UPCOMING SHOWS:
July 18 2015 – Chroma Gallery (KRCB benefit), Santa Rosa, CA
August 2 2015 – Coahoma to Sonoma Blues Festival, Lagunitas Brewing, Petaluma, CA
August 8 2015 – Blues & Brews Festival, Denver, CO
August 9 2015 – Oskar Blues, Lyons, CO
August 14 2015 – M City, Grand Junction, CO
August 15 2015 – Blues & BBQ Festival, Carbondale, CO
Markus James and Wassonrai
at JOE’s PUB, New York City
“Sunday night, Joe’s Pub in Manhattan played host to an evening of music fusing traditions literally from here to Timbuktu. Blues singer/songwriter/guitarist Markus James and the Wassonrai explored the early roots of blues music by mixing the American style with the traditional sounds of the Wassoulou and Sonrai people of Mali, West Africa–the people from whose music most ethnomusicologists believe the blues derived… The trio – Markus on guitar, Mamadou Sidibe on the kamala ngoni (a brand of African harp) and Makane Kouyate on the calabash – mixed not only cultural styles, but languages as well–Markus would sing verses in English and his Malian counterparts would respond either in Bamanakan or in Sonrai (two indigenous languages spoken in Mali.) Markus’ guitar seemed to hover over the hypnotic rhythms of both calabash and kamala ngoni–which plays strongly percussive, repetitive pentatonic patterns–adding tasteful riffs and subtle harmonics. The group produced a sound that struck a nearly perfect balance between the ancient and modern blues forms so that they were at once distinguishable and complimentary to one another. Markus’ voice was gritty and haunting while Mamadou’s and Makane’s were smooth and subdued, further upholding the elegant equilibrium of the sound…
Selected Previous Shows
2012:
Salmon Arm Roots and Blues Festival, Salmon Arm, BC, Canada
Carbondale Mountain Fair, Carbondale, CO
Concert In The Park Series, Fricso, CO
Vancouver Island Music Festival, Vancouver Island, Canada
Harrison Music and Arts Festival, Harrison, BC, Canada
SLO Brewing Co, San Louis Obispo, CA (David Lindley)
Hempfest, Mateel Center, Redway, CA
Miners Foundry, Nevada City, CA
2008
2007
2006
Markus James
Head for the Hills
Markus James
Snakeskin Violin
Featured on All Things Considered
Rock with a West African Twist: NPR Music
“Profound world blues passage… extremely distinctive pieces, driven by a seductive rhythmic circularity that’s a keystone of Malian traditional tunes and Delta blues.”
BILLBOARD MAGAZINE
“In his most varied and satisfying album to date, James delivers 15 songs that range from brooding minimalism to rollicking fusions of African and American sensibilities…an artist who has done as much as anyone to kick open the doors too long separating American and West African roots music.”
AFROPOP WORLDWIDE
“The mix of sounds, instruments, and influences spanning the program is mind-boggling”
LIVING BLUES MAGAZINE
“Africa and Mississippi come together…”
BLUES REVUE MAGAZINE
“This is an extremely powerful album”
Ben Manilla, Executive Producer, House of Blues Radio Hour
“Snakey”
Elwood Blues
Markus James
Calabash Blues
Afropop Worldwide’s “Highly Recommended” 2006
“A sublime evocation of a landscape stretching from the muddy Delta to sun-baked Sahara sand”
DOWNBEAT
“An unbroken circle of centuries of history”
ROCK & RAP CONFIDENTIAL
Markus James
Timbuktoubab
Markus James
Nightbird
“Nightbird is one of the deepest listening experiences that will hit the U.S. market this year.”
BILLBOARD MAGAZINE
“Eerily atmospheric”
DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE
“A vital mix of the Mississippi Delta and Mali, a cultural exchange of haunting beauty and mystery.”
BLUES REVUE MAGAZINE
“One of the most inspired and arresting world music/blues albums”
DIRTY LINEN MAGAZINE
“A hypnotic journey through time that goes all the way to the heart of the blues.”
WIRED MAGAZINE
“The word soulful certainly describes this excellent CD, which blues, rock, and Afro-pop enthusiasts should all be aware of.”
ALL MUSIC GUIDE
“Spare, moody, and beautiful, it builds a bridge between continents, and takes the blues home.”
ROOTS MAGAZINE (UK)