At Blue, October 28, 2006
By IAN PAIGE | November 1, 2006
Samuel James |
“My name is Samuel James and this is my rained-out CD-release party. I love you all for coming out.”
So said Portland’s very own true bluesman last Saturday at Blue. . . to the seven people who had braved the apocalyptic torrent in time for the 4 pm kickoff to a marathon string of performances and 1930s costume partying. Dressed as vintage hobos, James and his friend Dana Gross traded off songs about trains for at least an hour in front of a backdrop of a soaked Congress Street with debris flying every which way and trees bowing 90 degrees as though Blue was about to take off for the land of Oz.
Inside, however, was as serene as could be with the two performers enjoying each other’s music and smiling through the hours in the electric-blanket warmth of the venue. By six o’clock, the audience count grew from seven to twenty and James broke out his aluminum guitar and slide. He ended the set with an energetic Son House tune, stomping his foot like he wanted to dig to China and banging the living crap out of his instrument.
Samuel James is a gift to Portland because he does what he does for himself, for his friends, and for you if you take him up on his invitation to see him perform. He manages to channel blues giants while creating the same individual personality and approach that made those giants so great in the first place. Plenty of Portlanders already know this from the looks of it; Blue was standing-room-only for the rest of the night.
Topics:
New England Music News
, Samuel James, Dana Gross
