James Harman

Bonetime
Electro-Fi

Hey, just in case nobody has informed you yet, James Harman is a flat out cool dude. Not only that, he’s a hell of a great songwriter and performer, too. Yeah, I can hear all of those who know James or have seen him before, “Tell us something we don’t know Captain Obvious.” Well, for those less initiated with the works of James Harman, let me say that this newest release of his, Bonetime, ranks right alongside his very best and would be a good place for you to start getting to know this terrific artist. And if you look at his picture inside the sleeve, you may think this guy is odd — dressed up like some kind of wizard or headhunter king on a throne. But Harman is like that old Honey Badger, he just doesn’t give a  ****  what you think. It still doesn’t take away that his music and presentation is the epitome of blues cool today.

But let all of that slip by and just sit back and give this man’s record a listen. It’s laid-back with that ease he has been providing fans on the West Coast and around the world for a few decades now. The tracks here have all been thought out over some time, too. He states in the liner notes that these original numbers were selected from over 150 unfinished songs. 150! Now that is quite prolific. And they’re all about the human condition he explains, because when it comes to blues, you should be writing about what you know, and believe me, Harman knows a lot.

There is often a lot of humor in his music. Here he sings about his “Big Boned Gal,” somebody with “Bad Feet/Bad Hair,” a “Blue Stretchmark Tattoo,” and all about how he just may be “The World’s Badluckest Man.” Yet he can take it all down home, too. Listen to the mood laid out on “Coldfront Woman” with rolling piano and guitar speaking the right phrases as Harman delivers his tale of woes brought on by that woman who did him wrong.

Oh yeah, James has a good many friends that dropped by over time to help him put these tracks together, too. Guitar players like Nathan James, Kirk Fletcher, Junior Watson and Kid Ramos, keyboardists Gene Taylor and Sonny Leyland, even Candye Kane steps in to add her voice to a couple numbers.

You know if you’re in a vehicle riding alongside him at a high rate of speed and he just kicked back taking his hands off the steering wheel, there’s nothing to worry about. He’s got this. You’re in good hands. And that’s how you need to approach anything that James Harman puts on disc. You know it’s going to be cool even before you hit play. Just take my word for it.

So don’t you just think it’s about Bonetime? You should! I have already said it, James Harman is cool and so is Bonetime. Check it out yourself.

Total Time: 51:41

Bonetime / (I Am) The World’s Badluckest Man / Ain’t It Crazy / Coldfront Woman / Big Boned Gal / Bad Feet/Bad Hair / Just A Game Goin’ On / Blue Stretchmark Tattoo / Yo’ Family (Don’t Like Me) / Leavin’ Fire / Skirt / The Clock Is Tickin’