December 2005

I'm teaching my "Guitar Boot Camp" workshop again at the famous Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago's cool Lincoln Park neighborhood (where Roger McGuinn of the Byrds once studied). The workshop takes place on Saturday, December 10th. We had a great group last time and will definitely have fun, while improving the guitar skills of dozens of Chicago musicians! Join us.

My publisher, Hal Leonard, may be supplying a couple hundred dollars worth of goodies as giveaways too, so don't miss out. GuitarVision.com, BluesLessons.com, RockChops.com, and JazzGurus.com giveaways too!

Contact me at info@adamstjames.com for more info. To register online or to learn more about the workshop, go here: http://oldtownschool.org/workshops/

November 2005

I'm teaching my "Guitar Boot Camp" workshop at Brookdale Music in Naperville, IL, on Wednesday, November 30th. I'll be moving beginner and intermediate guitarists through a series of exercises designed to more rapidly improve their playing. We'll have fun, even though I might have to pull the Drill Instructor routine on you if you really annoy the other students.

My publisher, Hal Leonard, will be supplying a couple hundred dollars worth of goodies as giveaways too, so don't miss out.

Contact me at info@adamstjames.com for more info. You can also call the store at 630-983-5100.

October 2005

In October I'm going to add more private lessons to my schedule, on Sundays and Mondays, at Brookdale Music in Naperville, IL. Contact me at info@adamstjames.com for info, or to sign up for private lessons. You can also call the store at 630-983-5100.

I'm also wrapping up the CD for my new Hal Leonard book "101 Singing Tips: Stuff All The Pros Know And Use" which should be out by January, 2006, and available on this website, and at thousands of other retail establishments worldwide, both online and in the real world.

This book includes tips I've gotten from world-class vocalists and vocal experts such as Sammy Hagar, Aretha Franklin producer Tom Dowd, and Los Angeles vocal teaching legend Elizabeth Sabine, among others. The book is full of great tips and advice, and it comes with a great sing-along CD.

September 2005

I'm doin' a sorta acoustic duo with steel guitar player Jon Kostal at the Westmont Train Station on Saturday, Sept. 3rd. I met Jon at the Wednesday night Ballydoyle jam in Downers Grove, IL. I've always wanted to play honky tonk with a great slide player, and now I've found one. Jon and I hope to begin playing around town more often in the months to come, and we're working on each other's favorite Jimmy Bryant and Speedy West tunes.

I've got a great private party in Naperville on Saturday, Sept 24th, to do the acoustic solo thing, the Mollway family does this cool "Maui" pig roast every year, and besides the guy with the collection of 30 foot pythons and 60 year old tortoises, I'm the featured entertainment. I'm told hundreds will bow down. Not to me, of course, to the pythons.

And probably not quite as much fun, but educational all the same: I'm teaching another two-hour guitar workshop, titled "Guitar Boot Camp," at the historic Old Town School of Folk Music on Sunday, Sept. 24th, from 2 to 4. See http://oldtownschool.org/workshops/ for more details, or to register for the class. More Old Town workshops to come!

August 2005

It's a hot summer here in Chicago. I'm hittin' the jam nights, and trying to find a good drummer who won't spontaneously combust. If you know any in my area, have them contact me at info@adamstjames.com.

July 2005

Working on my latest book, 101 Singing Tips, for Hal Leonard. I hope to have that out by early 2006 – HL will be promoting at Winter NAMM. I've been attending various jam nights around Chicago, looking for fun people to play with. Chicago area bassist Don Ganley and I are beginning to work on our "Guitar Heroes" project, in which we'll be attempting to do justice to the likes of Danny Gatton, Jeff Beck, B.B. King, The Ventures, and everything from Zappa to Rush.

June 2005

I’ll be performing at the Buffalo Niagara Guitar Festival for the fifth consecutive year, again with my two favorite Western New York guitar Gods: Doug Yeomans and Tommy Z. I’ll hit the stage at Cozumel with Doug on Friday, June 17th; and at the Crocodile with Tommy on Saturday, June 18th. Who knows, I might even sit in with friend and Guitar Player editor Jude Gold on Sunday the 19th, unless I’m too busy pre-celebrating my birthday (the 20th).

Before then, I’m in Chicago at Pazzo’s on Friday the 3rd (4 to 7 p.m.) with harp great Dennis McMasters and bassman extraordinaire Don Ganley; at the Westmont Train Station on Saturday the 4th (11 a.m. to noon); and at Instant Replay in Carpentersville on Saturday, June 11th (9 p.m. to 2 a.m.)

I hope you can join me somewhere down the road!

May 2005

BluesQuest.com is up and running! Check out our new interview with Charlie Baty of Little Charlie and the Nightcats, and register to win a Traveler Guitar and more!

February 2005

I’ll be teaching a blues/rock guitar workshop at the vaunted Old Town School of Folk Music here in Chicago, of Sunday, February 13th. The two-hour group course costs $25. To learn more, and to register, click here:

Also, I”ve begun teaching private lessons at Brookdale Music in Naperville, IL. Please email me for details.

Dennis McMasters and I will be playing a gig at Pazzo’s in the loop the last Friday of February. Also, we’ll be appearing at the Jody Noa benefit Sunday, Feb. 27th, at Bourbon Street in Merrionette Park. Click on these two links for directions or more details:

December, 2004

Adam St. James Band:
My blues rock/classic rock trio is playing our first show with our new drummer, Gary “Boomer” Johnson, on January 8th, 2005, at the P.C. Lounge in Bolingbrook, IL. The P.C. Lounge, also known as the Panama Connection Bar and Restaurant, is at 132 N Bolingbrook Dr, Bolingbrook, IL 60440. The phone number is (630) 739-3555. The P.C. Lounge is on Route 53 (Bolingbrook Dr.), south of Boughton Road and north of Lily Cache and IL 55. This show is a benefit for a friend who is facing extremely large medical bills after falling from a sixth floor balcony. We will be sharing the stage with two or three other bands at this event, including Timeless.

Other bookings are on the way. Please check back in.

Adam and Dennis’ Acoustic Duo:
Dennis has been runnin’ ‘round a bit much these days, between Chicago, Prague, Tahoe, and San Francisco. We’ll get back to Pazzo’s for the “Fabulous Chicago Loop Friday Happy Hour Drink-arama” sometime in January. Pazzo’s is located at 100 S. Wacker, next to the Chicago River, and across from the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Please come in and blow off a little end-of-workweek steam with us real soon! Check back for upcoming dates at Pazzo’s and throughout the Chicagoland area.

Adam St. James solo:
I played a holiday party on Dec. 11th for the Valley of the Fox chapter of the Sierra Club at Garfield Farms, a historic, working 1840s farm and museum in LaFox, IL. Austin Moca sat in on percussion throughout the evening. We had a lot of fun, and hope to play more of these events in the near future. Please recycle, and get in the habit of turning off your lights when you walk out of a room! That’s my eco-political rant for the month.

I’ll be booking more solo shows in the near future. Check back for details, or contact me to have me play your party or event.

Adam St. James, author/journalist:
I just finished another book for Hal Leonard, “101 Singing Tips.” I’ll be recording the CD in the next month or two with help from some great studio musicians and vocalists here in Chicago, most definitely including fantastic drummer AND studio engineer Patrick Doody. The book/CD package will be available on this website, at BluesLessons.com , and at thousands of book and music stores worldwide. Please check it out when it is released in the spring of 2005, and see my other books by clicking here.

Also, I just shot and produced a video guitar lesson with Kenny Wayne Shepherd for Guitar.com. That will go online in the coming weeks. And my video interview/lesson with the Pat McGee Band will also go online (Guitar.com) within the coming weeks. In the meantime, check out great guitarist Brian Fechino.

I’ve got other big things in the works. Check back.

In the meantime, here are a couple of tunes I recorded with Doody, Falstrom, Mathis and the surprisingly phenomenal Dennis McMasters on harmonica. Check this site often for performance dates. Palace of the King
It Ain't Right

Here’s an original song of mine I also recorded with former Lonnie Brooks drummer Pat Doody. This song started out as just a chorus in my head a couple years ago, and I was hearing it as a jump blues tune. It kinda morphed into a funk/blues/rock hybrid when I wrote the rest of the song. We actually recorded this to use pieces of it as audio examples for my latest Hal Leonard book, “101 Recording Tips,” which I’ll be selling from this website as soon as it’s published this summer. You’ll also be able to buy or order it – as with all my books – at any music or book store throughout most civilized countries. And even a few uncivilized republics as well.  Satisfied

Almost Brothers Band: Coming soon to a Harley dealership and NASCAR infield near you!

I’m putting together a new band and plan to get playing around the Chicago area again within the next couple months. This time I’m working with great local slide guitarist Mark Ayala, who I’ve jammed with many times during the past four years. We’re concentrating on the music of one of our absolute favorite bands, the Allman Brothers. We’re even impressing ourselves with how well we’re nailing the harmonies, and we’ll definitely be stretching those solos! Can you say Jam Band? We’ll be launching this cool new ABB tribute band asap. Watch for gig updates here.

Unfortunately, the Almost Brothers Band: is currently on hold.