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Reviews – Red Light Party
“Red Light Party” 

This 32-year-old Vancouver singer/songwriter/guitarist has been busy since 2003’s Wanna Go Home. He’s toured and played with The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Elvin Bishop, The Holmes Brothers and many more. For this release, he asked veteran producer Jack Lavin to oversee things and it proves to be a winning combination. With a similar lineup of guitar, keys, bass & drums, they’ve achieved a sound remarkably like that of Robert Cray. Doing more with less has always been a Cray trademark and I’m surprised more don’t go down that road. Part of the reason may be that it puts a lot of pressure on the material. Rogers & Lavin, together and separately, have come up with some good songs that do carry the load, most of them written from the perspective of a musician on the road. “Tiffany” most especially, is a beautiful ballad. “I Won’t Ever Come Home” rather effectively portrays a relationship in trouble. “Red Light Party”, “Stuck On My Electric Guitar” and “Guitar Sue” are three songs others might want to check out for their set list in the clubs, they should really help get the crowd going. Actually a Tom Lavin composition, Guitar Sue uses her guitar to take care of wayward boyfriends and our narrator is the repairman. “It’s All I Do” paints a rather sad picture of a musician’s life. “That Girl’s Ways” chugs along nicely as Rogers warns that the girl might be too young. Rogers has a plaintive, high voice that delivers these songs very effectively. His web site is www.jrband.ca

John’s Blues Picks – (Toronto Blues Society) (May 8, 2009)

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“Live at the Yale Vol 2″

…James Rogers original “Wanna Go Home” features Robbie King on his B-3 and let me tell you… this tune is part of the wonderment of this album.