Samuel James
For Rosa, Maeve, And Noreen
Northern Blues NBM0056
What would Blind Lemon Jefferson sound like if he had been recorded using today’s technology? What if the songs that Robert Johnson or Charlie Patton left us were heard in crystal clear digital audio? Would they still have the power and authority that emanates from the scratchy grooves or would they somehow be weakened and less ‘authentic’?
In his latest effort, Samuel James sheds light on this question. The 14 songs on For Rosa, Maeve, and Noreen are as authentic as anything left behind 75 years ago. The tone of his guitar, the clarity of the sound of his foot stomping in time, the depth of his voice are captured sparsely yet beautifully, and the listener finds themselves transported back to a time and place where people lived in rural communities with little in the way of modern comforts.
The instrumentation Samuel James employs immediately reminds one of the earliest roots of Delta and Appalachian blues, back when the 12 bar form wasn’t set in stone, and banjos were still heard accompanying the singer. But what James has most in common with that era is the stories he tells and the characters that populate them. People live by the skin of their teeth, outwit corrupt southern sheriffs, and a 400 pound woman dances on tables for drinks and favors while dangerous men drink, fight and gamble.
James is an outstanding guitarist, and the production of David Travers-Smith keeps things nice and simple. There isn’t need for a lot of extra overdubbing or augmentation to James’ sound. He has the chops to pull off an authentic sound with originality. There’s a rawness that matches the songs perfectly. He has absorbed the nuances of Son House as well as the Piedmont style of blues and everything in between, a remarkable feat at the age of 29. Whether he is finger picking a guitar, using a bottleneck slide, or claw hammer style banjo picking, James supplements his vocals with just the right amount of music to propel the stories.
The CD starts off with the return of Big Black Ben, a character from James’ last release, Songs Famed For Sorrow and Joy. Ben is in trouble again, this time with the Klan, but he manages to outwit them and live for another day. The story is set to a Lightnin’ Hopkins style shuffle and you can smell the rich delta soil and feel the cool evening air as Ben escapes to ‘go console some wives’.
Each of the women named in the CD’s title has her own song and are perhaps the most intriguing characters on the disc. “Rosa’s Sweet Lil’ Love Song” is exactly that, a plaintive paean to the woman of his dreams. Simple and tender, he sings to the object of his affection in an almost dreamlike state. In contrast to the sweetness of Rosa, the woman in “Darlin’ Maeve” is a rough, hard drinking gal who nonetheless has a tragic hold on the singer.
The largest character, both figuratively and literally is by far “Miss Noreen”. James describes her ‘dancing for the Philistines’ at the roughest juke joint around, where he is employed as the musician and thus has a ringside seat to see Noreen mesmerize the crowd and the chaos she leaves in her wake. This is powerful stuff, the kind of songs that don’t come along very often, especially when in the hands of someone as talented and sincere as Samuel James.
Based out of Portland, Maine, James is currently keeping a busy schedule of club dates and appearances. This artist should be heard in these parts to remind us of how diverse the blues can be and how wondrous it is to hear someone as brilliant as Samuel James. Get this CD, it’s the next best thing to hearing him live.
-Jim Dimock -
Southwest Blues CD Review - February 2010
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