Arthur James

Arthur James has the old soul of a blues man. Arthur James plays numerous kinds of blues licks while slathering the lyrics of his blues originals with his hearty New England rasp. His recent release of his Arthur James & Northbound album A Guitar Player, A Bassist & A Drummer Walk Into A Studio is a must have for any local area blues fan. It offers 18 remixed and remastered versions of songs from his previous Arthur James album.Opening instrumental track “Art’s Thang” shows the chemistry Arthur James had with his bassist Gil Rand and whichever drummer he is using from his coterie of skin pounders. Arthur James picks of a piercing lead guitar line, one that moves in artful, skillful directions and smacking as hard as his rhythm section as they punctuate his phrase with tight aplomb.

Longstanding friends worldbeat artist James Asher and drumcircle facilitation trainer and percussionist Arthur Hull meet again to co-create, and produce some of their most persuasive imaginative material within their recorded audio adventures, ranging from energising and percussive to cinematic, chilled and atmospheric.

Conceived during a residency at The Red House, Benjamin Britten’s former home, in 2019, this collection of new compositions and arrangements by Arthur Keegan – developed in close collaboration with the performers – shows the profound influence of Thomas Hardy’s poetry on composers throughout the twentieth century and into our own era. Hardy’s characteristic themes are present throughout: the relentless passing of time; nature and the changing seasons; the effects on both of the modern world, with its machines and timetables.