Here’s a slightly more detailed than usual reminder that James Lee Stanley will be appearing at Sundilla tonight. Showtime is 7:30, and admission is just $10, $8 for students and free for children 12 and under. There will be free coffee, tea, water and food, but as always you are welcome to bring whatever food or beverage you prefer. For more information just go to www.sundilla.org OR to either of James’ websites: www.jamesleestanley.com or www.datamusicata.com. (I recommend both.)
We learned tonight that this concert will be the FIRST that James has performed in Alabama! For a guy who has a part of the music scene for as long as James has, that’s remarkable… and a long time coming. I hope we can give him the “Welcome!” that he deserves. (And I feel safe in saying that this will be the perfect show to bring a newcomer to; they’ll love it, and get a great idea of what Sundilla is all about.)
James also got into town a day early, and if his show is half as entertaining and fun as sitting around and talking Thursday night was, we’re in for an incredible performance. Some people are just born entertainers; not all of them go into the entertainment business, and we’re lucky that James Lee Stanley did. If he wasn’t making a living with his musical abilities, he could just become a story-teller. Fortunately, we’ll get to hear him do both! (And if we’re really lucky, he’ll tell us about the special underwear that they make the aliens on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine wear. And James does know this from personal experience; he has been on the show several times.)
On a chilly Friday evening in early February, there is NOTHING happening that will be better than this concert– GUARANTEED! So bundle up and come join us for a fantastic evening.
Here are a few comments from fans and critics. And about that first one: earlier tonight James’ phone rang, and on the other end was none other than Tom Robbins. So now I have a new answer to the question “Who is the most famous person to call someone who was standing in your kitchen at the time?”
“So where have they been hiding James Lee Stanley? We could say that James Lee Stanley is probably the last great undiscovered singer-songwriter in America. But true as that may be let’s say something else, let’s say that a diamond has been smuggled into the wasteland…and here is where the wasteland ends” – Tom Robbins, Author of Even Cowgirls Get the Blues
“It is simple, really. With James Lee you get great songs, great guitar playing, great voice and a gifted comedian as well. You are in for a very entertaining evening.” Village Voice
“His comedy and songs won the hearts of the 6,000 in attendance and brought them to their feet in an ovation that brought him back for two encore numbers.” -the Daily Universe, Provo, Utah
“The show was stolen by the opening act … James Lee Stanley … Stanley held the attention of the audience from the beginning of his set to the end. His music has a mellow James Taylorish quality. A solo performer, Stanley drew overwhelming applause for his outrageous monologue as well as his music.” -The Daily Aztec, San Diego
“In concert with Michael Murphey, the unexpected delight of the concert was the opening solo performance … James Lee Stanley … Stanley drew the kind of ovations not usually accorded to a performer who depends entirely on his voice, guitar and some well placed jokes.” -St. Louis Post-Dispatch
“Loose and jocular, Stanley proved to be a master at relating to nightclub audiences … ” -Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle
“His strongest asset is a facile voice which makes easy climbs into falsetto, glides through his accustomed tenor, and occasionally drops into a full baritone.” –Rocky Mountain News, Denver, CO
“This is only the second time there has been enough enthusiasm for an act to have a return engagement within the same year.” -Dan Morgan, Chairman: small concerts, Brigham Young University
“An unexpected power from the limited instruments (Stanley plays acoustic guitar and piano) creates rock ‘n’ roll that would justify rolling out the dance floor. The more sad and sensitive expressions of the love songs are counterbalanced by Stanley’s absurdly amusing introductions….” –The Denver Post
” … Stanley delivered his original songs with vocals that flipped from breathy whispers to falsetto hiccups to slightly menacing shouts. It’s a style that captured both the attention and the imagination. … Stanley accompanied himself with crisp, full work on acoustic guitar. There was no need for backup. Stanley is a one-man band who doesn’t need any help.” -The Milwaukee Journal
” … James Lee Stanley is not like other performers. His solo show … did a lot to reinforce his image as a very real, down-to-earth acoustic musician. … His masterful guitar playing and his wide vocal range … won over the audience.” –Milwaukee Sentinel
” … James Lee Stanley … performed a smooth set of well-crafted, touching songs. Stanley is the type of guy that makes it all look easy, the words and the guitar notes just flowing without any noticeable effort…” –Ken Lieck, Austin Chronicle
“James Lee Stanley – Freelance Human Being (Beachwood Recordings): A wise, mature album that strips James down to the essentials: guitar and voice. In this setting an artist puts it all on the line. James rises to the occasion and surpasses even the most grandiose of expectations. A real pro, one of the finest writers of our time.” –Songwriter’s Monthly, June 1998
“…puts to shame the pretenders to the who aspire to the ‘adult contemporary’ label; this album leaves you agreeing with author Tom Robbins that James Lee Stanley is indeed the last great undiscovered songwriter in America”
–Shepherd Express, Milwaukee
“This man is a great artist – his songs are finely-crafted and richly textured, with immediately memorable melodies and thought provoking lyrics, and his guitar playing is simply gorgeous, alternating between subtle finger picking. Lush chording, stark simplicity, rhythmically-charged complexity, and many and varied shades in between.”
–FI-The Magazine of Music and Sound
“Ironically, the liveliest moments of the evening were spent with Steven Wright’s opening act, James Lee Stanley. A sort of comedic folksinger, he played guitar and sang several original compositions, the most notable, “Three Monkeys” (with an anti-Cuban theme), “Digitalis” (a humorous take-off on a latin boogie hit), and “Racing the Moon”. –The Hollywood Reporter
“…it was accompanied … by a genuinely spirited, spontaneous standing ovation. Yikes! An honest encore call. Politicians could learn something from James Lee Stanley about peaking. He hit it right, this very talented performer.” –The Humboldt Beacon,Fortuna, California
“One of the best concerts to ever come to Sacramento. James Lee Stanley was a last minute substitute for Jimmy Webb. Like Garfunkel, Stanley sings melodic pop and the slightly risque anecdotes he told put the crowd in a perfect mood for what was to come. A standing ovation followed his set and he will undoubtedly have fans to come back in Sacramento.” –Mick Martin, The Sacramento Bee
From the Archives — originally published on the Opelika Daily News on February 6, 2009. View the original page.
