Artist: Brad James Band
Album: At Fellowship Hall
Label: Horton Records
Release Date: 8.9.2019
Brad James is one of those guys who has sure paid his dues, working the Oklahoma music scene for many years, always in demand as a valued sideman, session picker and generally solid rock musician. After a near-lifetime playing other people’s material, he has pushed the boat out and released his first solo album, a debut that comes with bags of talent, raw quality and a remarkably assured flourish.
The eight-tracks on At Fellowship Hall are by turns engaging, compelling, melodic and strong on neat lyricism. James works flat-out from the kickoff, rolling along with a fine baritone voice and a host of clever runs, riffs and licks that clearly highlight his fretwork virtuosity. Wherever he turns, James pulls out the stops to deliver a genuinely fresh, rock-edged release that holds hints of blues, soul and funky jazz, at times in near equal measure. The overall result is a truly enjoyable offering that is likely to please lovers of early Allman Brothers, JJ Cale—originator of Tulsa Rock—or old Slowhand Clapton. All clearly, and admittedly, influences that James has absorbed and mastered before pushing out a confident album that bears all the hallmarks of a positive winner.
It maybe fitting that Brad James comes to us from Tulsa, a musical melting pot that has influenced so many for so many years, often bringing with it a refreshing innovative vibe underpinned by musical mastery and melodic ambition from Cale to Garth Brooks. The Brad James Band may be newcomers to many but on this showing we must hope for a bit more of a work-out in the near future. This is an excellent debut release from a band that already knows the way ahead, a juicy bit of work indeed.
—Iain Patience
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