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Show Wed/Thurs/Fri, July 28-30, 2010 The Park Record C-2 James' musical lineage stretches back to the post-slavery era, during which his grandfather played guitar in contemporary blues styles that defined the period. His father was a professional pianist and trombone player and his mother, a dancer. "[The musical inclination] was kind of unavoidable," he says. He learned to tap dance at five, played piano by eight and was touring the Northeastern circuit by 12. piano. A modern-day troubaUpon reaching the age of dour not yet out of his 20s, he is pioneering a style of enter- self-sufficiency, he started his tainment that combines relics artistic career as a painter but from the past with traces of the soon realized that his talent was better suited to music. future. In an attempt to define his "You can do things with music music, people have classified that you can only do with James as a blues singer - a music," he says. "There's that throwback to the songsters of whole thing about all art wantthe late 19th century. ing to be music, and I think However, "I really only have a that's true." He started touring profescouple of blues songs," he says. "Most of my songs have sionally about three-and-ato do with social lessons or half years ago and has recordfunny characters and things ed three CDs, the latest entilike that. I have very few Tm- tled "For Rosa, Maeve, and so-sad-my-baby-Ieft-me' Noreen." His songs - many of which tell linear stories - have songs." When someone stops to ask shifted from whimsical to how James describes his own more serious, he says. He especially likes to style, he sometimes asks address issues that have been whether they've seen an oldtime or traditional entertainer neglected or pushed under the perform. "Usually the answer rug. One song, for example, is no," he says. So he tells tells the story of Ol' Willy them. "I play a rural form of Chan, a Chinese migrant railtraditional African-A men can road worker. "I wrote it because there music. But the show is much more than it. There are jokes were no songs in the American and stories and dances. More folk canon about Asians, and I than anything I'm an enter- thought that was really weird," he says. "I'm not trying to save tainer." the world, but it'd be nice to make people a little more patient." James says it's easy to find inspiration within the boundaries of the type of music he creates. The specific style of the acoustic blues songsters, he says, thrived and disappeared in a short period of time before the Great Depression. Now that he is reinventing his own version of the genre, Hearing acoustic guitarist Michael Hedges changed his attitude about solo performers - he thought he needed to be in a rock band as an outlet for his energy but realized that he could still channel that on stage in a one-man show. When it comes to classifying the genre of music Kelsey plays, he says it's difficult to narrow it down to one or two. "At my core there is a blues man that just wants to lock ing to escape at the same time onto a groove, a goodriff,and through my hands, feet and a simple story," he says. "But mouth. I hang onto an I appreciate so many things acoustic guitar and see what about music that I am always searching and bringing in difhappens." Kelsey learned to play gui- ferent elements. It is the spirit tar at an early age from his of music that I enjoy and not a mother. By his early teenage particular style." He's known to find items in years, he was a regular garage-bander and knew that a room and incorporate them he was destined for a career in into his performance - and music. "It was hard for me to audience members' belongtake school that seriously ings are not off-limits. He because I knew that I wanted likes interacting with people to do music. Looking back, it to build on his sound and would've helped my songwrit- playing off of the emotion in ing to be into that literature the room. class that I hated, but I always "I get half an idea of what felt like I was too much of a I want to do before I arrive rock-n-roller," he says. and then once I see the venue He played in a variety of I get the other half... and then bands before deciding to go once I see the people I scratch the solo route around age 25. the first half and make up another," he explains. Kelsey will perform a live show at The Egyptian Theatre on Saturday, July 31, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance, $18 at the door and $20 for cabaret seating. Kids under 12 are $10 in advance or $12 at the door. Tickets are available by call 649-9371 or visiting www.parkcityshows.com. On Sunday, Aug. 1, he'll host a music-making workshop for all ages and levels from noon to 2 p.m., during which he'll share ideas and demonstrate his approach to guitar, songwriting and performing. "The workshops give us all a chance to slow things down see and hear things from other angles," he says. "We can talk about it in a way that I hope will inspire others to further their own creative journeys. Inspiration is contagious." The cost for the workshop is $20 and may be purchased by calling box office at 649-9371. Kelsey will also perform a free kids' show designed to entertain, educate and foster creativity on Sunday from 4 to 5 p.m. The show is geared • Continued from C-1 2OIO ccm SUMMER DINING & MUSIC Under the Stars SUMMER CONCERT SERIES Enjoy complimentary music on our patio. Every Fri. & Sat. - Sept. 5 6 pm to 8 pm weather permitting Not held on the 4tf) of July or during the Arts Festival weekend August 6-7. For a complete list of artists and concerts please visit www.zoomparkci ty. com www.zoomparkcity.com • 888-364-7196 www.sundancercsort.com facebook.com/parkrecord James sings the blues • Continued from C-1 5LCOMLA YOGA INSTRUCTOR! August 30th will mark the beginning of Lotus Leaf Yoga (Heber City, UT) and Yoga Union's (Portland, OR) 2010 Fall Teacher training. Whether you're an existing teacher interested in enhancing your skills, aspiring to teach your first yoga class, or just want to deepen your personal practice... this is a training not to be missed! Kelsey carries the show Early registration I play a rural form of traditional AfricanAmerican music. But the show is much more than it. There are jokes and stories and dances. More than anything I'm an entertainer." SAMUEL JAMES Sola fJcrformiT he has plenty to work with. "The style wasn't around for very long, so it's very easy to come up with things, change it and push it forward," he says. A Samuel James performance consists of songs and stories set to innovative instrumental. Parkites will have to opportunity to experience his M.O. on Friday, July 30, at The Egyptian Theatre. The show will start at 8 p.m. with doors opening at 7:30. Tickets are $15 in advance, $18 at the door and $20 for cabaret seating. Kids under 12 are $10 in advance at www.parkcityshows.com or $12 at the door. He plans to bring a resonator guitar and flamenco guitar to the show and if there's a piano, he'll play that too, he says. He doesn't use a set list and improvises based on the audiences reactions. "The good thing about being a solo act is I have no idea what I'm going to play," he says. "I get on stage and whatever comes into my head is what I play. That's part of the charm of this for me I think - wandering out into the world and acting on a whim." The show, he says, appeals to everyone from blues fans to kids who love to dance. People typically come into acoustic solo shows with a set of expectations, and James looks forward to deconstructing them. "Sometimes people expect me to strum along and sing Bob Dylan songs and maybe play Robert Johnson note for note, but that's not what I do," he says. "I'm sort of immediately underestimated, which always works in my favor." For more information about (he artist and to sample his music before the show, visit www.sugarsmallhouse. com or www. my space, com/sugarsmallhouse. towards ages 12 and under. The Theatre will host a private performance by Kelsey on Sunday evening at 6 p.m. for Pharaoh Club and Cleopatra Guild members only. For information on how to become a member, visit www.parkcityshows.com. For more information about the artist and to preview his music, visit www.michaelkelsey. com. ; KELSEY'S SCHEDULE: Saturday, July 31 Public performance at 8 i p.m. >«•','"-« ,-.. : Sunday Aug. 1 ; Music-making workshop at noon wf.:; .;-• ; Kids' show at 4 p.m. Private performance for I Pharoah Club and !. Cleopatra Guild members ; at 6 p.m. PARKRECORD $1400 www.lotusleafyoga.corn -75 7° Every day. in print, online and by mobile, ilw Park Record deliver! a highly loyal and engaged audience. "Park Record. 435.649.9014 BERRETT MORTGAGE SERVICES 5 DC a Forte BOUTIQUE FULL SERVICE MORTGAGE BROKER SINCE 1986 EXPERIENCE COUNTS Foothill Village / Salt Lake City Exclusively at Bella Forte Boutique < > • « »<J-V ••! I « susana m o n a c o /fryfJ viNce Dean Berrett 31 years NEED A MORTGAGE? 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