SAMUEL JAMES

THE RETURN OF SUGAR SMALLHOUSE

2007-09-11

With a voice that sounds like a cross between George Thorogood and Magic Dick (of J. Geils Band fame) Samuel James delivers twelve self- penned cuts of classic sounding acoustic blues. Fueled by his slide ripping all over his national resonator guitar each of the tunes leads you through the many trials and tribulations of his life. The writing is so rich that you don’t know whether to crumble with empathy or to laugh at the seeming absurdity of the situations in which he finds himself. Things don’t get more low down than when your baby leaves you a kiss off note but steals your glasses so you can’t read it as on "The Thief" or when you sneak back into your own empty house out of long habit on "Sneakin’ Back In". James brings out the harmonica on "Stomp", a track that doesn’t do much on its own but serves as a nice change up from the guitar oriented material when you are listening to the disc from beginning to end. The other change up is the Leon Redbone style rag, "The“Here Comes Nina” Country- Ragtime Surprise". Overall, a well done effort that is worthy of much airplay. Smitty.