James McMurtry Live – March 24, 2010
Texas native James McMurtry has long been known as an astute, clear-eyed observer and concise, no-holds-barred chronicler of the human condition. These recent years have found McMurtry’s many skills steadily coalescing into an increasingly substantial, formidable whole: the voice, the tunes, the stories and the musicianship have become elementally interwoven to create the inimitable fabric of a distinct, singular artist who’s determined to get to the heart of the matter, shake things up and do whatever it takes to make a difference.
In 2008, McMurtry released Just Us Kids, which follows up his critically acclaimed Childish Things with a dozen sharply drawn illuminations as he continues to hone and expand his considerable gifts. And the self-produced opus (James’ fourth venture pulling strings on both sides of the glass) unquestionably represents his most ambitious, accomplished and hard-hitting presentation to date. Though McMurtry has grown exponentially on wax as producer and songwriter, time spent on his albums hasn’t detracted from his enduring live schedule. Nearly every Wednesday at Midnight, McMurtry and his band, The Heartless Bastards post up for their residency at The Continental on South Congress.
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