James Blackshaw
Encyclopedia
James Blackshaw is a Hastings
-based guitarist
and pianist
, born in 1981. Blackshaw primarily plays an acoustic
12 string guitar and has been compared to Bert Jansch
, Robbie Basho
, John Fahey
, Jack Rose
, and Leo Kottke
. To enable his fingerstyle playing, Blackshaw has grown long picklike
fingernails on his right hand. He has released albums on the labels Celebrate Psi Phenomenon, Static, Digitalis Industries, Important Records, Tompkins Square, and Young God Records.
Hastings
Hastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England. The town is located east of the county town of Lewes and south east of London, and has an estimated population of 86,900....
-based guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
and pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
, born in 1981. Blackshaw primarily plays an acoustic
Acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
12 string guitar and has been compared to Bert Jansch
Bert Jansch
Herbert "Bert" Jansch was a Scottish folk musician and founding member of the band Pentangle. He was born in Glasgow and came to prominence in London in the 1960s, as an acoustic guitarist, as well as a singer-songwriter...
, Robbie Basho
Robbie Basho
Robbie Basho was an American composer, guitarist and pianist, and one of the pioneers of the acoustic steel string guitar in America.-Biography:...
, John Fahey
John Fahey (musician)
John Fahey was an American fingerstyle guitarist and composer who pioneered the steel-string acoustic guitar as a solo instrument. His style has been greatly influential and has been described as the foundation of American Primitivism, a term borrowed from painting and referring mainly to the...
, Jack Rose
Jack Rose (guitarist)
Jack Rose was an American guitarist originally from Virginia and later based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Rose is best known for his solo acoustic guitar work. He was also a member of the noise/drone band Pelt....
, and Leo Kottke
Leo Kottke
Leo Kottke is an acoustic guitarist. He is widely known for his innovative fingerpicking style, which draws on influences from blues, jazz, and folk music, and his syncopated, polyphonic melodies...
. To enable his fingerstyle playing, Blackshaw has grown long picklike
Guitar pick
A guitar pick is a plectrum used for guitars. A pick is generally made of one uniform material; examples include plastic, nylon, rubber, felt, tortoiseshell, wood, metal, glass, and stone...
fingernails on his right hand. He has released albums on the labels Celebrate Psi Phenomenon, Static, Digitalis Industries, Important Records, Tompkins Square, and Young God Records.
Discography
- Apologia CD (Self Released) 2003
- Celeste CD (Celebrate Psi Phenomenon) 2004 and (Tompkins Square) 2008
- Lost Prayers & Motionless Dances CD (Digitalis Industries) 2004 and (Tompkins Square) 2008
- Sunshrine CD (Digitalis Industries) 2005 and (Tompkins Square) 2008
- O True Believers LP (Bo'weavil Records) & CD (Important Records) 2006
- Waking Into Sleep - Goteburg 27.05.06 Live recording, CD (Kning Disk) 2006
- The Cloud of UnknowingThe Cloud of Unknowing (album)The Cloud of Unknowing is the fifth studio album from James Blackshaw and takes its title from a medieval book. It was released in the United States on June 5, 2007.- Track listing :# "The Cloud of Unknowing" – 10:55# "Running to the Ghost" – 6:16...
CD/LP (Tompkins Square) 2007 - Litany of EchoesLitany of EchoesLitany of Echoes is the sixth studio album from James Blackshaw. It was released in the United States on June 17, 2008.-Track listing:#"Gate of Ivory" – 5:20#"Past Has Not Passed" – 12:38#"Echo and Abyss" – 12:10#"Infinite Circle" – 5:54...
CD (Tompkins Square) 2008 - The Glass Bead GameThe Glass Bead Game (album)The Glass Bead Game is the seventh studio album from James Blackshaw. It was released in the United States on May 26, 2009....
CD (Young God Records) 2009 - All is Falling CD/LP (Young God Records) 2010
- Holly EP LP (Important Records) 2011
Compilations/Collaborations/Split Releases/Guest Appearances
- Davenport Vs. James Blackshaw CD-R with DavenportDavenport (band)Davenport was a musical collective from Madison, Wisconsin. The project was initiated by Clay Ruby in 2002. Their musical style, difficult to categorize, owes more to freeform jazz, psychedelic rock, and experimental avant-garde music than to traditional folk music, and may be loosely attributed...
(Static Records) 2005 - Gold Leaf Branches 3xCD (Digitalis Industries) 2005
- Sunshrine / Celeste LP (Bo'Weavil Recordings) 2005
- Imaginational Anthem Vol. 2 CD (Tompkins Square) 2006
- A Raga For Peter Walker CD (Tompkins Square) 2006
- The Garden of Forking Paths - a compilation CD curated and featuring music by James Blackshaw, Chieko Mori, Jozef van WissemJozef van WissemJozef van Wissem is a Dutch minimalist composer and lute player.Composer and lutenist Jozef van Wissem is devoted to what he terms “The Liberation of the Lute”...
and Helena EspvallEspers (band)Espers is a psych folk band from Philadelphia that is part of the emerging indie folk scene. They formed in 2002 as a trio of singer-songwriter Greg Weeks, Meg Baird and Brooke Sietinsons but later expanded to a sextet including Otto Hauser, Helena Espvall and Chris Smith...
. Artwork by Hanna TuulikkiHanna TuulikkiHanna Tuulikki is a Finnish-English vocalist, musician and artist, born in Sussex, who is involved in the Nalle and Scatter musical projects, and has also contributed to the One Ensemble of Daniel Padden. Her vocals have been compared to those of Joanna Newsom and Björk on occasion, also...
CD (Important Records) 2008 - Brethren of the Free Spirit (duo with Jozef van WissemJozef van WissemJozef van Wissem is a Dutch minimalist composer and lute player.Composer and lutenist Jozef van Wissem is devoted to what he terms “The Liberation of the Lute”...
) - All Things Are From Him, Through Him and In Him CD/LP (audioMER) 2008 - Brethren of the Free Spirit - The Wolf Also Shall Dwell With The Lamb CD/LP (Important) 2009
- Current 93 - Aleph at Hallucinatory Mountain CD (Durtro/Jnana) 2009
- Sailors With Wax Wings - Sailors With Wax Wings CD 2010