performing in 2002 as a member of
Trombone Shorty’s band, Orleans Avenue.
During his stay with the band and several
others, he toured five continents and 48
states championing New Orleans music.
As a songwriter, his music appears regularly
on CBS' “NCIS: New Orleans” and
his first two albums, Blue and Something's
Gotta Give, made it onto the Grammy
Awards ballot.
As the leader of his own band he has
performed at international jazz festivals
in Copenhagen and Tel Aviv and locally
at French Quarter Festival. Over the
years he has performed with such New
Orleans icons as the Neville Brothers,
Glen Andrews, Ernie Vincent, Amanda
Shaw, Flowtribe and the Soul Brass Band.
James also enjoys
participating in the
Preservation Hall
community outreach
program teaching
music to incarcerated
youths at the
Travis Hill School
under the auspices
of the Orleans Parish
Sheriff ’s Office.
Although he can play
all four major types
of saxophones, he is
partial to the tenor
which he plays exclusively on his soonto
be-released third CD, Keep Movin’.
“This new album is me,” James said.
“Funky but refined, chaos but resolve,
reflective but playful, poetic but a party.
It’s as glossy and polished as it is gritty and
honest. The songs are about overcoming
doubts, fear and depression and becoming
my best self. I feel like this album could
be my finest musical achievement.”
All eight songs on the new CD are originals,
with music and lyrics all written by
James but he is quick to give credit to
his band members for their contribution
to the overall effort. “My band certainly
helps arrange all the songs,” he said. “Last
year we played 115 dates so that’s a lot
of times for all my musicians to perform
the songs and a lot of development of my
material on stage. So they all have their
input.”
COVER STORY
The new album, James explained, is a
departure from his two previous releases
which included some non-original material.
“On the first two albums I included
some pieces by Dr. John and Allen
Toussaint,” he said. ‘My last album had
‘Southern Nights’ and everybody records
that. I have other original material from
the first two CDs that sound like those
on the new album but this album is kind
of a movement away from just playing all
the regular New Orleans classic songs that
everybody else in the city plays. It’s more
about creating my own sound; my own
songs in that idiom.”
Selectively choosing his band members,
all of whom read music, James acknowledges
that the music they perform follows
PHOTO BY: GREG MILES
a structured format but one that also
allows freedom for improvisation. “It’s a
bit of both,” he said. “The songs certainly
have arrangements; sections for solos
and improvisations to happen. That way,
even though some of the songs are kind
of modern and pop-y, they still hold to
kind of a jazz form in the way the band
would play the melody and then there
would be some soloists and then a verse
chorus out.”
James’ band, at the present time,
consists of himself on sax, plus a tuba
player, a Cuban percussionist, a drummer,
a piano player and a guitarist. He
hinted at possibly taking on a few other
horn players and another vocalist sometime
in the future.
In the meantime, you can catch
James and the James Martin Band every
Wednesday at the Carousel Lounge from
PHOTO BY: MICHAEL WATSON PHOTO BY:ZACK SMITH
8:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m., and two Fridays
a month from 9 p.m.-1 a.m. They also
perform every second Saturday of each
month at the Spotted Cat, closing out
the night.
The band’s new CD, “Keep Movin’” will
be available online for purchase and streaming,
as well as in stores locally on October
4. It is available, pre-sale, on Spotify at
https://show.co/lG1xsbk and Itunes at
https://music.apple.com/us/album/keepmovin/
1475857336. By signing up the
listener will automatically receive the
album in their playlists when it's released
on Oct. 4.
The band is also available for private
parties and other special events. To book the
band contact Oren Krinsky, Advancement
Agency at (504) 421-8650 or email mgmt@
advancementagency.com. ��
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