bird" Parker/ Les Paul/ Parliament Funkadelic/ PASSPORT/ The Persuasions/ Red Peters/ Phish/ Pink Floyd/ Poco/ Jean Luc Ponty/ John Prine/ Procol Harum/ Bonnie Raitt/ Ramones/ Leon Redbone/ Red Hot Chili Peppers/ Carl Reiner/ "Smokey" Robinson/ Rolling Stones/ Glen Romanello/ Linda Ronstadt/ Dianna Ross and the Supremes/ Todd Rungrent with Utopia & the New Cars/ Rush/ Leon Russell/ Carlos Santana/ Joe Satriani/ Michael Schenker/ John B. Sebastian/ Sex Pistols/ Paul Shafer/ L. Shankar/ Billy Sheehan/ Allen Sherman/ Howard Shore/ Ben Sidron/ Frank Sinatra/ Ringo Starr/ Steely Dan/ Steppenwolf/ Cat Stevens/ Rod Stewart/ Styx/ T. Rex/ Talking Heads/ James Taylor/ Allan Tousaint/ The Temptations/ Tenacious D/ They Might Be Giants/ Thunderclap Newman/ The Tubes/ Twisted Sister/ Ian Underwood/ Ruth Underwood/ Steve Vai/ Luther Vandross/ Thies Van Leer/ Stevie Ray Vaughn/ Klaus Voorman/ Tom Waits/ Joe Walsh/ Johnny "Guitar" Watson/ Weather Report/ Leslie West/ The Who/ John Williams/ Tony Williams/ Ike Willis/ Yes/ Frank Zappa
some special thanks: The Levitsanos' (1st job in Paterson NJ)/
Joe Bakanauskas (best bud as a kid)/
Ron Saia (my first guitar partner)
Glen Romanello (lead guitar/writer/best friend)/
Bobby Brueckmann (drums)/
"Tony" Iorio (little organ)/
Claire Brueckmann (Yoko for real)/
Chuck Hogan (limo/tech)/
MikeLAWLESS (lights/road chief/drums/
my brother)/
John Lagomarsino (drums)
Dawn Alexander (organ)
Sal E. Senatore (drums/vocals)/
John Senatore (organ)/
John Beuford Whitford (guitar)/
Luther "Moore" (vocals/lyrics)
Maryna Szczawinski (piano/vocals/
arrangements)/
Bob McElroy (guitar)/
John Madrachimov (drums)/
Les Genser (Rick stereo bass)/
Mickie MacNamara (short term drums)/
Luther "Moore" (lyrics/vocals)
the late
Sammy Giacomin (alto sax)/
"Muzzy" Napodano (alto & tenor sax,
demo engineer/mentor)
Karen Zack (flute solo)
Jane Buczec (12 string/vocals/lyrics/music)
Bob Suede (engineer/drums)/
Joe Lynn Turner (moral support)/
Mike Vera (power vocals)/
the late Wayne Sowers (vocals)/
Joel Scarinci (operatic vocalist)/
Linda Williams (vocals)/
Dan Ihle (bass/vocals)/
Jeff Williams (drums/vocals)
Terri Stucker (guitar/vocals)
Mark Teasedale (guitar/vocals/drums)/
Jeff "Fletch" Scirotto (drums/Mad Daddy)/
Greg Riccardi (vocals)/
Pete Ruano (guitar/vocals/
midi programming)/
Walt Lucas/
Joe "Satanic Panic"/
Ray (the bass Parade!)
Billy Brogan (drums/vocals)
EddieAPONTE (bass)
VicCONFENTI IS BACK! (drums)
GeorgeSOMERS (bass)
TerriSOMERS (keys/vocals)
The Performing banned will be announced
right around July 21st
as March 11th
means nothing now. Most positions have been
Well Filled Excellent & amazing
performers of High
Calibre & respect!
Bassist Needed
Sounds Like
Um; let's see...
Mostly like myself
with occasional help
from my friends
and musical
cohorts.
I was once
written up by a
New York Reviewer
that if the
Grateful Dead,
Steely Dan &
Frank Zappa
had a kid together;
that would be me.
But I love 60's
folk stuff
& was raised
on classical,
soul/R+B,
country & bluegrass,
Swing
and Be-bop jazz;
and finally started
Rocking in the 70's
thanks to
Glen Romanello
& Bobby Brueckmann
who talked me into
rhythm, lead
& bass guitar
and writing originals,
which has
continued right
thru several hair
colors (royal blue
and jet black),
styles & lengths;
and genres of music -
Including but not
Limited to
Punk, Metal,
Tex-Mex POP,
Rock Opera,
off off Broadway,
Soundtracking,
and whatever I
felt like playing,
LIVE with no qualms
or concerns for my
puzzled looking
Band-mates
as they struggled to
figure out what was
coming NEXT.
I didn't know;
so how could
I tell them? Hmmm?
Always looking for TALENT! The James LAWLESS banned GOES LIVE AGAIN this September 10th.
I started out as a child. I was born Caesarian Section. It has had no effect on me, and you can hardly tell except that when I leave the house I go out through the window. (Don't just love that joke?) I have been a musician & artist for an extremely large portion of my life, and from the very first day I got an instrument to play (organ), I started writing my own songs. Even way back then (age 11) they were pretty good. There was potential for greatness. I moved on to banjo with a violin pick-up in it. Mandolin was next thanks to grandpa Oscar, followed by violin and acoustic guitar. I had a few lessons but thank goodness that Glen Romanello & Bobby Brueckmann needed a singer/bassist/guitarist. Glen taught me enough guitar and bass to play rhythm and sing lead, and we did some High School Dances as the Stained Glass Acid Band or as the G.J.B. Trucking Company with Tony Iorio on organ and bass keyboard. Glen could play that LesPaul Custom; and Bobby was the best drummer I had met to that point. To this very day, when I am writing; I always think, "I wonder what this would sound like with Blinky and Bob?" And then I think, "SHIT! WE WERE WEASELS!"
It has been lots of "banneds" since then: & no matter what I have done; I have had to settle for a small Cult Following.
My friends in New Jersey & the Tri-State Area have loved my original material, and my strange approach to cover tunes. People who see me LIVE in a club or concert venue "get me" right away. That is a gift. Love me or Hate me! I have lived all over America (NJ, NYC, TX, FL, UT, PA, WA) and my playing has worked everywhere I have gone.
From the second group I was ever with, each and every group has chosen to join me in my quest to perform the music I love as opposed to playing the radio hits. Although I do love some of what is being produced today I still fall back on the older material for sources to cover. Some songs were meant to be hits at some point. Maybe if I do them the way I feel them that will happen and the authors of these tunes will be avenged!
My influences are wide and varied (see the left side panel for a partial and i am sure to be growing list) and I have learned anything I know about writing from being exposed to all kinds of music (thanks a lot from old time WNEW/NY radio FM and the days when Disc Jockies were really [Scott Muny/Allison Steel for example] there and could play anything that they wanted to; and of my two true mentors. Frank Zappa & "Muzzy" Napodano.
Frank showed all of us who listened; that it was okay to write whatever the hell you want to; mix classical with country; rock with jazz; lampoon whatever sacred cows are still standing; and Maintain your Independence! Do Not Sell Out No Matter What!
Muzzy; (an amazing saxman/comic from Wayne, NJ) showed me that you can make it work until you stop breathing. He was the very first person to let me on a stage at the age of 13 all alone and then with his band, to play stuff I wrote and some old (then new) Yusef Islam a/k/a: Cat Stevens, and gave me my very first taste of how warm applause can be on a persons inner soul. I had fun that night, and since then I have never allowed it to stop for too long.
Playing at The Orlando Florida birthday party in front of a festival crowd with only my wooden guitar, to performing in the middle of a football field with Billy & George or a club (with the "four heads" revue version of the jamesLAWLESSbanned.) (the same gang who played most of the music on notEASY) - all hold their own thrills and all have been most gratifying. If I died tomorrow; I would still feel like i made a difference in the lives of the people I have performed for. It has always about the people for me and the sound of hands clapping together.
My health took a downturn for a long enough period that I have not been out there. A blood pressure problem has given me a stroke in both eyes; causing me retinal damage leaving very limited vision; the easiest way to explain my vision is as such: It looks like I am looking thru a small outhouse window thru my right eye, and just a blur of color in my left with a large dark spot in the center. I can still write, but I can not read it back to you! Others spell check me!
BACK Living & Working in North Jersey! Madly in Love with Life for a change! Making the Music I always wanted to. How awesome is THAT?
I think that the most Ironic thing in my life is that now that I no longer use drugs of any street type: I use more drugs to regulate my body than ever before! However: Do you remember the
ZigZag guy from the rolling papers? Well, He has a Tattoo of ME
Rough to take in your early 50s! The rest of my life was based on doing some form or another of the graphic arts. I am a trained silk screen printer, a cartoonist, a true and pure artist (watercolors, oils, sculpture, pen & ink - etcetera), a designer & maker of signs (take a peek at some of the Planet Hollywoods the next time you are in one, or some of the guitars for Hard Rock Cafes: I had a big hand in that stuff).
When people ask about how I feel about the loss of sight (which makes any of my art a hell of a lot harder to accomplish by the way), my standard reply is "hey! I have seen enough. And I keep smiling and going forward. I have produced 26 new musical pieces this past few months alone, and I am not out of ideas. When I start to not learn anything, I will give it up! But for now - my gift is for you folks. And I hope that you find what I do interesting enough to buy some!
Check my music out on YouTube under the name mistersmoothe Listen for free, it's there for as long as you want it or until I die! With the exception of the newest CDs which are so new I haven't shot much video yet!
Thanks to my musical friends & former females; and my folks: who did their level best to do what was right for me by letting me know in no uncertain terms that I was headed to a life of debauchery and serfdom! It Kept my EYES on the Future; which turns out to be NOW.
Thanks also to My Crew & New Banned for HEARING the music for all it can be.
jamesLAWLESS: vocals, guitar, banjo, mandolin, violin, cello, keyboards, percussion, vibes, lyrics, music, arrangements, director, producer, recording engineer, video producer, animator, editor, artist, designer (and since I no longer need the safety bars - I would say: "good in bed")
These days I play
my Schecter XXX guitar & Fretless electric bass, an Ovation acoustic/electric guitar through Line 6 Spyder Amps & Matrix PA System. I play Yamaha electronic keyboards, & SIMMONS drums into my Tascam Digital recording studio. Not an ad...just the facts. Write me.
Talk about sponsorship. I will Listen closely
Thanks Friends and remember, without you;
it is just US! For personal contact please visit my
Regular MySpace site at JamesLAWLESStheman
James LAWLESS banned Portal's Friend Space (Top 20)
Hey! Our Debut album, "Yetzer Ha'Ra", will be released worldwide in October 2nd by Twilight Records. You can listen to songs from the album in our Myspace page, and you are more than welcome to comment and tell us what you think.
Hi James. Thanks for your positive words. We appreciate it. Glad you're enjoying our music. Monster playing on your tracks man, across a range of instruments, styles and moods - awesome guitar work. Admire your up front approach to the health issues and very good luck in the future, particularly for the rescheduled tour. Cheers.
How've you been? Remember JOLLY? I'm writing to let you know that our debut album "Forty-Six Minutes, Twelve seconds of Music" is available for order from our page to be shipped immediately; just click on the banner at the top of our page. You are going to love it. You're joining us at the ground floor, and JOLLY never forgets. JOLLY loves you!
Good to have you as a friend! So great to see the internet in action this way, shortening distances between people.
I hope all's well with you and that you enjoy checking out my web site some time.
For occasional, new, refreshing, insightful and (possibly?!) valuable content, I encourage you to sign up for my free newsfeed/email newsletter (using the form on site at page right - high quality, low quantity, no spam!).
You might enjoy watching some of my films (use the on screen controls to skip between them):
Thanks James, The debut album is being pressed as we speak. You're going to love it. Make sure you join the mailing list on our page so we could let you know as soon as it's out. You're joining us on the ground floor, and JOLLY never forgets. Keep spreading the JOLLY word. JOLLY needs you. JOLLY loves you.
heY JameS! thanks for the comments... i'll get you a track or two within the next 48 hours... im done with taltopia....too much negativity in the contest comments..... !Yeh
Yeah! An old guitar player tracking something insane for us sounds right up my street. Would be great to collaborate some day!
Thanks again,
Unexamined
Online Now!
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