Everett James

So who is Everett James???If you want to know me you must first know that I am music. Music is the thread that connects my life together and has become the pulse that has kept me living. I was born August 6th, 1980 in Asheville, North Carolina to a musical family. My father force fed me the funk before I had a chance to crawl away. When I was a baby, the toys didn't intrest me as much as the drums. I had my first set @ age 2 and was enrolled in piano lessons by 5 years old. I hated the lessons. In '85 I was much more intrested in Doug E. Fresh, Slick Rick, and Run DMC. I was groomed to peform and produce. By age 7, I was writing my first songs and trying to figure out how to work a drum machine.In '92, my father started a small production studio in the basement of our home. Mountian Man Productions was a demo studio that allowed the neighborhood kids and grown folks alike to get their first taste of recording. I was surrounded by musicians and artists who helped me learn the skills nessessary to produce. Armed with an ASR-10 and a Tascam 4 track recorder I started to produce tracks and writing songs for clients that frequented the studio. It was monumental for me as an artist because I learned how to make something out of nothing and how to work with artists. Mountian Man Production also did something unique by throwing talent shows allowing our artist to showcase their talents. I was pushed on the stage and I was confident I was gonna be the next L.L. Cool J.At the same time I was being introduced to jazz music. Around the time Mo' Betta Blues was hitting the screens I got my first trumpet. I had a cousin that introduced me to Charlie Parker, Theolonious Monk, Wes Montgomery, Jimmy Smith, and most importantly Miles Davis. I began studying music theory and improvisation at the college level in the local university by following my cousin around in his classes. One of the resident professors at the time was Bob Moog.Up on graduating high school, I was hell bent on making it in Atlanta. I relocated to ATL in 1998 to work for an independant label, LPOE Records. At 18 you think you can conquer the world but alot of the times you recieve a reality check. The label experience showed me that there is much more to music than melody and harmony. The business of music was something I had to experiece. I worked my ass off learning how to use more professional equipment and learning the truth about the industry. I earned enough by 2000 establish my studio, Electronika Studios, where i record everything even till this day. In '01, I recieved a scholarship to study music composition and theory @ the University of Northern Iowa with Dr. Allen Schmitt. The experience was mind blowing. For the first time I was introduced to great classical composers and musical techniques that expanded my ideas of what I could do with music.I studied one year then decided to return to ATL to go back to the studio. In '03, as an experiment, I decided to record my first solo project. The Seed was the beginning of Everett James as a recording artist. I wrote, peformed, and recorded myself to see if I could make a whole album myself. Technology had advanced to the point to were I could do it. Soon after completing it I traveled to NYC to hit the open mics. In '04 I relocated to Raleigh, North Carolina. We gave birth to the band Rhythm Child by smashing open mics in the area and gracing stages from Chapel Hill to Raleighwood. In '05 I had the opportunity to tour of Colorado and California with Maceo Parker playing the guitar in the opening band on some of the biggest and best stages in the west. I have had the honor of busting a guitar solo in the House of Blues in San Diego and in Hollywood. I have been on the Temple Bar stage in Santa Monica but my crowning achievement was playing the Fillmore West in San Francisco. I am determined to return to those stages and FUNK the hell out of em...I GOTTA GET BACK.Currently, I am back in the ATL. On this site I've been keeping you posted about the album, Life, that I have recently finished. Electronika Studios is running harder and stronger than ever. I am also working on an electronic album entitled DIGITAL WORLD due in mid 07.