James Montgomery
​2018 RI Music HOF Inductee

• After launching his career from Boston in the early 1970s, the bluesman moved his home base to Rhode Island and continued his international career and philanthropic efforts for the benefit of musicians and veterans groups. ▲
  The blues singer/harpist dubbed "The John Mayall of New England" by no less an authority than Peter Wolf has a new CD released this past fall which was only available at shows. "Live at the Larcom" contains the finest cuts from a James Montgomery show. What his audience has come to expect over the years doesn't even begin to touch the quality of the performance captured on this CD.
  
  The recording is from a show James and the band performed at the Larcom Theater in Beverly, MA on May 21, 2015. The initial show was put on to help raise funds to make a small contribution to various organizations throughout the region that assist our Veterans and provide them with needed services. As the project was being put together James came upon the idea of not providing a little help, but rather making it an ongoing fundraising campaign. This lead to the decision to make the show more than just a live event but rather a CD which could keep on helping Veterans for as long as possible.
  
  The goal, once it was decided to make it a CD, was to work at finding some partner organizations to both help sell the CD as well as to provide funding for the needs of the local Veterans. A portion of all proceeds raised through the sales of this CD will be donated to various organizations throughout the New England region. We have established a relationship with several we feel will deliver services we believe are needed. That doesn't mean we would not like to find more organizations to become part of our network. We'd also like to extend our thanks to Colonel Scott Brown (US Army retired) for his support and assistance with this project. We'd like to thank him as much for his performance on it; but then he'd think he's too big to sit-in with us in the future.
  
  

...celebrating his brother's life.

• Celebrated blues musician James Montgomery is working on two documentaries, one about his late brother, Jeff, a pioneer in LGBTQ advocacy, the other about blues harmonica player, singer, songwriter, and bandleader James Henry Cotton.▲
  “Not being able to play live has affected every musician I know tremendously,” he said. “I usually do 100 shows a year, and I miss it. I miss the chance to connect with fellow musicians and with the audience.” Montgomery, who leads the New England-based James Montgomery Band, has toured with some of the music industry’s biggest names, including Johnny Winter and the Allman Brothers. Born and raised in Grosse Pointe, Mich., he lives in Newport, R.I., with his cat, Mr. Pip. We caught up with Montgomery, 71, to talk about all things travel. Italy’s Amalfi Coast. It’s perhaps the most beautiful and enchanting place I have ever been to. My traveling companion at the time — who had been everywhere from Belize, to Hong Kong, to Machu Picchu, and other spectacular places — said, as we enjoyed a glass of wine midway between Salerno and Sorrento, “I’ve seen a lot of beautiful places but this blows them away.” Capri is a brief hydroplane boat ride away and is also spectacular. Remember the motto on the Isle of Capri is the same as the motto of Nantucket: “Why spend less?” The people throughout the whole Amalfi Coast are very welcoming and friendly, and the wine each village produces — available only by carafe in each town — is fantastic. The food they bring out from the kitchens served family style is always a wonderful culinary masterpiece. I always like to sample the red wine indigenous to the area in which I am traveling in hopes of discovering something new and experiencing something that the local people take pride in presenting as the wine of their area. I feel the same way about food. Think Anthony Bourdain …
  
  Where would you like to travel to but haven’t?
  I would love to travel to India. I am connected to that country on various spiritual levels and would visit certain specific places when I go. I haven’t been because of my schedule as a working musician — although COVID has put a stop to that. I couldn’t find the time to take the lengthy journey to go there and back and also, it would take a certain amount of planning.
  
  One item you can’t leave home without when traveling?
  [In “Cat’s Cradle,”] Kurt Vonnegut called traveling “dancing lessons from God.” That’s how I’ve always felt about it, so there is no specific item I can think of that I can’t leave home without. Take what the universe gives you. I have one medium-size roller that is always filled with my day-to-day needs when traveling, so I never have to pack essentials: Just throw in what I need for that specific trip and the rest is already there. Well, maybe one essential: the current New York Times crossword puzzle for the plane ride, or even for shorter trips; [doing them] helps me fall asleep after a show.
  
  Aisle or window?
  Definitely window. I love seeing each city you fly into and trying to put the landscape together from above: guessing how the lights, highways, rivers, etc., relate to the city I am flying into or out of — even if it is one of my two “home” airports. I love flying over my house and seeing its relationship to the rest of the world. But mainly, with the window seat you have that slight ability to lean your head back ever so slightly and get some sleep!
  
  Favorite childhood travel memory?
  Way too many childhood travel memories. My father was an executive at Chrysler Corporation, but his hobby was gourmet cooking. Family vacations were centered around going … around the world to eat at specific restaurants including Maxim’s and LaTour d’Argent in Paris. In the words of Joan Rivers, “Can we talk?”
  
  Guilty pleasure when traveling?
  Depends. Am I alone or with a companion?
  
  Best travel tip?
  Referring to Vonnegut’s quote … treat [travel] that way. Always get off the beaten path. As Antoine de Saint-Exupery wrote in his book “The Little Prince”: “Straight ahead of him, no one goes very far.” Experience as much as possible — and as safely as possible in today’s world — the culture and beauty and the historical reference to where you are. Understand that where you are standing is a place on this planet that is connected to the whole world and open yourself up to living and being that connectivity that helps you to see yourself as part of humanity and ultimately leads you to a better understanding of mankind.

Delta Rising: A Blues Documentary

• James Montgomery portrays himself in this historic look at the blues and the commitment to its' art form.▲
  Delta Rising tells the story of Clarksdale and its importance to the blues, America's classical music. This story is told through the experiences of various musicians in and around Clarksdale, some world renown, some simply weekend players - but all deeply committed to this style of music and this extraordinary place. With Morgan Freeman guiding the journey we witness first hand what musicians like Mose Allison, Willie Nelson, Pinetop Perkins, James Super Chikan Johnson, James Montgomery, Ruby Wilson, Scott Bomar and many others feel about this Mecca, this home of the delta blues.

James Montgomery ​Co-Producing

• This show was recorded for a documentary on the late great James “Superharp” Cotton. ▲
  This all star tribute featured Bob Margolin (Muddy Waters Band), James Montgomery (co-producer ), Jerry Portnoy (Muddy Waters Band, Eric Clapton), Rick Estrin, Mark Hummel, Curtis Salgado, Paul Rishell and Anne Raines, Christine Ohlman (Saturday Night Live), and the Uptown Horns.

Together Again, for a Good Cause

James Montgomery, with his Mentor & friend James Cotton played at the Hotel Commonwealth along with Huey Lewis and Fabulous Thunderbird Kim Wilson backed by a stellar band with included Marty Richards, J. Geils, David Hull, and many others. The show at the House of Blues was a benefit for the Reel Blues Fest, a nonprofit that helps musicians get access to medical care and to supporting the work of independent filmmakers.

James Montgomery's soulful Detroit Roots breaks all language barriers!

Photo by Barry Miller