James & Black

Bruce James Soultet
Yours, Mine, and the Truth

Massaging the 88 and growling Tom Waits gravel, local piano man Bruce James leads his fivepiece Soultet on a smoky sojourn of classic soul that gives three sides of the story: Yours, Mine, and the Truth. Recorded live in an eight-hour session, the originals nod to Donny Hathaway and Dr. John, while Les McCann gets the cover treatment on a jazzy marathon of "Compared to What." ***

BY THOMAS FAWCETT
- Austin Chronicle

The Soul of Tunji



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by Paul Klemperer


You may have noticed that the band Tunji has been getting a lot of attention lately. Their CD was released in June, they've been receiving favorable press and their shows have been packed. You may have also noticed that there seems to be a constant flow of young up-and-coming rockers who use Austin as a stepping stone on their way to national hype status, which has engendered a certain amount of bitterness from the hardworking journeymen musicians who comprise the backbone of Austin's music scene. Be that as it may, Tunji's members should not be lumped with other overnight sensations; they have been paying their dues for some time.


Leader/singer/keyboardist/trumpetman Bruce James Bunn explained to me that he, Joe Amato (guitar), Shiben Bhattachrya (bass) and Brad Gilley (drums) formed the band back in high school in Houston. At that time they called themselves Boogie Knights, a somewhat tongue-in-cheek original disco thing. They did a stint at the University of North Texas in Denton for two years before moving to Austin in 1995 and reconfiguring as Tunji with the addition of Steve Mitchell on percussion.


Part of Tunji's distinctiveness is the heavy influence of jazz and soul music, which derives largely from Bunn's musical background. He started on trumpet in 6th grade band ("to dodge P.E.") and soon was playing cornet in the church where his father was a deacon. He continued to play in the church for the next eight years, under band director Jerry Martin, a major influence on Bunn's musical development. Bunn also attended the Houston High School for the Performing & Visual Arts. During this time Bunn developed a friendship with jazz trumpeter and vibist J.J. Hensley, who gave him a good deal of musical and mental direction. Also during this time the church band's drummer left, so Bunn was recruited to fill the drum chair. Over the years he also worked on piano and guitar.


The break finally came when the church's pastor informed Bunn that "the only music you should play is Christian music." This was a sticking point for Bunn who, although deeply influenced by gospel music, was equally steeped in the more secular sounds of soul and jazz. As he succintly puts it: "Musical ability is a gift from God, but there's all kinds of music."


Pawning his trumpet for travel money, Bunn took off for New Orleans. From there he began a journey of exploration both geographic (traveling the country by Greyhound bus) and philosophic (immersing himself in writers like Jack Kerouac and Amiri Baraka). This period helped him develop his lyrical style, "everyday experiences mixed with spiritual beliefs."


When you listen to Bunn's singing you can't miss the soul and gospel connection. He says that Otis Redding, Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder were early influences, and still are. More recently he's been reimmersing himself in classic jazz players like Cannonball Adderly, Miles Davis and John Coltrane, as well as the diverse sounds of Pharoah Sanders, Afro-Pop artists like Fela Kuti, the New Orleans street beats of Rebirth Brass Band and the new sounds of New York's Groove Collective.


What ties all these sounds together? Bunn feels that Tunji plays "variations on soul music." With this perspective they draw from soul music all around the world. Paying tribute to these various soul traditions, they have developed a distinctive group sound based in their years of collective exploration.


Since their CD release, they have been working toward national management and booking. They plan to tour extensively by next year. In my humble opinion, the guys of Tunji will make a welcome addition to the list of emissaries Austin sends out to the world at large. They've got soul.



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- Downtown Arts

Bruce James has a deeply soulful set of lungs; at times echoes Springsteen, Joe Cocker and Van Morrison while remaining true to himself." - Relix Magazine, Issue27-2 - Relix

AA-S Best Bet: Houston native Bruce James has been making the rounds on the Austin music circuit for years, first as part of Tunji, then as a solo artist. His stout, husky voice, keyboard chops and roots in gospel, jazz and soul have made him a mainstay around town. James has been working on his upcoming full-length album, "Junkyard Soul." Hand Me Down also performs.
— Lauren Clonts - austin360.com

My father was the preacher of a small gospel church in Houston. A very special little church, people of any race, color and social status were welcome. It was there where I really learned how to play, even though I attended The High school for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston, and studied jazz trumpet at the University of North Texas for 2 years.
I was 11 years old when I first played the trumpet in my father’s church. My father’s best friend, Jerry Martin, directed the church’s band. He was a black man with a voice that resembled Sam Cooke’s. He was an engineer for Exxon but he had an incredible passion for singing. As the “the son of the preacher”, I was always in church. If it ever happened that the drummer didn’t show up I was there to replace him. The same went for the piano player, the bass player, the guitarist. I would replace whoever was missing. Then the pianist taught me a C triad and the rest was history. Music is in my family heritage. My grandparents also played the piano. My great grandmother was the first woman to graduate from Julliard back in the 20’s. My grandfather was a “boogie woogie” player. It was on his piano that I took my first classes.
An inevitable destiny for Bruce James, 34, piano player, singer and white soul man from Austin, the author of last year’s brilliant debut album “Soultet, Yours, Mine and the Truth”. A destiny from which James couldn’t escape but enrich with his own personal journey: “I grew up in Houston, Texas, and then moved to Austin after a short period living in Denton. My whole band from High school moved with me. It was during this time that I started to play in small venues around town. We played a mix of Earth, Wind & Fire’s funk-soul and Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew. After a few years, we were playing over 250 shows a year in the States. We played with Bernie Worrell, Burning Spear, Jimmy Smith and participated in Music Festivals along with Los Lobos and Dr. John. The name of the band was TUNJI and we played together for 10 years. We spent half of that time, as Alejandro Escovedo said, accumulating more miles than money and without a record deal. Living on the road taught me all kind of bad habits so I decided to go back home in Houston for a couple of years and to Los Angeles for rehabilitation. After a year in Austin I was completely clean and it has been 5 years since I haven’t had a drink.”
A comeback filled with hope and enthusiasm that led him to the release of his first record: “Back in Austin I put together a new band and recorded ‘Junkyard Soul’ which is about to be released in Japan with some bonus tracks. I worked on that record for an entire year recording at this excellent analog studio called ‘Nest Recording’.
What strikes you the most when you first listen to “Yours, Mine and the Truth” is the amazing live vibe: It was recorded at Arlyn Studios during the same time that I was taking Audio Production classes in the same building. Arlyn used to be one of Willie Nelson’s studios. Bonnie Raitt’s sublime “Nick of Time” was also recorded there as well as Nelson’s “Red Headed Stranger”. The Studios’ instrumentation is excellent; it has 2 huge rooms with isolated boxes for the piano and other instruments. This way we were all able to be in the same room and play live together. All recorded tracks are either the first or the second take. All we had to do was to play our live repertoire and all I was doing was to make sure everyone felt comfortable and free to play music. They were the same songs we were used to playing live and the arrangements were already done. We had no intention of changing the record in order to make it work for radio. We just wanted to document the energy and the interaction that we experience every night on stage.
Easy to say and not hard to do if you have a band like the soultet: Any member of Soultet is capable of being the leader of its own band, David Jimenez, the guitar player, graduated from Berklee. He writes music and is a great singer. I have played with Chris Trafton, the drummer, for 10 years. He is the only one in the band to also have played on “Junkyard Soul”. Tim Spivey, the bass player, comes from the school of New Orleans, he would play 5 nights a week while he was graduating from Loyola University in jazz. The guitarist Fumi Sugawara, has been recently signed to Ropeadope in New York with his latest record. Dan Kovaly, the percussionist whom I’ve known from high school, has a degree in composition and he probably feels more comfortable directing a symphonic orchestra than playing the congas.
“Yours, mine and the truth” is a long jam. It’s filled with ideas, rhythmic phrases and solo performances going in and out of this expressive Afro-American universe stylistic pattern which it’s kind of unusual for European audiences. I think of Joe Cocker, Van Morrison or even Steve Winwood’s “Traffic”. I like all of them but my most important influences among singers are Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, Solomon Burke, Ray Charles and Tom Waits. The most influential songwriters for me were Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, Dr John. And of course, all the Motown and Stax records. I play them all the time. I’m also a huge fan of Uncle Tupelo, Flaming Lips, Los Lobos, and Earth Wind & Fire.
Just when you are about to think that you have (almost) understood everything about “Yours, mine, and the truth” there it comes the last track of the album: “Crazy to Think”, a ballad that sounds like an outtake of Tom Waits’ Asylum. So, what’s the truth about Bruce James? I’m a sucker for ballads. I solo 5 times a week ay a restaurant in Austin and I’ve learned quite a few songs. I’m about to release 2 solo albums just me singing and playing the piano. Being compared to Tom Waits is a huge compliment but believe me, there is nothing like playing with a bunch of friends, letting yourself go, gettin’ dirty. Do you know what I mean?

Translated by Victoria LaPaz
- JAM

12 years ago Bruce James killed it with his band Tunji. They always had ladies dancing and opened up for the likes of B-3 legend Jimmy Smith. Bruce preceded the current soul revival craze by a decade. Listen to his “Compared to What”.
Weds 2pm – The Shed BBQ (E. 6th & Chicon)
Thurs 6:30 to 7:30 pm - Sheraton Austin
Sat 9pm – Lamberts (Represent Austin Official Showcase) - Austin Daze

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bruce james soultet The Bruce James Soultet makes a repeat appearance at SXSW in 2010 as part of the Represent Austin showcase. With plans of national and international travel scheduled for the remainder of 2010, Bruce took some time out recently to speak to Spinner about being in a soul band in Texas, having a professional persona in the Music Industry and the good karma that sometimes comes to those who lose their wallets in Colorado.


Describe your sound in your own words.

It's just variations on soul and gospel music. Plain and simple.

How did your band form?

I moved to L.A. a few years back and while I was there I was able to set priorities for the qualifications of what I wanted to have in a band. I don't think musical talent trumps personality and vice versa. From that thought process, I knew I wanted to play with people whom I clicked with, personality-wise. And I have known most of the guys in the band now for a long time. Being in this band gives me an opportunity to entertain the audience and showcase the talent of the band as a whole.

How did you come up with your band name?

I have always felt it's inconvenient if you add a person or lose a person to change the band name. [Bruce James Soultet] is a practical name but I would just as much take my name off it. It's really its own entity. I feel the name of the band is bigger than I am. That's why the album art [reads 'Soultet'] is the way it is--bigger than my name. My band isn't hired hands and everyone's names are on the front of album. That's very important to me.

What are your musical influences?

I really feel I have learned from the masters. I mean I grew up playing jazz; more of the traditional stylings. That's what I went to school for. I played trumpet in school and learned piano from someone at church. Gospel music became my musical incubator.

What is your normal band setup?

The setup depends on the gig. For clubs and restaurants, we will set up as a trio or quartet. Otherwise, we are a full band. The percussionist is the only "revolving door."

What's your musical guilty pleasure?

I'm a total studio rat. I love old drum machines and finding old synthesizers at thrift stores; I'm a sucker for old gear that is not too practical. I collect drums too. In terms of actual music, I just love making noise. But some people get mad at me for it at times.

What's your biggest vice?

As a studio junky, I obsess over sounds and how sounds are made. I have to listen to something at least ten times before I decide if I like it or not and unfortunately it doesn't make for pleasurable listening all the time. I can't separate myself anytime I am producing; I get very immersed. I guess my actual music guilty pleasure would be straight-up rock and roll. I don't get to play rock and roll because I play piano, but I mean really noisy rock and roll. It's so much fun and I just don't get to do it.

What's in your festival survival kit?

Being well-prepared in every respect of the two words. Musically being well-rehearsed and also having product and promotional materials. Bands can completely be successful from making a good showing at SXSW. We have gotten other gigs and festival invitations from our previous performances at SXSW. The honest truth is perception is reality in the music business. If someone perceives you as being professional and successful, you will be received as such and treated that way.

What's the craziest thing you've seen or experienced while on tour?

The ones that I can remember? This isn't too crazy but very memorable. In my old band, our drummer always kept the money. One time on tour in Colorado, he had a wallet full of $3000 and he dropped it while we were stopped at a truck stop. We didn't realize it until we got to the gig. We freaked out and at 4am after the gig, we went back to the same truck stop to look for it. Amazingly, the wallet was still there with all the money in it! Also, I stayed up all night one time after a gig at the Elbow Room in San Fransisco, and happened to walk into the John Coltrane church. I actually got to play drums at his service one time, it was very awe-inspiring. I hope that church is still there.

What makes you get out of bed first thing in the morning?

As you get older, you put a lot of things in perspective. Now I have a 10-year-old daughter and she has changed my perspective on life. It's not about "you" anymore. I don't wake up just thinking about me anymore. She helps get me up in the morning, but I am a news junky too and that helps also.

Who or what do you want to see for SXSW 2010?

Well we are playing 12 shows over the week of SXSW this year, so I probably won't have much time, although I wish I could catch Smokey Robinson--he's my man! I think most importantly I want to hit the trade show since I am able to go because I have a badge this year.

Anything else you feel the world should know?

I am spending most of my efforts going to Europe and Japan this year. We are tentative to do the Porretta Soul Festival in Italy next summer. I'll probably do a solo tour beforehand in Italy this winter. R&B and classic soul are still relevant and on the charts in the U.K. Here in the US it's considered a revival. It's always been around though; it's just the perception of those around us.


Jessica M. Alexander is a contributor from Seed.com. Learn how you can contribute here. - spinner.com

Presented poster of the Porretta Soul Festival July 22 to 25
23 Aprile 2010 269 Visite Nessun Commento April 23, 2010 269 Views No Comments Stampa questo articolo Stampa questo articolo Print this article

bruce Leggende del soul come Thelma Jones, Lavelle White, Clay Hammond, Fred Wesley & The New JB’s , e prima volta in Europa per The Green Brothers, McKinley Moore e Bruce James. Legends of Soul as Thelma Jones, Lavelle White, Clay Hammond, Fred Wesley & The New JB's, and the first time in Europe for The Green Brothers, McKinley Moore and Bruce James. È il cast del Porretta Soul Festival, in calendario al Rufus Thomas Park dal 22 al 25 luglio a Porretta Terme (Bologna). You cast the Porretta Soul Festival, scheduled to Rufus Thomas Park July 22 to 25 in Porretta Terme (Bologna). La rassegna, giunta alla 23/a edizione e presentata alla stampa dal patron Graziano Uliani , ospiterà il debutto europeo dei Green Brothers (Al e Bobby Green), che presenteranno Soulville , il nuovo disco prodotto da Bobby Manuel . The exhibition, now at 23 / edition and presented to the press by owner Graziano Uliana, will host the European debut of the Green Brothers (Al Green and Bobby), who will present soulville, the new album produced by Bobby Manuel. Poi l'ottetto diretto da Fred Wesley, trombonista per molti anni direttore della band che accompagnava James Brown. Then the octet directed by Fred Wesley, trombonist for many years director of the band that accompanied James Brown. Il tributo a Otis Redding, al quale il festival è da sempre dedicato (il Comune gli ha anche intitolato una via), sarà con McKinley Moore e con il songwriter Bruce James. The tribute to Otis Redding, to whom the festival has always been dedicated (to the city also dedicated a street), will be with McKinley Moore and songwriter with Bruce James. Il 'deep soul', quello del profondo sud, sarà rappresentato da Clay Hammond , mentre quello texano avrà come interprete Lavelle White, ormai ottantenne. The 'deep soul', that of the deep south, will be represented by Clay Hammond, while the Texan will have as an interpreter Lavelle White, now eighty years old. Quindi l'esplosiva Chick Rodgers e prima volta anche per Thelma Jones, che con il suo hit 'The House That Jack Built' rischiò di oscurare Aretha Franklin. Then the explosive Chick Rodgers and first time for Thelma Jones, who with his hit 'The House That Jack Built' risks obscuring Aretha Franklin. Infine un omaggio al musicista e produttore di Memphis Willie Mitchell, scomparso lo scorso gennaio, oltre alla ' Memphis All Star Rhythm & Blues Band 'diretta dal braccio destro di Al Green, Paul Taylor. Finally a tribute to the musician and producer Willie Mitchell of Memphis, who died last January, in addition to 'Memphis Rhythm & Blues All Star Band' headed by the right arm of Al Green, Paul Taylor.

Tra le iniziative collaterali il secondo palco del 'Rufus Thomas Cafe, nella piazza della cittadina, e il 'Soul Food' con mostra mercato di prodotti tipici dell' Emilia Romagna e con la partecipazione di venti band italiane, che suoneranno dalle 11 alle 19. The parallel events of the second stage 'Rufus Thomas Cafe in the town square, and the' Soul Food 'exhibition market with typical products of' Emilia Romagna, with the participation of twenty Italian bands that will play from 11 to 19. Previsti anche workshop musicali, mostre fotografiche in tema, 'marchin' band'per le strade e mercatini di dischi da collezione e strumenti musicali. Also provided music workshops, photo exhibitions on the subject, 'marchin' band'per the streets and markets collectible records and musical instruments. - LSD Magazine

Bruce James Soultet at Luna Keyboard man and most soulful singer James and his Soultet are celebrating the release of a new CD, "Yours, Mine and the Truth." James' music is part deep soul, part gritty singing songwriter effort and all honest.

Jim Beal - San Antonio Express News

Bruce James Soultet— Yours, Mine and the Truth: James a singer-songwriter from Austin celebrated the release of his new CD on August 15th at the Continental Club with T Bird & the Breaks. He has one foot deeply rooted in southern gospel and soul music and the other planted solidly in Tom Waits and the Flaming Lips. His music actually says something. The album was recorded live in eight hours at the legendary Arlyn studios in Austin and mastered by Pete Dowell. The Soultet includes Berklee grad David Jamenez on guitar, Loyola alum Tim Spivey on bass Fumi Sagawara (Afrofreque) on guitar Chris Trafton (Zion, Java Tribe) on drums and Dan Kovaly. James’ deep from the heart and soul vocals echoes Charles, as well as, Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye and a bit of Sam Cooke. It’s authentic R&B soul and jazz that comes from the best places and is then taken by James to his own new artistic heights. www.myspace.com/brucejames 5.0 McRiprock’s - Austin Daze

Jim Beal
07/25/2007 07:11 PM CDT
San Antonio Express-News

Bruce James Quartet
Luna —It's a CD release party for James' "Junkyard Soul" disc. James is a singer, songwriter, pianist and organist who brings together soul, funk and groove for music that's part smooth soul and part growling funk. You can snap your fingers or shake your booty to the songs on "Junkyard Soul" and have a good time doing both.
- San Antonio Express

No stranger to the Texas music scene, Austin-based singer/songwriter Bruce James drops his second album entitled Junkyard Soul this month. Junkyard Soul, a unique gem in this technologically driven era of recording, utilizes actual tape. "Music is waves, not binary code, there is warmth and presence to tape," says James. Because of the limitations of tape, James and his quartet focused on capturing their live sound in as few takes as possible. "You can't do 30 takes -you have a couple -there are not unlimited tracks," says James. The quartet playing together live in a small studio, replicates the same intimate feel of listening to the band from the third row of your local club which sets the Bruce James Quartet apart from other R&B/Soul acts.

Though Bruce James possesses a unique sound, no artist escapes comparisons. Drawing comparisons from Wilson Pickett to Otis Redding to Joe Cocker, James' humble approach to the situation is a sense of honor. "When people request 'Mustang Sally'- that means they hear me sounding like Wilson Pickett - I'm not going to play 'Mustang Sally,' but I appreciate the connection," says James. While James may not be quick to play a tune by another artist, you can hear the influences in his music. All types of influences.

"Sideways," depicts the quiet desperation James felt while living the fast-paced life in Los Angeles. The original music for the song contained the soulful, urban vibe that James exudes throughout much of his music. "LA is such a desolate empty place sometimes," says James. But after teaming up with Geoff Queen, the two added a bit of pedal steel to the mix, creating a hint of country reminiscent of the music produced in 1960s Memphis. "If you think about it, all the stuff coming out was country as hell - Otis, Steve Cropper, all those guys are country," says James.

Armed with a hybrid of different sounds, the word junkyard fits perfectly into the title and the album takes you on a journey through the Junkyard Soul story, a story that mirrors James' life out west. "A few tunes, I wrote about my experience in LA- getting cleaned up -the battles of addiction," states James. James believes this deeply personal album to be his best album yet. "We could make it right now, the band sounds great, we have a great team around us and all the pieces are in place." He adds, "we just need money to take it to the next level - simple yet so elusive."
- Nicole Bolls

- Liner Notes Magazine

.
<<There are 3 versions in every story, yours, mine and the truth>>. Bruce James'
word, and speaking of truth, we have no idea who he is. We know that he popped
out like a fireball shot out by that eternal music carnival that is Austin, Texas and
that this is probably his 3rd work. It's not a big deal, except the fact that if even his
other works are at this level, then we might have missed out on something. In
random order pianist, songwriter and singer, Bruce James is the blackest among
white people of the music scene in the live music capital of the world. Black, to get
an understanding, like Van Morrison and Joe Cocker, but also Greg Allman or
Stevie Winwood. The Irishman would have not been able to do better in the
reinterpretation of a standard like "People get ready", a not easy choice for this
(ambitious and magnificent ) mister no one. James performs it like if it was written
for him. There are no other cover tunes on this cd, full instead of ideas, groove and
performed like there's no tomorrow. Eight tunes recorded live by James and his
eclectic band, with two guitars, bass, drums and percussion. A "combo" of people
that can find each other with their eyes closed, the (today) perfect combo for James'
songs, built around memorable rhythm phrases that open up to brilliant interplay
escape-ways of improvisation between guitars and piano. Tunes that flirt with a
certain kind of jazz-rock spiced with funk, with James' piano recalling the flowing
brightness of Joe Sample (Gravity), or that get tangled in the nocturnal embrace of
a soul ballad of jazz derivation (the splendid 13 minutes and some of Prefer it Black
and White). And if the declared tutelary numens, actually more declared than
perceived, are the fathers of soul, James seems to have embraced the lesson of
white people that in the 70s regained possession of black music. More Traffic than
Sly then, in the foaming impetuosity of the funk-jazz tunes like the jammed
Compared to What, and more Joe Cocker than Otis in the nervous Virgin Threads,
where James is Cocker and Leon Russell at the same time. But it's not over yet,
because the almost 9 minutes of Crazy to Think, the final track, are the most intense
in the entire album. A magnificent piano ballad played in solitude, almost an
outtake of Waits from the archives of Asylum, that reopens the games of an album
that appeared to be "only" an excellent work of white soul. - JAM Magazine - Italy

“There’s something magical about a piano played with feeling. Bruce James provides that emotion on the keys and pairs it with an almost spiritual voice on Yours, Mine and the Truth. Recorded live in eight hours, the album brims with rock, gospel, R’B and soul tracks all featuring that captivating piano. Whether your into the gospel and blues, opener “This Time, “ or of the Tom Waits – like “Crazy to Think,” this is an album not to be missed.” -Ward Lowe 3 1/2 stars -Austin Monthly - Austin Monthly