T.J. Sullivan
The Adventures of Thelonius James
© 2004 Thomas J. Sullivan (685862002623)
CD IN STOCK. ORDER NOW. Will ship immediately.
T.J. Sullivan delivers a knockout set of tunes with comparisons to Taj Mahal, Keb' Mo, and Lyle Lovett. His songs capture the storytelling blues of John Hiatt, the retro feel of Leon Redbone and the downhome style of Ry Cooder.
tracks
try this
albums you will love
genres you will love
galleries you will love
By Location
Recommended if you like ...
links
notes
A resident of the LA and Burbank area since 1976, T.J.'s career has been filled with projects and bands known to the Southern California night club scene. Sullivan has worked with The Fever, Billy and the Burnouts, Sky Blues Band, The Mudcats, The Hunters, The Deluxe Rhythm Masters, MotherBlues Band, The Paramours, Dr. Lozelle's Blues Contenders, The Meatwhistles Blues Review, and most recently, The Superstitions.
Over the past twenty five years, he has performed with stars such as Big Joe Turner, Joe Houston, Delaney Bramlett, Paul Butterfield, and industry-standard professionals like Yamaha's Phil Bloch and Ken DaPron.
In an interview in Vintage Drummer Magazine, Preston Ritter of the Electric Prunes hails TJ as one of the hardest grooving guitarists and great songwriters he knows.
Anytime you listen to his originals you hear them showcase T.J.s rich, powerful voice, and a tasty palette of guitar sounds - Taylor acoustics, Dobro Duolian slide sounds, the T-bone of the Gibson 175, the chunky hot sauce of the Telecaster and the bright sting of the King Bee Stratocaster.
"The Adventures of Thelonius James" is a compilation of the best of his heartfelt blues-driven songs of life. Just listen to the wide variety of guitar styles, his depth of tone and feeling, his precise playing, and you'll understand why Blues Revue Magazine recently called his work "almost prefabricated." It's that good.
reviews
Please log in to review this album.
wonderful songs perfectly delivered
author: Nancy OrrThis was a "sounds interesting" purchase for me, and I'm sure glad. I've nearly worn it out. Sullivan is a terrific songwriter and guitar player, and this CD is well produced.
Great lyrics delivered with style. You'll like what you hear!
author: Barbara ManningExcellent music with lyrics to make you think. The is great traveling music. Highly recommended.
A guitar master of country folk blues guitar and song writting
author: johnny williamsonIf you like Ry Cooder, Tajma Hall, Keb Mo, Robert Johnson, Leon Redbone and the like, You'll like The CD Thelonius James! Tj is gonna grab you and take you to up on that corner of 12th St. and Vine for a swingin pleadin crying good time on this recording, It takes you to that good ole'place in an entirely new way, even Hank Williams and Bob Wills are lookin at this guy!
Sullivan conjures up a great country blues feel.
author: George SchaefferLike many people, I started listening to the Blues many years ago. I am skeptical about many newer artists who define themselves as blues artists. Because of the surface simplicity of the music, anyone can appropriate the chords. This skepticism is why I was happily surprised with The Adventures of Thelonious James by T.J. Sullivan. This self produced disc manages to execute both acoustic and electric blues with some nice mandolin and dobro touches added in. Phil Bloch plays drums and all percussion and Mark "Pocket" Goldberg adds upright and electric bass. I found myself being impressed with his ability to keep the sound fresh throughout the disc. The Adventures of Thelonious James is put together almost like a continuous story. The disc opens up with "Momma's Got a New Tattoo". This starts off with some acoustic guitar. Sullivan also has a good voice for delivering the blues. It is very heartfelt and husky. I like the way Sullivan is able to conjure up a great country blues feel. I can picture him sitting on a porch playing a guitar. The songs are strong and deal with timeless themes. I like tracks like "Through Drunken Eyes" and "Drinking the Blues". I think most people with an affinity for the blues have been there before. There are also the songs of amour. "Baby I Know" and "Woman Looking For a Man" help us understand the complexities of love. "Who Do You Think you're Foolin?" has a nice Little Milton feel to it although Sullivan textures the song with mandolin. "Fat Kats/Deep Pockets" deals with the problems of economy. This is a bit of social commentary on the state of the union. "These Blues" is also a fine song about the blues. The album consists of ten songs all written by T.J. Sullivan. "These Blues" was co-written with Oscar Jordan. Many of the themes are standard for the blues but Sullivan manages to put his own stamp on them. This is a fine disc for fans of contemporary blues still steeped in tradition.
Catchy,Moving, Danceable!
author: AmyBeth ParravanoI like the crafted musical patterns.There is a clear difference in stylings and similarities between Thelonius James VS Thelonius Monk CD versions...