2021

Recording!

I recently began recording instrumental guitar tunes that have accumulated over the years. It's been quite an experience. Some of these tunes, ditties, and musings date back a very long way indeed! It's been a treat to rediscover some of them and flesh them out into something that (I hope!) will be listenable...My hands/arms are still problematic so I'm only good for short periods of recording and it's kind of a slow process but who knows...There may be more to come! 

Small steps 

Sometimes, if you're lucky, something you've realized the value of after it's gone comes back into your life and you get a second chance. That's how I feel about this Saturday's house concert at Julie's Joint... Not too long ago I thought I might well have played my final show and was trying hard to accept that as my "new reality". That was a scary time and an unwelcome experience to say the least. But it also served to remind me how fortunate I have been to be able to have any sort of a career in music at…

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Hello 2017!!! 

There's an old proverb that says "May you live in interesting times". Well, this last couple of years certainly qualify! 

In early 2015, just after the release of my album "Voice and Guitar" some medical issues arose that made it necessary to cancel my tour schedule for '15 and '16. 

Well.... I'm happy to report that those times are finally behind me now! As of December 18th I'm performing again, and though it's unlikely I'll be doing any more 8 and 10 month tours, the calendar is starting to look good.

So…

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All 2015 shows cancelled! 

I've been very much looking forward to this year's tours, but the time has come for me to perform a task I've been putting off in hopes it would prove unnecessary. Today I must cancel all of my bookings for 2015. 

Over the last few years I've been experiencing increasing pain in my arms and hands when playing and it's gotten to the point that it's just too painful to play... This has been diagnosed as carpal tunnel in both arms and trigger-finger in both hands. The condition will require surgery to rectify.…

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"Spring Ahead" tour 

The "Spring Ahead" coastal states tour began on May 14th with a show in Soquel, CA, followed by three shows in and around Carmel, CA. From there it was a long drive up to the coastal Oregon town of Newport, where I performed at a House Concert in one of the most unique structures I've ever seen, to a very appreciative audience. Next stop was Ollala, WA for another wonderful House Concert... Full house, and a Standing "O"! Hey, what's not to like?? At this point I'm looking forward to the show this Friday…

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Yay! It's here!! 

"Voice and Guitar" arrived today just in time for the Northwest tour and I'm very pleased with the result.

This is a record I've been meaning to make for a long while. The idea was to capture the immediacy and "presence" of a live solo performance on a disc, because for me, there's always been something powerful and engaging about that experience. Hopefully, you'll feel I've managed to accomplish that with this album!

 

Waiting for the Postman! 

Well, the new album "Voice and Guitar" is finished! The tracks were mixed by mix-wizard Michael James at IndieProMix (.com) and mastered by David Donnelly at DNA Mastering. Now it's just a waiting game while the discs are manufactured and shipped to me.... Hopefully, in time for the Spring NW tour! :^)

I've lost count of the number of times I've been asked whether I would record an album in this manner... Completely unadorned, nothing but the songs themselves, presented in their most elemental form.

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At long last! 

Started mixing songs for the new album yesterday. I'm very excited to be working with people that "hear" these songs the same way I do... It's a bit surreal to hand someone the sum of your efforts and have the result come back precisely as you hoped and imagined. :^)

Back on the road in the NW and New Album update 

Well... Spring has sprung and 'tis the season for travelling in the Northwest.

The annual coastal tour has officially begun!

Starting in Portland, OR on Saturday the 13th with a House Concert at the "Hill Country West" series and then northward with dates all through WA and OR... (Details are on the Calendar page)

Recording has been going very well indeed. I plan to finish the new album "Voice & Guitar" when I get back home in mid-May. I've narrowed it down to eleven songs. It includes the three most…

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Back in the South! (of California, that is) 

I got back from the Spring Northwest tour on Monday and have been enjoying "not driving" a great deal! Started back to work on the new album and on a single I hope to release on YouTube as a video very soon. Three audiences from the tour know which song i'm referring to ;^))

Christmas Time is Here

Well, 2021 is pretty much behind us. It's Christmas day and I thought it would be nice to make my rendition of Vince Guaraldi's beautiful song available. Since it's a cover song, only a 30 second clip is available at this link, but from there you can access most major download and streaming sites... I hope you like it; https://jameshurley.hearnow.com