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词条 James Armstrong (musician)
释义

  1. Biography

  2. Critical comments

  3. Album discography

  4. See also

  5. References

  6. External links

{{Infobox musical artist
| name = James Armstrong
| image =
| caption =
| image_size =
| background = solo_singer
| birth_name =
| alias =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1957|4|22|mf=y}}
| birth_place = Los Angeles, California, United States
| death_date =
| origin =
| instrument = Guitar, vocals
| genre = Soul blues, electric blues[1]
| occupation = Guitarist, singer, songwriter
| years_active = 1980s–present
| label = HighTone; Catfood Records
| associated_acts =
| website = Official website
|}}

James Armstrong (born April 22, 1957, Los Angeles, California, United States) is an American soul blues and electric blues guitarist, singer and songwriter.[1] He released three albums on HighTone Records and is signed with Catfood Records. His songs have been used in the soundtracks of three films; Speechless, Hear No Evil, and The Florentine.

Biography

Armstrong's father was a jazz guitarist and his mother a blues singer. Having learned the guitar at a young age, Armstrong formed his first band at school, and was touring the United States in his late teens. Inspired by Albert King and Robert Cray, his musical education included backing musicians such as Albert Collins, Big Joe Turner and Smokey Wilson. Armstrong relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area and, in 1995, released his debut album, Sleeping with a Stranger, on HighTone.[1]

However, in April 1997, Armstrong was almost stabbed to death by an intruder at his home. The shoulder injury necessitated months of rehabilitation, which still left Armstrong with limited guitar playing ability in his left hand. He adjusted his playing style, hired a lead guitar player, and realised that playing slide guitar helped to slowly recover his dexterity. His second, introspective, album, Dark Night, was issued in 1998.[2] It incorporated Joe Louis Walker and Doug Macleod playing lead guitar on a couple of the songs.[1] The album track, "Bank of Love", was used in the films Hear No Evil and The Florentine.[3]

Armstrong recommenced live performances on the blues festival circuit, with a noteworthy appearance at the 1999 Pocono Blues Festival in Pennsylvania. In early 2000, Armstrong returned to the recording studio to work on his next album, Got It Goin' On. He was aided in the project by utilising Walker's rhythm section, plus a guest appearance from the keyboardist Jim Pugh.[1] In 2001, Armstrong's song "Pennies and Picks" from Got It Goin' On, earned him a W.C. Handy Award nomination for 'Song of the Year'. Armstrong himself was nominated for 'Contemporary Male Blues Guitarist of the Year'.[4] "2 Sides," another song from Got It Goin' On was included in the film soundtrack for Speechless.[1]

Armstrong has worked with Albert Collins, Keb' Mo', Coco Montoya, Roy Brown, Chaka Khan, Ricky Lee Jones, Jan and Dean, Mitch Mitchell and Tommy Castro.[3]

Armstrong's 2011 release on Catfood Records, Blues At The Border, was his first recording in 11 years. James released Guitar Angels on Catfood Records in 2014.

In 2016 James Armstrong started his own record label, Guitar Angels Records. The first release on his label, in May 2016, was the self-titled CD Mary Jo Curry from the Springfield, IL vocalist.

Critical comments

Living Blues:

"... With a skintight band and a well-balanced combination of fire, technical proficiency, and taste, Armstrong continues on his way to the

upper echelon of contemporary blues artists."[3]

CBC Radio:

“…full of haunting and subtle nuances that point to a life rich with experience, this musician has definitely paid his dues. James

plays for and with his audience, extending the reach of the blues to include highly-charged sensuality, yearning, healing and good lowdown fun!”[3]

JazzTimes:

"...Demonstrates the kind of flexibility that allows him easily and convincingly shift gears from slow blues... to urban funk... to N’awlins grooves to rousing roadhouse shuffles..."[3]

Tony Russell:

"If you define 'blues' by the rigid categories of structure rather than the flexible language of feeling allusion, Robert Cray... Larry Garner, Joe Louis Walker and James Armstrong are a new and uncategorizable breed, their music blues-like rather than blues, each of them blending ideas and devices from a variety of sources – soul, rock, jazz, gospel – with a sophisication beyond the reach of their forerunners".[5]

Album discography

Album titleRecord labelYear of release
Sleeping with a StrangerHighTone Records1995
Dark NightHighTone Records1998
Got It Goin' OnHighTone Records2000
Blues At The BorderCatfood Records2011
Guitar AngelsCatfood Records2014
Blues Been Good to MeCatfood Records2017
[6]

See also

  • List of soul-blues musicians
  • List of electric blues musicians

References

1. ^{{cite web|author=Richard Skelly |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/james-armstrong-mn0000783716/biography |title=James Armstrong | Biography & History |publisher=AllMusic |date=1957-04-22 |accessdate=2015-10-03}}
2. ^{{cite news|url=http://mytown.mercurynews.com/archives/sunnyvalesun/03.07.01/armstrong-0110.html |title=The 'Dark Night' returns: Bluesman James Armstrong performs in Sunnyvale nearly four years after he and his son were almost killed|author= Hindin, Daniel|publisher=Mytown.mercurynews.com |accessdate=October 29, 2010}}
3. ^{{cite web |url=http://jarmblues.com/press.html |title=James Armstrong biography |author= |publisher=Jamblues.com |accessdate=October 29, 2010}}
4. ^{{cite web |url=http://www.bluessearchengine.com/bluesartists/a/jamesarmstrong.html |title=James Armstrong: Got It Goin' On |author= |publisher=Bluessearchengine.com |accessdate=October 29, 2010}}
5. ^{{cite book| first= Tony| last= Russell| year= 1997| title= The Blues: From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray| edition= 1st| publisher= Carlton Books Limited | location= Dubai| isbn= 1-85868-255-X| page= 4}}
6. ^{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/james-armstrong-mn0000783716/discography |title=James Armstrong | Album Discography |publisher=AllMusic |date=1957-04-22 |accessdate=2015-10-03}}

External links

  • Official website
  • Armstrong photographs at Users.rcn.com
{{Authority control}}{{DEFAULTSORT:Armstrong, James}}

14 : 1957 births|Living people|American blues guitarists|American male guitarists|American blues singers|American male singers|Songwriters from California|Soul-blues musicians|Electric blues musicians|Slide guitarists|Singers from California|Guitarists from Los Angeles|20th-century American guitarists|20th-century male musicians

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