Tag Archives: blues

Maine, Thankfully: Samuel James: Songwriter, Storyteller, Raconteur

Samuel James is an artist and all around raconteur based in Portland, Maine. He is a seasoned and celebrated blues musician—touring around has taken him all over the planet. His writing about race has been featured in the Phoenix and he recently told a story up growing up in foster homes on the popular radio program […]

Travel: On Melbourne, Florida. And Orlando. And Serbia.

“Are you from here?” “Yeah, dude.” “Is it like this like this all the time around here?” “Like what?” “So loud? Packed, I guess? Insane? “Yeah, man. Where are you from?” “Right outside of Portland, Maine.” “So what? You don’t like this?” As the youngish, ratty dreadlocked punk said “this,” he pointed at the tiara-clad […]

Interview: Samuel James, Part I [Videoport and Portland]

Samuel James is a well-respected, world-traveled, Portland-based Bluesman who was nominated for a Blues Music Award in 2010. I recently talked with James, who I have known since we were both scrappy mall rats, about the release of And for the Dark Road Ahead, his upcoming album. We ended up talking at great length about […]

Portlanders on Portlanders No. 1 (feat. Sontiago, Kurt Baker, Knaughty Sarah and More)

In which I ask five Portlanders about some of their other favorite Portlanders. This time around I asked five local rock stars which Portland musicians they have been listening to lately. Sonya Tomlinson (Sontiago) Samuel James continues to be a lasting favorite. He puts on a solid and interactive live performance while simultaneously entertaining with […]