I know most of you will have no idea who this is.
James Thornbury was a blues legend in the Northwest when i got here in 1978. Eugene was a blues mecca, with 2 very good bands who stood out above the others. One was Robert Cray with Curtis Salgado. The other was James T and the Tough. I know of no James T and Tough recordings. James was one of the best slide guitar players, and harp player i had ever seen. And vocalist too. he was amazing. He is the best Blues player you never heard. We went many nights to see the 2 bands above. Robert shed Curtis and rest was history for Cray. But James got talked into becoming Canned Heat. You can hear him on several Canned Heat Cds which are very good. Reheated and Internal Combustion are from his era. Worth finding for sure. There is also a cd Live in Reno 1986 which is a real live recording. Canned Heat here in USA was not selling, blues was just recovering from Disco era. He got tired of making no money here, having to travel Europe to make $. So he Married an Australian girl, moved way south.
This is a portrait of his life.
If nothing else - to all you young folk, take care of yourself and last longer than you think ya might.
Ya just may.
John Belushi learned about the blues from watching James T and Robert Cray while filming Animal House. He developed Blues Brothers from those days in Eugene.
Cuts from aussie cds http://members.tripod.com/Al_Smith/james.htm
Eulogy https://www.facebook.com/cincinnaticat/posts/802380916631363
The first item is a video he did in 2011 with his kids doing animation, James played all the instruments. If ya dig this follow away.
The bold item is a very rare video from 1979. This shows ya what we were chasing around here in Oregon in that era. James on Harp
the new warm video
what you would expect from James T
racoons in portland or 1979 12 min
cut from his VERY RARE LP
with canned heat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uuG3mYZaP4 canned heat 2006 in australia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kX-WzuxwQWs canned heat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPkGusGJU_8 canned heat 2007 in australia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6_YPB8bzKI broadbeech 2007 australia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5ey2YWmkDY broadbeech 2009
https://www.facebook.com/cincinnaticat/videos/717837451752377/ with canned heat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4uuYdpJddI last volunteers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-E37aLCC1A last volunteers his aussie band
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPCS4bCJshE last volunteers his aussie band
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPMzVmwpKVo last volunteers his aussie band
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCeiOmDaNsg last volunteers his aussie band
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLWpMCXg_gk last volunteers his aussie band
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcPtqT9c89E last volunteers his aussie band
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_u7Oz_Pelo last volunteers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNv-1BgThj4 James T and Tomahawks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6skRHbbrYQQ James T and Tomahawks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1N_Hh592J0k James T and Tomahawks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-Wi7-ZYhwA James T and Tomahawks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Cydv_8cadA jam in aussie studio with ex pats
https://www.facebook.com/cincinnaticat/videos/526726827530108/ last couple years
https://www.facebook.com/cincinnaticat/videos/526702594199198/ last couple years
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Go_aPsKFf8 2013 jam in aussie bar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KPmb3OhOug 2016 near the end
James died of Leukemia
RIP James T, one of a kind
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