James Montgomery Blues Band
When James Montgomery played Nashville TN as a member of the Johnny Winter Band, the Nashville Tennessean wrote “If ever the time came to use two “legendary” tags in one story, it is to describe both Winter and Montgomery. They are blues masters of the first and highest degree.”
Harmonica ace James Montgomery has earned that “legendary” tag through a stellar career that spans five decades. In the blues world, he is truly “of the first and highest degree.”
When blues legend James Montgomery plays the harmonica, he “brings it on home.” Whether it’s recording with Kid Rock, sitting in with Gregg Allman, or fronting his hot band of forty plus years, Montgomery plays with authority. While growing up in Detroit he learned first-hand from the masters – James Cotton, John Lee Hooker, and Jr. Wells – at the legendary “Chessmate”.
Over the years, he’s carried on in the tradition and continues to be a vital presence in Blues as one of the most dynamic performers on the scene. In 1970, while attending Boston University, Montgomery formed the James Montgomery Band. Within two years, the James Montgomery band was among the hottest acts in Boston along with J. Geils and Aerosmith, and they were quickly signed to a multi-album deal with Capricorn Records.
Montgomery has toured with many major artists, including Aerosmith, Bonnie Raitt, Bruce Springsteen, the Allman Brothers, Steve Miller and others. He has jammed on stage with B.B.King, Buddy Guy, John Lee Hooker, Jr. Wells, James Cotton, Charlie Daniels, Bonnie Raitt, Greg Allman, Laverne Baker, Patti LaBelle, among others, including an impromptu session with Mick Jagger at New York’s “Trax.”
He has been a touring member of the Blues Brothers, Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen, and was a proud member of the Johnny Winter Band for almost six years.
Over the years Montgomery has been nominated for a BMA (Blues Foundation) award as well as being on the Grammy nominating ballot, and on a Grammy nominated CD he recorded with Johnny Winter. He recently was chosen to be a featured artist in Delta Rising, a film with Morgan Freeman, Willie Nelson and others which led to the making of the highly acclaimed CD “From Detroit to the Delta.”
Montgomery is also well known for putting together “SUPERGROUPS,” usually for charity, that have featured the best artists in the business including Steven Tyler, Aerosmith members, Huey Lewis, Alice Cooper, former members of Boston, Skunk Baxter from the Doobie Bros. and Steely Dan, Jim Belushi, Chili Pepper member Chad Smith, The Uptown Horns, Grace Kelly, Trombone Shorty, and many many others.
Montgomery continues to tour regularly with a hot band featuring David Hull, George McCann and Marty Richards, all stars in their own right. He does many charity events each year especially to provide free health care for blues musicians and to support Veterans groups throughout the country. He is currently co-producing two documentaries one, America You Kill Me, about Jeffrey Montgomery his brother and activist hero in the LGBTQ community and another, “Bonnie Blue – James Cotton’s Life In The Blues” about his musical “father” blues icon and harmonica Master James Cotton.
See James Montgomery Wikipedia for more.