Blending the sounds of Delta slide greats such as Blind Willie Johnson and Robert Johnson with his own eclectic past experience and training in classical guitar and heavy metal, James Michael Thompson, (formerly Tompo ) is a 26 year old Australian blues musician with a big voice and a quietly endearing stage presence, using his guitars, blues harp, stomp-box and shakers to convey his heartfelt songs of good news blues.
James Michaels sound has been honed and refined by the influences of Jeff Lang, John Lee Hooker, Lloyd Spiegel, Paul Simon and Skip James. Beginning to gig in earnest in late 2004, James Michaels credits include debuting at the acclaimed Bridgetown Blues Festival in 2005; supports for The Bondi Cigars and Lloyd Spiegel at the Perth Blues Club, hosting the Melbourne Blues Appreciation Societys (MBAS) blues night at the Cornish Arms and demonstrating the one-of-a-kind Ellis Guitars Seven String Resonator at the Frankston Guitar Festival in 2005. James has also performed alongside the likes of Collard, Greens and Gravy; The Black Sorrows and Guy Davis at the Mordialloc Music by the Bay; Queensland songsmiths Loren & Marcus Bancroft; as well as performing on the same bill as Michael Franti and Jamie Cullum at the West Coast Blues and Roots Festival.
James Michael recorded his first E.P Light Your Way in 2005, which has found its way into homes across Australia and has received airplay on local, national and international radio. The track Broken Bone Blues was a finalist in the Western Australian Music Industry (WAM) Song of the Year contest for 2005.
He may be still a relative stranger to the Australian music scene but James Michael Thompson is fast winning fans and praise country-wide. He has been described by Sonia Meggs, the President of the MBAS as a true bluesman:
At a very young age James Michael Thompson has captured the blues and made it his own. You will be enthralled by his presentation and style of his music, his vocals are deep and soulful reminding me of the past struggles of men working on a chain-gang, or in the cotton fields in the deep south in the days of slavery. Thompson is a true bluesman!
Sonia Meggs - President Melbourne Blues Appreciation Society
Just Listened to "The Good News Blues" with Erinn. Love your work mate. I still have to say though that track 3 is the standout for mine! Nothing like a good dose of CPR. Speaking of CPR, good to see those Dragons turn things around and beat the Eagles last weekend!
We are starting the year off with a bang! New website, new songs and launching our debut live EP "Casa de Luca"!
We hope you can join us and help raise the roof at the Norfolk Basement Friday 18th January 2008
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It's going to be a fantastic evening with special guests Simon Kelly and Mia Slayford joining the Harriets. To get yourself primed for the evening visit our website www.theharriets.com and listen to some samples of our new recordings and check out some photos of our recording weekend! Also if you have the time, pop by our JJJ Unearthed site and have a listen to the complete version of our new tune "Gypsy Lady". http://www.triplejunearth ed.com/theharriets
wot wot !! we are officially people now ( ooh in case u didnt know that means friends) anyway just swinging by to represent the T.I on your page!!! say wots up to my now claimed family or your wife hehehe holla
Gday mate, whats going on? I just moved back to Perth so I will have to catch up with ya real soon - might have to crash one of your gigs, ha ha. Cheers big fella
He he The Rumble In the River. And it was all because Alex thought i was after his girl. I still remember the only thing i could hear was you yelling "it's on! it's on!" and water splashing. Ahh man, funny stuff.
You should carry a big sign to gigs that would read, "This is not a cover, yo, there are still great blues songs there to be written, and I wrote these". That man, he's gonna kill us all.
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