NATHAN JAMES: Intuition 

Hailing from Fallbrook, California, and being a lifelong resident of Southern California, Nathan James is probably best known across the globe as one of the greatest blues guitar players of his generation, and he clearly is. That’s why he’s been James Harman’s guitar player and overall musical right hand man for the past 25 years, right up until Harman’s passing a couple of years ago, and why he’s Kim Wilson’s (of the Fabulous Thunderbirds) guitar player of choice for the Kim Wilson Blues Band. Nathan can play extended blues guitar solos on a shuffle, swing or slow blues that will have you glued to every note, send shivers up your spine, and leave you in awe as much as any guitar slinger out there. But that’s not really what he wants to be about, and that’s not what you’re gonna hear on his new album, Intuition.

This album, like Nathan’s previous solo recordings, is all about the songs. And man, these songs are freakin’ great, all ten of ‘em! Nathan is definitely a guitar virtuoso, and each song on this album has multiple guitar parts that are all so good most guitar players, myself included, would be ecstatic to come up with just one them. But that being said, he is every bit as accomplished as a songwriter, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist (he plays pretty much all of the instruments on this album himself), recording engineer, and producer. For anyone who knows Nathan personally, he may seem like a quiet and somewhat shy cat, a man of few words if you will. But as a songwriter he has a hell of a lot to say about life and love. And in doing so, he is both a deep thinker, a sophisticated lyricist, and serious wordsmith. As with all the great songwriters I love (Dylan, Springsteen, Neil Young, Tom Waits), no matter what the song is about or how emotional it may be, Nathan’s lyrics are always thoughtful and hip, never overly sentimental or syrupy. Musically speaking, Nathan’s songs are truly original, both in terms of his chord changes and melodies. If I may be so bold, I think my original songs are good, but they’re all derivative, in that there are hundreds of other songs out there that have similar chords and melodies. But to my ear, Nathan writes chord progressions and melodies in such a way that you feel like you’re hearing them for the very first time, and that is really something special and truly original.

As a vocalist, Nathan is second to none. He happens to have been born with a tonal quality to his voice that is rich and warm, and hard not to love. But beyond that, he’s as soulful and genuine a singer as anyone. I’m thinking that playing with James Harman for 25years may have had something to do with that, but I also know that Nathan has always put as much emphasis on his singing as his guitar playing. I distinctly recall a time when he was working on singing falsetto like B. B. King and Buddy Guy, and how inspired he was by that. Unlike so many great guitar players today, who really studied B.B.’s, Buddy Guy’s, Magic Sam’s, Blind Boy Fuller’s, and Big Bill Broonzy’s guitar playing, I’d venture to say that not many of them have dedicated themselves to studying their singing the way Nathan has.

As a multi-instrumentalist, Nathan never ceases to blow my mind. I’ve hired him to play stand up bass with our band, Blue Largo, as a sub for our regular bass player a few times throughout the years, and it always amazed me that he played better with us than anyone. And man, we’ve had some great bass players in our band. When I was first listening to Intuition but hadn’t yet seen the credits for it, I thought maybe Nathan was playing most of the instruments, only because I know that’s how he often likes to record. But I was thinking that Marty Dodson was probably playing drums, because there’s no way Nathan could be playing drums that well. Well, I was wrong! He plays drums on the entire album, playing better than most full-time drummers! And if that’s not enough, he’s also playing Hammond organ on a few tracks, and, once again, he sounds completely natural with that.

When Nathan first sent me an advance copy of Intuition, I was thinking I needed to gather up the motivation to listen to it, as I haven’t really been in the “listening to new music” state of mind lately. There’s so much great music in my life already that sometimes I feel like I really don’t need to hear anything new again, even from the artists I love the most. But after just a couple of listens to this great new album I was so inspired and excited by it that I felt compelled to reach out to Liz Abbott at the San Diego Troubadour and offer to write a review on it. And I am most grateful and honored that she gave me this beautiful opportunity. As for the individual songs on Intuition, the album kicks off with “Return to Lonely,” an upbeat, soul inspired shuffle with a message that is as positive and forward-looking as the groove itself. Nathan laments some of the lonely periods in his life but says he’s “Got a new love and she’s good to me, and I ain’t gonna let my heart return to lonely.” I also think this is a great album opener because it’s pretty much the theme of the entire record, not letting yourself be trapped by past experiences but having an open heart and mind to move forward and live your best life. Check out Ross Garren’s Vox Jaguar organ playing on this one, where he reminds me of the great 1950’s organ man Wild Bill Davis! And, of course, there’s a killer guitar solo from Nathan, even if it’s only a short one!

The next song, “Winding Out,” is a pretty straightforward blues-based shuffle with a lot of emphasis on Nathan’s guitar playing virtuosity. The song has great lyrics, and I believe it’s about a relationship that was entered into a little too hastily, good times were had while it lasted, but of course they couldn’t last. And again, the positive spirit here is that instead of regretting the end of this relationship, Nathan is appreciating it for what it was while it was good. “Sweep It Under the Rug” is one of my favorite songs on this album, and Nathan confided in me that it was his favorite. Musically, it reminds of an old European folk song, or maybe something Tom Waits would have done in the same vein. Nathan is playing both a nylon-string banjo, and there’s some of the most beautiful slide guitar you’ll ever hear! Step aside Dereck Trucks! Banjo is typically not one of my favorite instruments, and yet the banjo solo on this song is one of my favorite things on the entire album. And I’d venture to say it’s possibly the bluesiest banjo solo you’ve ever heard! The message of the song is straightforward and one that we can all relate to, because at least to some degree we’re all guilty of “sweeping it under the rug,” when we should be confronting the things that bother us and dealing with them head on.

“Hear What I’m Saying” is a country inspired song with great guitar playing and a big reverb sound. Maybe because of Nathan’s deep blues roots I’m also hearing some Excello Records (Lazy Lester, Slim Harpo, Lightnin’ Slim) vibe in there, although I doubt that was intentional. And while this is more of a country music song, there’s still some of the most soulful blues guitar playing you’ll ever hear over the vamping at the end of it. Nathan posted “Hear What I’m Saying” online as the first “single” from the album, and he wrote a little something about it. He said it was inspired by his frustration with being a lifelong serious musician when it seems like nobody cares, nobody’s listening. And while this makes perfect sense after reading his post, I initially thought it was about a personal relationship where the other person just can’t hear what you’re saying, what you feel, what you need, what you think. But, as they say, a great song should be open to different interpretations, so that it speaks to different people with different life circumstances. “Doubtful Heart” is probably the most country blues-influenced song on the album, although right in the middle of it Nathan does something that sounds like it could be done by a DJ with a modern hip hop record, and it’s one of the coolest things on the album! I believe Nathan’s playing a resonator guitar on this one and Ross is back playing harmonica this time around. The message here seems to be Nathan’s remorse for leaving someone he loved and cared about with a “doubtful heart.” Yes, he has a conscience, he has maximum heart and soul! Nathan kicks off the second half of the album with the title track “Intuition,” which he dedicates to his mother, who passed away last year. In his brief, but very heartfelt liner notes, he credits his mom for showing him how to follow his intuition, follow his heart, and to always stay positive, even when it’s not so easy to do.

Personally, this message really resonates with me. In fact, it’s pretty much the same philosophy as I espouse in our own song “Got to Believe.” Musically speaking “Intuition” is pretty raw and stripped down, with just one distorted tremolo laden guitar, subtle backing organ, bass and drums. But at the same time, it’s got really interesting chord changes and a breathtaking guitar solo. Like “Sweep It Under the Rug,” and some of Nathan’s other songs, it reminds me a bit of Tom Waits’ later records, to the point where I can almost hear Waits’ voice in my head singing over Nathan’s music! I think I mentioned this to Nathan in the past and he said he really wasn’t that familiar with Waits, so I know that any similarities between these two great artists are not intentional or conscious.

“Twist of Fate” is a medium train-beat groove with astounding slide guitar and another guitar part that is played ultra percussively on the lower strings. To me, it’s very reminiscent of Ernest Ranglin and all the great Jamaican guitar players. Lyrically, this is Nathan searching for answers to life’s challenges and disappointments. Some may think that the artists we love have all the answers, and maybe that’s what we want from them. But a lot of my favorite songwriters are asking questions and trying to find the answers in their songwriting, and Nathan does that here with the best of them. “Well, I fell to my bending knees, give me answers, I’m begging please, this unwelcome twist of fate, time of despair and heartbreak.”

“I Didn’t Listen” is a stroll with a Louisiana swamp vibe (think Rod Bernard’s “This Should Go on Forever or Fats Domino’s “Blueberry Hill”), and it’s got some killer piano from the great Carl “Sonny” Leyland. But as simple as this song is musically, that’s how sophisticated it is lyrically, and it contains one of my favorite lyrics on the entire album, “I was lost in the universe, like a symphony that’s unrehearsed.” Man, I wish I wrote that line! Juxtaposed to “Intuition,” I think this one is about Nathan sometimes following his heart maybe a little too much, rather than listening to sound advice, and ending up paying the price for it! Again, it’s something all of us can relate to at one time or another.

“Now and Then” is a country skiffle about a relationship that couldn’t stand the test of time, and Nathan’s regrets about that. He sings “It’s closing time on this masquerade, it’s time to be leaving, though I wish you had stayed.” Poignant and heartfelt, with both beautiful electric and acoustic guitar playing. The album’s closer “Wish You Well” could be looked at as a continuation of “Now and Then,” because after she did leave and the relationship is over for good, Nathan sings “Only one thing I have left to try, I’ll get along with myself and get by, I hope you find happiness, I wish you well.” Now I’m no aficionado of country music, but I understand that it’s the sincerity of the song and the person singing it that gives it such emotional power, and Nathan conveys that sincerity as much as anyone imaginable. There’s a story about Charlie Parker, possibly the greatest bebop musician who ever lived, being in a bar and playing some country song on the jukebox, when some Mr. “know it all” jazz snob came up to him and asked, “Bird, why are you playing that lame country music?” And Bird replied, “Just listen to the story man, listen to the story!” I have a feeling that if Bird were around today, he’d be saying that not just about “Wish You Well,” but about all the songs on this beautiful, heart-felt and very soulful album from Nathan James. Listen to the stories, listen to the intelligent, sophisticated lyrics, listen to the incredibly creative and inventive chord progressions and arrangements, listen to the stellar, virtuoso musicianship throughout! And I hope it will lift you up and inspire you every bit as much as it did me!