Whereabouts of John James Guitarist

Subject: Whereabouts of John James Guitarist
From: GUEST,MC Fat (at work)
Date: 18 Feb 09 - 05:52 AM

Related to another thread about Norman Sinclair. Does anyone have contact details for the Welsh Guitarist John James ?

Subject: RE: Whereabouts of John James Guitarist
From: cptsnapper
Date: 18 Feb 09 - 06:08 AM

Great minds think alike! If they do please tell him & Lena about Matt Armour's passing. I can be pm'd to obtain Jane's address

Subject: RE: Whereabouts of John James Guitarist
From: matt milton
Date: 18 Feb 09 - 06:33 AM

This thread is really coincidental timing. I just bought the double CD of Sky In My Pie/Head In the Clouds the other week and have been listening to it loads. I also recently got approached by the landlord of a local pub to start running a monthly music night. Was thinking of tracking down some of my guitar fingerpicking heroes. John James among them.

Is he still (publicly) playing? If anyone has contact details for him, please PM me?

By the way, on a side note, I tried to book John Renbourn for later this year, and was told he would have retired from public performance by then. Which was sad news, though totally understandable. But it means the forthcoming Renourn/Robin Willamson UK tour will be Renbourn's last. Go buy those tickets now!

Subject: RE: Whereabouts of John James Guitarist
From: Will Fly
Date: 18 Feb 09 - 06:41 AM

Some recent comment on a YouTube "John James" guitar piece (not him playing) is that he still lives in Lampeter and is semi-retired.

Subject: RE: Whereabouts of John James Guitarist
From: matt milton
Date: 18 Feb 09 - 06:42 AM

FYI, I just sent an email to Homespun Tapes, who produce and still sell a John James guitar fingerpicking tutor CD, asking if they have any contact details for him.

Subject: RE: Whereabouts of John James Guitarist
From: Brian Hoskin
Date: 18 Feb 09 - 07:37 AM

There have been at least two previous threads on just this topic - if you do a forum search on John James you should track them down and see if anyone had any success in finding him

Subject: RE: Whereabouts of John James Guitarist
From: cptsnapper
Date: 18 Feb 09 - 07:39 AM

Apparently he's playing with Wizz Jones & Pete Berryman in Wales in April. Details on Pete's website http://www.peteberryman.com/

That'll be a gig and a half!!!

Subject: RE: Whereabouts of John James Guitarist
From: Brian Hoskin
Date: 18 Feb 09 - 07:50 AM

The gig mentioned above is at the Islywn Guitar Club

Subject: RE: Whereabouts of John James Guitarist
From: cptsnapper
Date: 18 Feb 09 - 09:28 AM

I hope that there's going to be a live CD or DVD from it.

Subject: RE: Whereabouts of John James Guitarist
From: GUEST,Jim Martin
Date: 18 Feb 09 - 11:15 AM

That's great Matt, thanks.

Subject: RE: Whereabouts of John James Guitarist
From: GUEST,MC Fat (at work)
Date: 19 Feb 09 - 05:59 AM

refresh

Subject: RE: Whereabouts of John James Guitarist
From: GUEST,Jason Smith
Date: 16 Apr 09 - 08:44 AM

Hi Folks

I am very honoured to announce that legendary Blues and ragtime guitarist John James, appearing @ The Fraser Centre, Douglas St, Milngavie G62 6PE on Saturday 9th May 2009. This is John first visit to Scotland for some time!! Therefore a rare opportunity to see a true guitar genius in concert!!

Doors: 7.30pm

Tickets: £10

Tickets Available: Art Forum, Station Rd or Milngavie Bookshop, Douglas St (Both Milngavie)

John James Biography
************************



John James is a Welsh acoustic guitarist specialising in blues, folk, and jazz. He is an exponent of ragtime guitar playing.

John James was born in Lampeter, Wales at the tail end of the nineteen forties and is a guitarist with an international reputation having entertained audiences all over Britain, Europe and the USA for over 25 years. A leading figure on the acoustic music scene of the 1970's, John has recorded over 15 albums (including several duet albums with John Renbourn, Stefan Grossman and Pete Berryman) and also presented and guested on numerous TV and radio shows in both the UK and further afield.

John James, today remains one of the most accomplished and entertaining of guitarists. He has brought the art of fingerpicking/fingerstyle guitar from the initial acclaim of dedicated guitar fans to the appreciation of a wider audience.

John encompasses numerous music genres - folk, jazz, swing, ragtime, blues and a lot in-between and he really seems comfortable with even the most intriguing and difficult pieces. Add to this that classical composer Fernando Sor also found a way into John James' newest release "Guitar Greats: John James" for Stoptime Recordings and you will appreciate what a truly great and diverse musician he really is.

John still lives in South Wales and besides being a fantastic guitarist he also has a very dry sense of humour which makes his shows a bit out of the ordinary.

John started of playing guitar at the age of 12 and spent a lot of time in local Pop and R&B bands but later focused on solo acoustic guitar. With Peter Berryman, John recorded the most innovative acoustic guitar album of the time - "Sky in My Pie" - and later went on to perform at the Royal Albert Hall, Olympia Paris and The Other End in New York to name a few.

In the nineteen eighties he was hugely influential as the 'Ragtime Guitar' columnist for 'Guitar International' magazine. He has produced teaching cassettes for Homespun Tapes and produced a top selling Guitar video for Virgin Vision. John James has toured worldwide performing solo concerts as well as successful collaborations with fellow 'giant of the guitar' John Renbourn and the renowned British blues sax player Dick Heckstall-Smith. In addition he has worked with performers as diverse as Led Zeppelin, Ralph McTell and Jools Holland. He has worked with numerous other top guitar players including Happy Traum, and Eddie Walker but is mainly famed for his solo guitar pieces. They include transcriptions of Scott Joplin and other classical piano rags as well as instrumentals from John's own hands.

The resurgence of interest being shown today in the 'Guitar and its history' has John James in the vanguard of the current scene as one of the most accomplished and entertaining of guitarists playing around the world today. He is a hugely entertaining and accomplished performer with a sense of humour and repartee that has been likened to Billy Connolly. The Melody Maker once dubbed him 'the human side of guitar wizardry' and 'Wizardry' is what his playing is - a must to see in concert !!

Subject: RE: Whereabouts of John James Guitarist
From: GUEST,jason
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 02:20 PM

worthy of a bump

Subject: RE: Whereabouts of John James Guitarist
From: cptsnapper
Date: 01 May 09 - 01:11 PM

Did anyone go and see John with pete Berryman & Wizz jones at the Islywn Guitar Club?

Subject: RE: Whereabouts of John James Guitarist
From: GUEST,Teltrog
Date: 01 May 09 - 02:30 PM

My brother Rod Hill is a mate of Johns. I will ask him where John is.

Subject: RE: Whereabouts of John James Guitarist
From: GUEST,Jason
Date: 02 May 09 - 08:38 AM

I went to see him, he was amazin', he has definately not losted his touch!!

Subject: RE: Whereabouts of John James Guitarist
From: GUEST,steve fraley
Date: 25 Nov 09 - 02:54 PM

saw jj at the 1969 blues convention, at i think the conway hall russel square, then again in about 1970 at the pipers folk club bottallack, cornwall, then in the 80's or 90's at hitchin folk club calling the duo caroliner shout, well what i want to know is, why didn't he remember me! anyways, how do i get hold of a copy of the above mentioned cd,....by the way jj (if you get to read this) istill love morning brings the light lp. [e-mail]   cheers all.

Subject: RE: Whereabouts of John James Guitarist
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 18 Jan 10 - 07:11 PM

All John James afficionados should watch this excellent video, a collection of clips of the great man performing, and performing superbly.

Subject: RE: Whereabouts of John James Guitarist
From: Betsy
Date: 18 Jan 10 - 07:55 PM

Murray - thanks for THAT - it brought back a lot of memories of a great talented, and pleasant guy - hope you a reading this John - fabulous performer ,an as I wrote - very pleasant and accessible person

Subject: RE: Whereabouts of John James Guitarist
From: GUEST,Brian J (North Wales).
Date: 28 Feb 10 - 11:37 AM

I saw John during the Llandudno Arts Festival in July 2009, and had the
pleasure of meeting Lena again, and sitting with her through a superb
guitar concert, made all the more entertaining by his dry humour and
witty 'asides'.Pity more people didn't turn up, for his guitar 'magic'
is just as dazzling as it was when I first saw him at Warwick University
in 1970, and also when I subsequently booked him for several concerts
in Manchester in the 1980s.

In fact he is one of the most talented, but self-effacing performers
thatI have met.Yes,he did return to live in Lampeter, and I note with
regret that he has either declined or not been booked to appear in the festival this year - our great loss !!!!

Subject: RE: Whereabouts of John James Guitarist
From: Splott Man
Date: 28 Feb 10 - 12:02 PM

There's a point 5 minutes in where he makes a bar with his 3rd finger(!) while 2 others continue dancing around the fingerboard!

Marvellous!

Subject: RE: Whereabouts of John James Guitarist
From: Anne Neilson
Date: 28 Feb 10 - 05:06 PM

Murray, Thanks for that marvellous clip of several old favourites (including the jokes!).
Haven't seen John for ages but I remember dragging varieties of friends to folk clubs (quite an alien experience for many of them) to see and hear him - everyone of them was bowled over!
A lovely man, and such musicianship.

Subject: RE: Whereabouts of John James Guitarist
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 28 Feb 10 - 06:23 PM

@Splott man, that barre he makes with his 3rd finger is a kind of John James trademark, isn't it ?

I have a vivid recollection of him using this technique liberally last time I saw him perform live, which would be like twenty years ago. I can remember thinking at the time, "how the hell does he do that ?"

I still can't quite figure it out ...

Subject: RE: Whereabouts of John James Guitarist
From: GUEST,jeff
Date: 28 Feb 10 - 11:17 PM

Murray, tho I've never made your acquaintance I want to thank you for posting the link. It's playing for a third time as I type this. His unbridled sense of play as he plays makes him a wonderful combination. The capo joke made me spit tea all over my pc screen. Well worth the mess. I'll get back to you on how he does it in say, 2 or 3 lifetimes.

Subject: RE: Whereabouts of John James Guitarist
From: cptsnapper
Date: 01 Mar 10 - 02:02 AM

When I was in Magna Carta John was our support act during a tour of Portugal. Great guy and superb musician. I assume that he's not really travelling far to do gigs these days: more's the pity.

Subject: RE: Whereabouts of John James Guitarist
From: GUEST,Stephen Fraley
Date: 21 Aug 10 - 01:48 PM

Caravans...A
British Love Affair BBC2 sat 21 Aug 2010 18.00
I was watching this programme and they played Morning Brings The Light
this is the first time I've heard it played on television, wasn't expecting it which made me enjoy even more...just had to tell all.
All the best...Still raining in Cornwall

Subject: RE: Whereabouts of John James Guitarist
From: Anne Neilson
Date: 21 Aug 10 - 07:02 PM

Saw John on 8th May, just outside of Glasgow -- again, with various friends persuaded along for the "experience".
Marvellous evening with consummate musicianship, great tunes and his wicked sense of humour, and he was just as energetic as ever!
I only wish that more people currently were aware of what a marvellous resource we have in John, and that we could find some way to make him "available" -- or persuade him back to more regular performance?

Subject: RE: Whereabouts of John James Guitarist
From: alanabit
Date: 22 Aug 10 - 06:56 AM

I saw him play a superb evening of guitar pieces in Reading back in the mid seventies. As others have commented, he also has a very dry and self effacing sense of humour. He was tremendous fun. In addition to his guitar pieces, he has written some lovely songs, including "If Only I", which I think Spredthick used to open their first album. When I saw him his encore was a beautiful song, the story of which he said had been taken from a Dylan Thomas song, about a little girl, who wanted to play at a fun fair. "She wanted to play on the roundabouts/She wanted to play on the swings". I do not recall what the title was and I have never heard it since. It was magic though and I would love to hear it again.

Subject: RE: Whereabouts of John James Guitarist
From: Splott Man
Date: 22 Aug 10 - 03:22 PM

He is appearing at Islwyn Acoustic Guitar Club on Friday 17 September.

Between Newport and Blackwood, south Wales.

Subject: RE: Whereabouts of John James Guitarist
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Aug 10 - 02:39 AM

The song about the girl at the funfair is " One Long Happy Night "

Subject: RE: Whereabouts of John James Guitarist
From: C Stuart Cook
Date: 23 Aug 10 - 03:06 AM

I also saw John at the Llandudno Arts Festival last year. Three very good nights with Duck Baker, Steve Tilston and John. All absolutely superb.
The whoke package was put together by a young chap who'd been associated with Davy Graham in his later years. A good guitarist and pleasant singer but hopeless at MC'ing.

Subject: RE: Whereabouts of John James Guitarist
From: alanabit
Date: 23 Aug 10 - 07:12 AM

Thanks very much Guest. I have wondered about that for years.

Subject: RE: Whereabouts of John James Guitarist
From: GUEST,Paul O'Farrell
Date: 28 Aug 10 - 05:26 PM

We really want JJ back here in North Wales and the North West.Listen John, all those years ago I went and bought a Fylde Oberon just so I could aspire to your abilities. It failed. Don't fail us.

Subject: RE: Whereabouts of John James Guitarist
From: alanabit
Date: 28 Aug 10 - 08:27 PM

I don't think the guitar failed Paul... I own one of those beautiful instruments and it makes me sound a lot better than I really am! I never even hoped to become anywhere near as good as John James. The little man is a very big guitarist for sure. I will second your call for a comeback though!

Subject: RE: Whereabouts of John James Guitarist
From: GUEST,Chris Hicks (Manchester)
Date: 23 Oct 10 - 01:00 PM

I saw John James live in 1967, and again at the Islwyn Guitar Club (South Wales) September 2010. He is on top form and has improved over the years. I got chance to chat to him and Lena. He says he wants to do more performing but bookings have dried up over the past few years. He had a box of his CDs for sale. I said there were many people on forums and YouTube asking about him, and how to contact him. Why does he not have a website. He seems wary of letting people contact him, but said he is going to work on setting up a website.... sometime... soon. So if you want to book him, or buy a CD now..... tough luck.
If you look on Amazon for John Renbourn music you'll find 179 different items for sale. Type in John James and the number is zero. Seems a shame.
Meanwhile, John James does read the comments on YouTube and he suggested that as a way for you to send him messages.

Subject: RE: Whereabouts of John James Guitarist
From: Anne Neilson
Date: 23 Oct 10 - 03:40 PM

So, John, if you really are reading these posts -- please get a young techie lad to set up a website (that's what nephews are for!) and give us a chance to purchase/interact/offer bookings!
You know it makes sense....

Anne Neilson

Subject: RE: Whereabouts of John James Guitarist
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Mar 11 - 07:47 AM

John will be at The Ivy Bush Hotel, Pontardawe on January 20th 2012. www.pontardawefolkclub.co.uk