The James King Bluegrass Band returns to Winnemucca for a show at the Martin Hotel, at 7:00 PM Tuesday, October 13.  Tickets are on sale now at Nature’s Corner and the Martin Hotel.

From the moment you first hear his voice, you know you are hearing  bluegrass the way it was meant to be sung. James King sings  bluegrass as only a handful of others before him – Carter Stanley,  Red Allen, Del McCoury – ever have. Bluegrass Unlimited has called  him “the most impressive lead vocalist to emerge in traditional bluegrass this decade”.

Bluegrass lead singing is a delicate balance a singer must have the forcefulness and intensity to cut through the multiple instrumental layers of a bluegrass band, while still maintaining a tender enough lilt to convey emotion and mesh with the instruments and supportive vocalists. Even the most driving numbers require a certain finesse while, conversely, the most eloquent songs demand a firm push. When  you consider his mastery of this balance, the high quality of the songs he sings, his top-notch backing band, and his sheer soulfulness, it becomes clear that James King is simply the best lead singer in bluegrass today.

Our old friend Mr. James King is on his way to Winnemucca for another fall visit. I dug my CD’s out this weekend, and once again, James and his band had me grinning and laughing, crying and sobbing, and sitting simply carried away with delight and wonder. If you are a fan of traditional bluegrass music, or a fan of great emotional singing, or a fan of watching a group of musicians locked-in together to take you on a journey, this is a show you won’t want to miss.