James Bell

From: Jazz Guitarist James Bell
RE: Biographical Material
I am a guitarist / songwriter and vocalist who has been playing guitar since the age of 13. I started out playing at the New Mt. Carmel Church of Washington, D.C. What inspired me to play the guitar was when I joined the D.C. Youth Orchestra in elementary school playing the viola. It was that instrument that led my Dad to buy me a guitar for Christmas.
At the age of twenty-one I was a guitarist / vocalist for a group called the Busey Brothers. We played at local block parties and clubs and at one gig met an entertainer named Little Royal, who we toured with from 1978 to 1982, at clubs, bars, cabarets and hotels, in the Southeastern United States.
I relocated to New York City in 1986 to further pursue my music career. Shortly after arriving, I began to play in Central Park and the Subway system as a street musician. The style of music I played is instrumental jazz by Benson, Miles Davis, Santana, Antonio Carlos Jobim, and various other jazz artists. I attended York College in Jamaica Queens from 1993 to 1998 and graduated with a Bachelor of Science, Information Systems Management. I also performed at the Jazz Workshop in the College.
In 1998 I relocated to Washington, DC to look for Computer opportunities and enjoy a slower pace of life. While located in DC, I was able to compose original jazz music, and record the songs on a digital home studio that I built myself. Currently I reside in Baltimore, Maryland and perform at local venues such as Joe Squared Pizza and Loafers Bar and Grill. That brings us to this very moment, and the CD you are listening to.

jb
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http://imasongwriter.org/members/profiles/JamesBell.htm