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Bio
 The
Music
James Ryan was born in Surrey, England and raised in Cape Town,
South Africa. He returned to the grit of Canvey Island on the
Thames where an introduction to the local rock and blues bands
of the area led to a fascination with guitar-based music. An injury
to his left hand as a child (resulting in only two fingers functioning
correctly) did not deter his determination to play guitar and
in 1997, James recorded his first studio album Ghost of the
Wind which received radio and TV exposure internationally
and caught the imagination of TV producers who used tracks as
backing for television features.
His new album for 2011, Cocktail
of Blues, is a completely different work of entirely acoustic
solo tracks. Played on one acoustic guitar and multitracked on
a high quality compact recorder on a boat in Andalucía,
Cocktail of Blues clearly breaks new ground!
peaceful and inspirational
"I decided to get away from the
music industry treadmill in the UK and escaped to my father's
old boat which is undergoing refurbishment in a marina near Almería.
It is a crazy idea, but actually, it is very peaceful and inspirational
in terms of writing new music. I did have some problems recording
with wind noise in the rigging and water lapping against the hull,
but that just adds to the atmosphere I guess!"
The making of the album is also captured
on a unique web series that you can see now. The style of the
songs is very much rootsey blues crossing over to Americana and
a hint of Latin rhythms; enough to pique the curiosity of a wide
audience.
no retakes
"Making the album and the film
over the course of a year has been a tall order, but I think I've
ended up with something that captures a certain atmosphere. I
recorded all of the songs in one take with an acoustic guitar
and then overdubbed some soloing. There were no retakes for the
solos - just like putting on a record when I was learning and
playing along to it!"
The album has been professionally Mastered
By Thatzdatheat Productions resulting in an incredibly lively
and yet detailed acoustic sound.
The Film
Despite a recession-hit film industry, James turns
to music as a lifeline and is directing and featuring in a documentary
film MONEY NOW, GLORY LATER! exploring the challenge of song-writing
and launching new music in tough economic times and the digital
age.
Filmed on location in London, Paris, Andalucia, and
Hampshire’s New Forest, this series fuses audience-friendly
fly-on-the-wall footage with atmospheric camerawork and suitably
captivating music backing to produce a raw and sometimes anguished
glimpse into the world of song-writing.
"A splendid idea"
Melvyn Bragg
Author and Broadcaster
Watch the web series NOW
to find out how the album Cocktail of Blues was born!
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