James Harman Band – “Strictly Live…In ’85!” Vol. 1 – Rivera Records RR 506 CD 

A very good friend of mine, Tom Moore, was extremely fortunate to be on the southern California blues scene from 1980-1985 during the formative years of his broad blues music attributes (he is a first-call, top-shelf blues harmonica player, vocalist, and band leader), and to the day Harman passed in May, 2021, Moore advocated that Harman and his great bands shaped his myriad blues talents, and represented the best of the blues, not only in southern California, but in the blues, period.  To quote Moore, “I was fortunate to have lived in Southern California from 1980-1985!  James painted masterful landscapes of the human condition, and mesmerized as he sang the stories!”

I had to be convinced, and it took me time to really appreciate all that Harman brought to the blues, but now, as a much more developed scholar and fan of the blues after all these years, I completely understand Moore’s perspective.  The entirety of the catalog of Harman’s music, his dynamic harmonica playing, his great vocal stylings, song arrangements, live performance experiences, and the musicians that lined-up to work with Harman (whose capabilities he further developed in many ways) is testament to Harman’s vast impact upon the blues.

Now, I am not going to go into a background analysis of Harman and his ride to the top-tier of blues influence, but suffice it to say that I would not have chosen this phenomenal collection for examination if I didn’t firmly believe that it both represented eminent blues music, in general, and that Harman is ideally represented via its content.  On both counts, there is no debate that it achieves both objectives.

This assemblage of superb blues was recorded live at Solana Beach’s famed Belly Up Tavern, at its location on S. Cedros Ave., just a hop, skip, and a throw, as they say, from the Pacific Ocean.  Captured from two separate shows on March 22^nd and 23^rd back in 1985, Harman’s band was obviously playing before a rapt audience, one that was there to party and hear what was considered one of the best, if not the best, blues band on the southern California circuit.

Let’s take a look at the extraordinary lineup backing Harman at the time.  The highly-accomplished Hollywood Fats was plying his broad guitar skill set with Harman at the time, as was Kid Ramos, an equally unique and talented guitarist, and the dynamics each provided the band, and each other, is a primer of blues ensemble performing.  The brilliant low-end structures are offered via Willie J. Campbell, yet another of that broad stable of highly-proficient southern California bluesmen whose skill set and demeanor fit the Harman band formula like a tailored suit.   Finally, keeping perfect time for the group was Stephen Hodges, whose work here supremely sets the required foundation to keep the whole of the proceedings locked-in and tight.

There are a number of attributes that make this collection exceptionally essential.  First, is the meld of the individual players’ singular talent packages into a complete suite where it seems as though all are aiming for the greater good of the overall band dynamics.  No one over-steps, no one’s individual agenda intrudes upon Harman’s vision for each composition and its delivery.  Yet, the singular characteristics of each bluesman’s proficiencies are free and able to be showcased over the course of the outing.  Make no mistake, this band encompassed the best players on the southern California scene, however, in this format, the collective synthesis of their dexterities makes listening to this recording a master class of collaborative blues performing.

Second, and to the direct contradiction of the immediate paragraph above decrying individuality, hearing the distinct aptitudes of bluesman Hollywood Fats, a giant whose legacy only continues to be firm and growing in the circles of true blues fans, is a treat, and can only offer a glimpse of what could’ve been had he survived longer than his 32 years.  He is awe-inspiring here, and one can only posit what might’ve been.  To again quote Tom Moore, “Fats was encyclopedic and his solos could be subtle or volcanic!”  Like Fats, hearing Ramos at such a young age amongst this group of driven blues professionals now comes full circle when a study of his blues work to-date is undertaken.  It is obvious that Ramos had the proverbial chops to be included in Harman’s gathering of blues talent, but it offers a now 37-year peak into what was to come.

The underpinnings each bestowed by Campbell and Hodges should be studied by any aspiring blues bassist or drummer, as their separate substantial skill sets unify into a metrical show unto itself.  This is “Rhythm Section 101”.

Third, there is the crazed atmosphere and high excitement brought to bear upon this recording by the whole of the Belly Up Tavern scene.  At the time, the Belly Up Tavern was the place to be when the best of southern California blues came out to play, and one gets the distinct and unwavering belief that Harman and his crew were playing with a home field advantage.

Finally, Harman himself, is, I believe, the sum of why this recording highly-succeeds, as it certainly does.  Long known for his exquisite songwriting, vibrant vocal flair, his masterful blues harmonica competencies, his capacity to lead a band to be the best it could be, all while being the master of ceremonies from the stage of a never-ending good time, Harman’s sheer joy at leading the events here is inescapable.  His “scampishness”, if you will, is undeniable, and is the absolute best architecture for this amazing band in this vigorous setting of blues devotees. 

I remember Harman bringing different incarnations of his marvelous bands to my hometown area over the years, including shows at Mishawaka, IN’s Center Street Blues Café, LaPorte, IN’s Buck’s Workingman’s Pub, and South Bend, IN’s Corby’s Irish Pub (by the way, a great story surrounds his performance here that will be told at a later date), and despite the band’s roster changes over the years, the blues music was always uniformly excellent.  Why?  Harman.  Harman was a bluesman who reveled in his stature of being a bluesman’s bluesman, an artist others who were in-the-know promoted, revered, and learned from.  Harman was a true force in developing bluesmen, writing blues songs of color and texture, and always performing to a high degree.  Harman was a blues pro’s pro.

As they say, “His kind will not pass our way again.”  But thank goodness we have this recording from The James Harman Band to remind us that ultimately, it’s the quality of the blues that matter.  Harman does not disappoint here, nor did he ever.  Without qualification, this belongs in your blues collection.

As Harman was known to say, “Thank you, baby, thank you!”