Description
Jim James is no stranger to KCRW, having been by many, many times. History repeats itself, as James came in 2018 to perform acoustic selections from a record of covers. Now James returns on the occasion of the Hollywood Bowl’s Music From the Films of Wes Anderson, performing a solo track, a My Morning Jacket song, and a show-stopping cover of the Kinks’ “Strangers.”
Armed with a decorated, high-strung (as in “tuned with only high strings”), custom Baxendale guitar (eagle-eyed watchers will see a title stenciled above the bridge: the Vagabond), James delivers an intimate performance to the lucky KCRW staff present. On solo release “Come Again,” James’ intricate fingerpicking evokes a folksy, heartwrenching Chet Atkins replete with a passionate voice. “I’m Amazed,” My Morning Jacket’s 2008 release, is so anthemic and beloved that it has it’s own Wikipedia page. Don’t be fooled, this is not the version you know – James’ singing floats above the room until the end, where it erupts in a captivating way. One to tip his hat at the masters, James closes the set with “Strangers,” the wistful Kinks tune he’ll be performing at this weekend’s shows at the Hollywood Bowl. To take a ubiquitous, universal song of that nature and to present it with a fresh perspective is part of what makes James a member of a new generation of masters.
Jim James performs, in order:
Come Again
I’m Amazed
Strangers
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