Total Time: 44:45
Cost: $9.98 + s/h* 


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STYLE: Americana

HOME TOWN: New Haven, CT

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The Lonesome Sparrows

1. Holiday Weekend
2. The Royal Heart
3. Mother, O Mother
4. Gotta Keep Goin'
5. Summer Touch
6. My Wife
7. The Circus
8. The Wrath Of God
9. Jesus, Elvis, and Me
10. My Blue Boat
11. House For Sale
12. John Alley
13. Empty Table Blues

Check out James Velvet solo
& His other bands:
The Ivory Bills,
The Mocking Birds

Issue #133                                 May '10

On April 10, 2010, I had the honor of emceeing the CD release party for The Lonesome Sparrows. My introduction went something like this: “Back in the summer I had the pleasure of attending a The Lonesome Sparrows show at Frank Critelli’s Songs from the Sofa series. As I sat there, the woman next to me leaned over and said, ‘These guys can play.’”

Dubbed the “Acoustic Army,” we have a trio of professional pickers: James Velvet (acoustic rhythm guitar), Johnny Memphis (acoustic lead guitar, fiddle), and Dick Neal (dobro, mandolin, banjo), who have been trading licks, picks, and chops for decades. Anchored by Johnny Java (electrified bass guitar, percussion), who keeps these three from swaying too far off the amazing tightrope they walk, the band takes Velvet’s compositions and pushes each other to expand the limits of what they can do with familiar songs. I say familiar because they have taken songs from various points of James Velvets career (Solo, The Mocking Birds, The Ivory Bills), songs each of them have played on at one point or another, and recreated them in a live setting where each may lead or follow as they please.

Attend more than one performance of The Lonesome Sparrows and you will hear a varied, yet true rendition of any of these songs. The band was put together for this purpose - to continually create and recreate these songs as they feel them while playing together. That is why James decided to record these tracks “mostly live-all-together, under the watchful ear and careful baton of Mr. Dick Neal.” This type of recording suits the Rolling Thunder Revue style presentation in a way that accentuates James’ distinct, warm, whiskey smooth vocals, which deliver distinctly penned tales of life lived in Anytown, USA as experienced by a native New Haven, CT activist. We celebrate holidays, summer, spouses, family, the circus, Jesus, Elvis, and more. We examine human nature, both good and bad, religion, politics, love, life and more.

Black Velvet Royalty is just that. And more.
Sit back, relax and enjoy, because that woman was right,
“These guys can play.”

Black Velvet Royalty by The Lonesome Sparrows
is available now for $9.98 + s/h*

*Shipping & Handling charges:
USA - $3.00 for the first 2 CDs ordered,
                     Add $1.50 per each CD after.
Canada - $5.00 for the first CD ordered,
                          Add $2.00 per each CD after.
Everywhere else -$7.00 for the first CD ordered,
                                        Add $3.00 per each CD after.