James Armstrong

Biography

James Armstrong (born April 22, 1957) is an American soul blues and electric blues guitarist, singer and songwriter. 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×Sleeping With a Stranger1 January 1995 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Sleeping With a Stranger3:072From Time to Time3:193Hard Hard Blues4:404Midnight Again3:425Baby's Catwalkin'4:006The Devil's Livin' There4:507Don't Kiss and Tell4:478Wrong Address3:409Six Bar City3:3010Away From Home4:0511That Kind of Feeling3:5312Devil's Moon4:34, on HighTone.
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×Dark Night1 January 1998 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Dark Night2Too Many Misses for Me3Slender Man Blues4Trouble on the Home Front5Lil’ James6Can’t Get Off Your Love (Heaven Help Me)7Bank of Love8What I Would Do (for Your Love)9Witchin’ Moon10Here for the Music11Standing in Your Way12Just in Case, was issued in 1998. It incorporated Joe Louis Walker and Doug MacLeod playing lead guitar on a couple of the songs. The album track, "Bank of Love", was used in the films Hear No Evil and The Florentine.
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×Got It Goin' On1 January 2000 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Got It Goin’ On2Pennies and Picks3Another Dream42 Sides5Mr. B’s6Love Will Make You Do Wrong7Beat Up by Love8Shut My Eyes9Likes Her Lovin’10Lucky Guy11I’ll Learn Some Time. He was aided in the project by utilising Walker's rhythm section, plus a guest appearance from the keyboardist Jim Pugh. 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'. "2 Sides", another song from Got It Goin' On was included in the film soundtrack for Speechless.
Armstrong has worked with Albert Collins, Keb' Mo', Coco Montoya, Roy Brown, Chaka Khan, Ricky Lee Jones, Mitch Mitchell and Tommy Castro.
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, 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, Illinois 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."
CBC Radio: "...full of haunting and subtle nuances that point to a life rich with experience, this musician has 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!"
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..."
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 sophistication beyond the reach of their forerunners".