Raised in rural Oregon. Traveled the world. Wrote a few songs and recorded a few albums. Fell in love. Fell out of love. Got a dog. Got ready to slip off quietly into the sunset. Then one late night James was slouched at the bar contemplating a very dirty martini when the ghost of Ernest Hemingway came up behind him and smacked him on the back of the head. Get up you pansy!! he said. Do you think you can defeat fascists in a self pitying stupor? Have another drink and get out there!!
Some say...
James Low has established himself as one of Portland's great poets—and one who also has the fortune of knowing how to strum a guitar and can therefore produce damn sincere folk tunes.
-Whitney Hawke, The Willamette Week
On the new EP The Blackguard’s Waltz, Low’s sweet tenor sounds better than ever. Despite the salubrious effect of such long-term vocal rest, the disc—recorded with local sideman-producer whizzes Mike Coykendall and Chet Lyster—is a concise reminder of how much Portland’s missed Low’s music these past few years. That clear and gently quavering voice is the very sound of empathy, the singer’s empathy for his characters easily transubstantiating into the listener’s empathy for the artist. Such emotional directness, in his singing and in the plainspoken yet poetic lyrics and winsome melodies he gives himself to sing, has always been Low’s seemingly effortless stock in trade. It’s good to have him plying that trade once again.
-Jeff Rosenberg, The Willamette Week
In a town teeming with singer/songwriters, it takes a lot to make an impact. James Low’s understated eloquence marks him a standout — a genuine talent with no need for hyperbole. Low’s recently released EP, “The Blackguard’s Waltz,†is a stellar collection of five songs with a solid pop skeleton, a big, wounded heart and the kind of smart/sensitive insight that’s difficult to come by. If you’re looking for something that tickles your brain and your soul without insulting either, Low’s mini-album should definitely find its way into your collection.
-Barbara J Mitchell, Portland Tribune
"The Blackguard's Waltz is the welcome return of one of Portland's best songwriters. After drawing on family history for his dustbowl debut and kicking out the jams roadhouse style his last time out, James Low scales things back on his new EP. The addition of piano helps bring a pop sensibility to these songs that we haven't necessarily heard from Low before-- from the radio-ready "Before You Let Me Down" (which may be the best pop song you hear outta Stumptown all year) to the haunting closer, "Isn't It Funny". If you've never heard him, or have taken him for granted, this new EP will show you why some of us hope Low doesn't wait another six years to put out a new recording."
-Jeremy Petersen, OPB Radio
"James Low is the most underrated songwriter in Portland"
-Anonymous Cheese Monger, Arbor Lodge New Seasons
"The Blackguard's Waltz succintness does what all good EPs should: make us want to hear more:
-Portland Mercury
"Low's latest work, the five-song EP "The Blackguard's Waltz," is tonic for the times in which we live, a paean to poverty and struggle that slots in easily alongside records like John Cougar Mellencamp's "Scarecrow"."
-Corey duBrowa, The Oregonian
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