Blackwater James
Blackwater James
The swagger of the south, the energy of the sunset strip, the attitude of the burrows, and the dark side of bourbon street are just a few of the ingredients that make Blackwater James the new definition of rock n’ roll.
The swagger of the south, the energy of the sunset strip, the attitude of the borrows, and the dark side of bourbon street are just a few of the ingredients that make Blackwater James the new definition of rock n’ roll. With energy spewing at their leather laced seams and talent over abundant, these four southern rock n' roll troubadors are carving out a new niche in American rock n’ roll.
The rock n’ roll menace that is Blackwater James hails from the most unlikely of places…Country Music U.S.A…otherwise known as Nashville, TN. In Nashville it’s not uncommon for youngsters to pick up guitars and strum away and dream of country music stardom, but the front man and leader of Blackwater James dreamt of something a little different. Christopher James began playing guitar and singing the blues in the run-down back door dives of Second Avenue at the ripe ole age of 12. In these dark places he learned the essence of rock n’ roll….the attitude.
At the age of 15, ingesting a steady diet of Metallica, Guns & Roses, and Pantera, he joined the regionally successful metal group ATG. Christopher found a common musical thread and closely befriended ATG’s drummer Todd Schlosser. When the group would disband 4 years later, Christopher & Todd’s bond would remain strong.
After ATG, Christopher went from band to band starting such groups as My Reply and Blue Law. With Blue Law Christopher played Middle Tennessee heavily for 8 months. Christopher ended up playing lead guitar for the retro-rock outfit KENNEDY, where he would meet Josh Burns. Josh and Christopher grew especially close during their time in the band due to their shared passion of classic rock and Rage Against The Machine. After just a year Josh left KENNEDY and Christopher soon followed.
With his own definition of rock n’ roll and a sound that more reflected the edginess of the 80’s, Christopher James recruited Josh on bass and his old friend Todd Schlosser on drums. But the line-up was not complete, and neither was the sound. Wanting that much more punch, they searched for a second guitarist and found the perfect fit with Deanna Passarella. Within one practice Blackwater James was born. Pulling from every inch of their influences they created a new brand of rock music, a sound that more reflected the heavy guitars of bands like Buckcherry & Silvertide but the infectious vocal melodies of Journey or Free.
Blackwater James is currently mixing their debut EP due out for release at the end of June. The release will be accompanied by a barrage of local and regional shows regaining a fan-base from their former acts.
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"Blackwater James rocks the house with ripping riffs and traditional blues beats! They prove that rock and roll can still rock and roll!"
-Christopher Wallower -Founder of 'Sound of Solidarity'
"Blackwater James is a hard rocking band that makes you want to stay up all night and party. From the drummer to the virtuoso guitar, this band is one our favorites at Radio Free USA. Check them out on MySpace as everybody awaits their next album!"
-M.C. Rydel - Creative Director 'RadioFreeUSA.org'
"Blackwater James is definetly a great new band to be on the lookout for."
-Dawn Greer - Editor of ROCK MUSIC UNITED
"(Blackwater James) rocks and (is) impressively tight for such a young band. Blackwater James is certainly welcome back to CAPALANOS."
-Brad M. Kaplan - CEO/Owner of Capalanos
"Not only are they bad ass musicians, they're great to work with. Easy going and patient...what more could one ask for?"
--814 Photography
Rock: Rock & Roll