San Diego Troubadour, December 2007
NATHAN JAMES AND BEN HERNANDEZ: COUNTRY BLUES IN A POST-MODERN WORLD by Raul Sandelin “It’s close to one in the morning and it’s snowing right now in Memphis, the kind of snow that Memphis hasn’t seen in quite some time…”* Someone once said that singing the blues is an old man’s game. “To sing the blues, you’ve got to live the dues.” Isn’t that what CSNY proffered? The thinking here is that it takes a good half-century to properly ferment the vocal chords for moaning about love gone bad, several decades of roadhouse smoke to brand the skin a journeyman’s leathery yellow-brown, a 20-year stint on Parchman Farm or at Angola Pen to petrify the agony of a crooked lawman’s gun into memory. Rock ‘n’ roll is for the young. Pop is for the pretty. Jazz is for the studious. But, the blues is for those who have felt too much for too long. This is why it’s remarkable that a duo such as Nathan James and Ben Hernandez is so good – the former is still in his twenties and the latter only recently became a 30-something. When you listen to these guys, they sing like old men. And, that’s a good thing. What else is remarkable is that James and Hernandez were born far from the Delta swamps and southern jukes from which they conjure their ghosts and demons. Both are California kids, James from Fallbrook and Hernandez from the Central Valley. Equally compelling are the eclectic stops on this duo’s blues highway: Denmark last year. (At the time of this writing, they’re in Taiwan playing that country’s national Blues Bash.) This is truly country blues played in a post-modern era, an era in which the rules of the game are being reworked for a new, larger international audience that is looking back to older, regional musical genres that depended more on the human soul, an element too often missing today. Yet, they’ve traveled the old road too, winning the International Blues Challenge in Memphis last February. They’re also living out the traditional road warrior’s journey, making a living as full-time musicians, determined to keep traveling down that highway and those railroad tracks toward an unknown point well beyond the horizon line. “The room was pretty dim…There was a pool table right about the center…”* The two first got together about seven years ago and have been playing live wherever the SoCal blues circuit takes them. Many fans have found them through larger events such as the Adams Avenue Street Fair. Others first spotted the duo at bonfire parties along the beach or by snagging a hand-me-down CD from a friend. Along the way, they were written up in the Southland Blues Magazine. Their career together has also gotten help from veteran bluesmen such as Dr. John for whom the duo recently opened. Whether it be from regional exposure, word of mouth, or the solid backing of the old stalwarts in the blues community, these two young players are gaining quite a following and turning many heads and ears. Besides the many shows that the duo plays each week, gigs that range from the San Diego County bar circuit, festivals, and contests to informal jams and parties, they have also churned out a steady stream of recorded material, in which time they’ve put out two albums together in addition to solo efforts, collaborations, and even video work. Continued... Blues Revue Magazine Aug/Sept. 2007 excerpt from "Steady Rollin'" article by Bob Margolin Last January, Janiva Magness took me to hear spectacular young bluesmen Nathan James and Ben Hernandez. They knocked me out, and two weeks later, while I was in Memphis for the IBC, I heard that they were competing in the solo/duo category. I blurted, "Oh, they'll win." I hadn't seen the other acts, but I couldn't imagine anyone who could be more impressive. A few minutes later, I heard that they had indeed won. That's great for Nathan and Ben, but their music sounds as amazing in Pasadena as it does in Memphis. 23rd International Blues Challenge 2007 Memphis, TN Nathan and Ben took first place in the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee! Check out the Blues Foundation site for the article. |
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  This is the brand new CD from the duo Available right now through CD Baby! Don't miss the CD release party for this album...check out the "Shows" page for all the details! The second "duo" release. The Carl "Sonny" Leyland Trio Meets Nathan James and Ben Hernandez. These guys had been talking about doing this album for years until finally they were all in the same city at the same time and as soon as they hit the "Record" button well...you should just listen for yourself. "Sonny" and his trio's boogie-woogie, ragtime, and dixieland educations blend perfectly with Nathan and Ben's country schooling. From haunting tuba and screaming kazoo sounds to pre-war guitar and barrelhouse piano, this album will stay in your CD playin' contraption for months! Available at CD Baby! The first official duo release from Nathan James and Ben Hernandez! This album showcases the duos acoustic roots with a few experiments with electricity. Available at CD Baby! |
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