Paul James (Canadian musician)


Paul James

James performing in August 2010
Background information
Born January 18, 1951
Genres Rockabilly, blues
Instruments Guitar, vocals

Paul James (born January 18, 1951 in Toronto (Ontario), Canada is a blues guitarist, vocalist and songwriter.

History

Paul James, born Paul James Vigna, grew up in the Bathurst and Bloor area of Toronto, graduating from Harbord Collegiate Institute. He commenced playing the guitar at age twelve.[1] James commenced playing professionally in the mid-1960s, while in high school. He achieved recognition as a member of a band formed with his classmates that played at the Devil's Den, located below the Avenue Road Ballroom, during the same time as such bands as The Sparrow, The Mynah Birds, Jon and Lee & The Checkmates, Roy Kenner and the Associates and Mandala were also playing there.[1] James started playing in Toronto bars full-time following his high school graduation. For approximately a year, he was a member of the house band at the Bermuda Tavern[2] in Toronto, playing six forty minute sets per night, six nights a week, plus two additional sets on Saturday afternoon.[1] While playing at the Bermuda Tavern, James would regularly visit the nearby Colonial Tavern between sets, At the time, the Colonial Tavern featured prominent blues and jazz artists. James was particularly influenced through seeing performances by Muddy Waters. [1]

As of 1971, the house band at the Bermuda Tavern evolved into the band Lick'n Stick, led by James, and playing old rock and blues.[1][3] During this time, James also wrote the music for three theatrical productions of the Young People's Theatre.[1] The first, Cyclone Jack, written by Carol Bolt about aboriginal marathon runner Tom Longboat, premiered in 1972.[1][4] The other two plays to which James contributed the music were Maurice (1975) and Finding Bumble (1975), both also written by Carol Bolt.[1]

The major break for James and Lick'n Stiok was when the band performed a the backing band for Bo Diddley at the El Mocambo, during a weeklong engagement in 1973. Bo Diddley was impressed with the band. He also asked James to work with him on Diary of a Sinner,[5] a soft core film where Bo Diddley had been contracted to provide the soundtrack.[1]

Lick'n Stick obtained a record contract with Columbia Records in 1976[3] and released a few singles. The band was dropped by the label, because the music of the band was not considered to be popular in the era of disco music.

Following the demise of Lick 'n' Stick, Paul James Vigna became professionally known as Paul James, and founded The Paul James Band. James both managed his band and started his own Independent record label, Lick'n Stick Records.[6]

James was honoured with a Maple Blues Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012 [3] James has also won a Juno Award in the Best Roots and Traditional Music category.[7]


Discography

Paul James Band

Paul James

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Lisa McDonald, Interview with Paul James. Small Town Toronto, January, 2011. Retrieved 2015-04-09.
  2. ↑ Image of the Bermuda Tavern, Toronto. Retrieved 2015-04-28.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Keith Sharp, Paul James: Shaking Those Birthday Blues!. Music Express, January 17, 2015.
  4. ↑ Playwrights Guild of Canada, Particulars of Cyclone Jack. Retrieved 2015-04-29.
  5. ↑ IMDB, Credits for Diary of a Sinner. Retrieved 2015-04-30.
  6. ↑ "James Band, Paul". The Canadian Pop Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2010-08-15.
  7. ↑ "Junction Arts Festival 2009". www.junctionartsfest.com. Retrieved 2010-08-15.