James Benton is chock full of soul, man. So much that he can barely control it.
Take the song “The Body,” for instance. It’s a boogie-woogie groove authored by Benton himself that was banned from Portland radio in 1955 because of its sexually suggestive underpinnings.
Sure, after performing “The Body” to throngs of jazz and R&B lovers over the past 55-plus years, it’s no longer tops on Benton’s hit list (though the crowd invariably devours it as a dance favorite).
But all the same Benton, even when critically dishing on everything he feels is wrong with the song, just can’t bring himself to stop tapping his feet to it.
Benton, a.k.a. Sweet Baby James – or is it the other way around? – is Scappoose’s, Oregon’s, and the entire Pacific Northwest’s answer to soul-singing sensation Ray Charles.
“I tell people, if you can’t play with Sweet Baby James, you can’t play,” says pre-eminent Portland organist Louie Pain. “It’s just phenomenal the energy he has and the enthusiasm he has for music.”
“He’s Oregon’s Ray Charles, and he’s still with us.”
Pain shares top billing with Benton on their latest musical effort, a 12-song collection recorded live at a sold-out Jimmy Mak’s in Portland’s Pearl District entitled “Around the World”.
To say Sweet Baby’s respect for the musicians on “Around the World” is mutual is a gross understatement.
“I really enjoy the band I’m with. I enjoy those cats. When you walk on stage, you know this is top stuff,” he says. He listens to the instrumentation on the track “Slow Blues Medley,” pauses, and then purses his lips as though he just sucked down a smooth, delicious shot of Scotch whisky.
Take the song “The Body,” for instance. It’s a boogie-woogie groove authored by Benton himself that was banned from Portland radio in 1955 because of its sexually suggestive underpinnings.
Sure, after performing “The Body” to throngs of jazz and R&B lovers over the past 55-plus years, it’s no longer tops on Benton’s hit list (though the crowd invariably devours it as a dance favorite).
But all the same Benton, even when critically dishing on everything he feels is wrong with the song, just can’t bring himself to stop tapping his feet to it.
Benton, a.k.a. Sweet Baby James – or is it the other way around? – is Scappoose’s, Oregon’s, and the entire Pacific Northwest’s answer to soul-singing sensation Ray Charles.
“I tell people, if you can’t play with Sweet Baby James, you can’t play,” says pre-eminent Portland organist Louie Pain. “It’s just phenomenal the energy he has and the enthusiasm he has for music.”
“He’s Oregon’s Ray Charles, and he’s still with us.”
Pain shares top billing with Benton on their latest musical effort, a 12-song collection recorded live at a sold-out Jimmy Mak’s in Portland’s Pearl District entitled “Around the World”.
To say Sweet Baby’s respect for the musicians on “Around the World” is mutual is a gross understatement.
“I really enjoy the band I’m with. I enjoy those cats. When you walk on stage, you know this is top stuff,” he says. He listens to the instrumentation on the track “Slow Blues Medley,” pauses, and then purses his lips as though he just sucked down a smooth, delicious shot of Scotch whisky.
For more information contact All About Jazz.
