James Barela

About

BLu7music is the home of trumpeter, EVI player and jazz musician, James Barela. Based in Denver Colorado, James has performed with many of the biggest names in jazz and pop music. He currently performs with his group ranging in size from a duo to big band as well as freelances with many of the top groups in the area and the world. EVI is the acronym for Electronic Valve Instrument. This is a breath controlled wind synthesizer that, while difficult to master, can be an extremely versatile and expressive instrument. The limitless possibilities of this instrument make it ideal for live musical setting and in the recording studio.

James Barela was born and raised in Cheyenne, Wyoming and began his musical/trumpet training at 10. James attended Northwest College and studied with Neil Hansen, Mike Masterson, and Ronnie Bedford (whose group James regularly performed with). James later transferred to the Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver where he graduated with a Bachelor of Music/trumpet performance and a Master of Music/composition both with honors. While at Lamont his teachers included: Joe Docksey, Dan Kuehn, Bob Montgomery, Dave Hanson, Malcolm Lynn Baker, Vincent Laguardia, Donald Keats, and Art Bouton. During his stay, James became a first call trumpeter with many of Denver's finest musicians and performed in a number of diverse musical settings. Some of those he performed with are Bob Montgomery, Willie Hill, Sam Bivens, Joe Bonner, Eric Gunnison, Freddie Rodriquez, Ronnell Bright, Mitchell Long and Hi-Fi-Mo-Fo, Drew Morell, Paul Musso, Rich Chiarluce, Tony Klatka, Backstreet, Art Lande, Paul Romaine, Lou Fischer, Ron Miles, Bruno Carr, and Raw Brass, just to name a few. James also made a bigger name for himself with his quintet co-led by tenor saxophonist Pete Peterson. This group, which included Shamie Royston, Artie Moore, and Rudy Royston, placed runner-up in the 1993 Cognac-Hennessy jazz search.

In 1998, James moved to Las Vegas, Nevada and continued his musical career as a first call lead/jazz trumpeter with many of the best groups and shows including, Jump, Jive, and Wail, Dian Diaz, Patty Janura, Sin City Daddies, Tropical Splash,Backstreet, Sin City Daddies, Storm, David Poe, and countless others. James has also become a requested writer/arranger/producer for many of Las Vegas' finest. On the national/international scene James has performed with the Woody Herman Orchestra, Cyrus Chesnut, David Amram, Carl Fontana, Mike Stern, Joel Kaye's Neophonic Big Band, Ronnie Bedford, Frank Wess, Sheila Jordan, Bill Watrous, Butch Miles, Byron Stripling, Clay Jenkins, Kim Richmond, Lew Tabakin, Bobby Shew, Jamey Abersold, Nick Brignola, John McNeil, Phil Wilson, Ray Price, Jerry Hahn, Whitney Houston, Bono, Gladys Knight, The Temptations, Frankie Valli, Bobby Rydell, Frankie Avalon, Joe Williams, Sam Butera, Keely Smith, The Romantics, Eddie Money, Kid Creole and the Coconuts, Smokin' Joe Frasier, and Josephine.

James' playing can be heard on several recordings by artists such as, Nick Brignola, Unit Five, Neophonic Jazz Orchestra, Mark Massamino, Jump Jive and Wail, Josephine, “Downtown” Michael Brown, Simon Relph, Lionhorse, and his own groups including BLU7. James has also been featured in the T.V. mini-series, "Steven King's-THE SHINING". James has been featured in magazines ranging from Downbeat, The gift of jazz, Las Vegas Weekly, Las Vegas Sun, Westword, and many more. James has performed all over the world with just about every type of musical ensemble and continues to search for new sounds to incorporate into his writing and playing. James’ group, BLu7, has become an internationally renown jazz ensemble known for an eclectic fusion of styles and highly original arrangments. BLu7’s debut CD ‘Cultural Instigator’ is being played worldwide including NPR, BBC, Taiwan National Radio and receiving excellent reviews. BLu7 was recently nominated for a BMA award in the best jazz group category.

Currently, James is performing with his trio/quartet/quintet, The Peter Queal Quartet, Straphangin' (Brecker Bros. tribute), The Wild 1's (jump swing/rhythm & blues), Swing Shift, The Jazztet, several shows, and studio work.

A recent injury to the upper lip led James to Dr. Simon McGrail in Toronto. Dr. McGrail performed a surgical procedure to repair the injury. This sidelined James for 3 years. James then sought the help of trumpet great Bobby Shew and within a year had regained most of the ability he had prior to the injury. This has led James to reach out to others who have suffered similar injuries and begin the process of writing a study on embouchure injuries, how to recognize, recover, and the residual psychological effect. During his down time, James delved into the electronic realm and learned to play the EVI or Electronic Valve Instrument. Becoming one of a very few players on this instrument has opened new avenues of performance and recording.

James EVI set up includes the NuEVI by Berglund Instruments, the Steiner MIDI-EVI with the Xpresso by Dynasample, Roland Integra 7, and Roland XV-2020 sound modules. James also plays an Adams A4 custom trumpet and Austin Custom Brass mouthpieces exclusively.

Store / Merch Links

CDbaby

Click here to purchase your copy or download of BLu7's "Cultural Instigator"

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iTunes

Download BLu7's "Cultural Instigator" on iTunes

Links

James Barela SoundCloud

Please visit James Barela's SoundCloud for more great music and custom sound designs by James Barela. Be sure to click that follow button!!

Press

Shades of Blu from the Core to the Edges-Debbie Burke (external link)

The nuances possible with the EVI – a breath-controlled wind synthesizer – are mastered yet always being explored for further depths by Blu7 Music’s James Barela. Due to an injury to his lip, James had been unable to continue to play the trumpet, his instrument of choice when Blu7 was founded. But another door opened, and the EVI opened his mind for exploring fresh and innovative jazz, categories be damned.

Blu7’s sound is a journey on a road paved with sparkle; a bright percussion beat and emotional hooks where the musicians’ mutual enjoyment of performing together is obvious.

What was the music scene like growing up in Wyoming?

There wasn’t a scene at all. Several of my friends and I became interested in music, particularly jazz, when we were in junior high school. Our curiosity became an obsession in high school and eventually led us to seek colleges, festivals, jam sessions, concerts, you name it, that featured or emphasized jazz.

We had great teachers who encouraged us and quickly found others throughout the state who shared our compulsion. We would drive over 100 miles to sit in on a jam session or further to see a concert. Eventually, almost all of us chose to attend Northwest College in Powell, WY because of the jazz-centric music curriculum. It seemed more suited to our interests than did the University of Wyoming. Plus, a living legend, Ronnie Bedford, was there as an adjunct professor. I knew I had to tap that resource before I moved on.

I was fortunate enough to study and perform with his group for two years. The group played a large role in recruiting others who felt like we did and would have otherwise gone out of state. It was a special time for me and all of us.

Is there an appreciable jazz scene there now?

There is not. I have seen the colleges and university program grow and have excellent faculties, but the local scenes aren’t ideal for a jazz scene. After all, there are only about 400,000 people scattered across one of the largest states.

What is the scene like where you live now?

I live in Denver, CO now and the scene is very healthy here. There is a wonderful mix of older, mid-aged, and younger musicians here who all contribute. As is the case in most cities, there aren’t enough places to play and expose the amazing talent and creativity, but Denver has always been a jazz hotbed.

It seems taking up the EVI was the result of an injury. Are you one of the pioneers of this instrument?

I did take up the EVI because of an injury to my lip. I had torn the muscle in my upper lip (obicularis oris) and needed two surgeries to repair it. The injury is actually called “Satchmo’s Syndrome” as Louis Armstrong suffered from it as well.

While I have regained some of my ability to play, the EVI has become my main instrument. EVI stands for Electronic Valve Instrument. I play the MIDI EVI made by Nyle Steiner.

This is a wind instrument that is a MIDI controller. It is quite an ingenious instrument and one that I feel is very expressive and versatile. I wouldn’t call myself a pioneer but I know I’m one of a very few who have committed to this instrument full-time.

What were the challenges in learning it?

The ability to get around the instrument was not particularly difficult. Like any other instrument, I spent years learning the intricacies and continue to do so. The real challenge was/is making a non-acoustic instrument have the same presence as an acoustic instrument and being able to bring such an instrument to life. I am, after all, playing a computer and always trying to be creative, conversational and emotional on something that doesn’t necessarily have a sound or voice. Many of my colleagues and closest friends, those who know of my ability on trumpet, often say that when they hear me play EVI it sounds just like me when I was playing trumpet. That is probably the best compliment I could receive.

Talk about the different effects and how to achieve them: vibrato, bending a note?

Most of the effects (tonal/sonic) are built into the sounds. The EVI is set up to manipulate that sound wave/sample in a way that we, as acoustic instrumentalists, would normally do. However, rather than use my lip or breath to alter the pitch, bend or vibrato, there are controls on the instrument that allow me to do this in real time.

How do you play it, that differs from a traditional woodwind?

The EVI/EWI is really an instrument grouping in and of itself. Outside of the fingering system there is not any comparison I can make. The breath PSI on the EVI vs. the trumpet or a woodwind instrument is not even close. The breath sensor on the EVI is amazing and can pick up most nuances similar to that of acoustic instruments.

Though it is an electronic instrument it is a wind instrument as well. The air goes in but does not go through. The EVI uses the lower octave trumpet fingering from C up a major 7th to B. The fingering is the same in all octaves. The left hand controls a canister that revolves allowing the change of octaves. The left index or middle finger also controls a sensor that changes the partial much in the same way a trigger on a trombone or double French horn would.

Do you miss the trumpet? Still perform with it?

I miss playing trumpet every day. I practice almost every day hoping I’ll work my beaten down lip back to shape, but I know the damage is done and most likely permanent. The physical aspect is difficult enough, but the mental aspect is what works against the rehab process.

The muscle memory that we create through thousands of hours practicing becomes a major obstacle when trying to rehab or relearn. Not in every case, but in mine, where the shape of my lip (scar tissue and stretching) has changed, ­ I have had to abandon the memory of what it was like to play and try to learn from the beginning.

This is not easy, as the mind is the all-powerful force in our body. My lip is still very damaged and doesn’t respond the way it should. There are a lot of dead zones that aren’t vibrating. With that said, I feel that it’s getting better very slowly but enough to give me hope that one day I’ll be strong and confident enough to perform on trumpet again.

Is an education necessary for listeners to appreciate the EVI’s sound?

I don’t think so. The sounds are all the same sounds we hear in everything. All sounds are just wave forms and the EVI allows the musical expression of wave forms just like any other instrument. The “education” actually comes in the looks of this thing. It is unlike anything else and people ask me more about the looks more than anything else.

When playing with other musicians, I think it takes some getting used to for them. We are trained to stand next to each other and we hear the sound/vibration/resonance coming from certain angles. Those angles are different when playing EVI. I almost always bring at least two monitors with me to create a “bubble of sound” that is somewhat similar to the angle others, including myself, are accustomed to hearing. With a monitor in front of me, on the side and behind I find that I have a presence very closely resembling an acoustic horn. Of course, it can get pretty loud and overpowering too.

Rather than buying new strings or valves, what are the costs of maintaining or repairing this instrument?

Pretty high when needed. Not many people have ever seen these, and those who have and can do repairs call the shots. Because my instrument is not a commercially made and marketed product, I have to be very careful and always have backups. I’m working on getting two more custom made for me…hopefully sooner than later.

How does it get tuned?

It’s programmed to be in tune when turned on. I have played around with tuning (microtonal) and decided that I did not want to go down that rabbit hole. There are several adjustment pots that can change the tuning, breath sensitivity, fingering sensitivity and portamento. I also have the ability to alter pitch with controls next to where my thumb is placed.

How would you characterize your particular sound?

I feel that I’ve always been a very modern player. I came into jazz through Miles Davis, Woody Shaw, Freddie Hubbard, etc. and always have looked to create a contemporary sound. Blues is at the heart of what we do and I don’t feel exempt from that.

I always want to be expressive and engaging but provocative as well. I have always felt that we should push the boundaries of what we can sound like artistically. As much as I love the “classics,” I believe we are mired in the past and that nostalgic affinity keeps the music from moving forward and attracting a new and young audience. I am always listening to other cultures’/generations’ music in hopes that it will influence my sound. I don’t want to sound dated.

Your 2008 CD “Cultural Instigator”- what was the inspiration behind it?

To put together a group of talented musicians with different backgrounds and fuse those dimensions with jazz and world music. My 30-second spiel on the band and the recording was jazz and world music, with the addition of contemporary musical trends.

If you listen to the tunes you will notice that there isn’t any semblance of a swing rhythm or bop stylings. While that would be fun and certainly in my wheelhouse, I wanted to have a band that was accessible but always on the edge of creativity. The title “Cultural Instigator” actually came out of a session where I was describing the direction I wanted to go. The studio head called me a cultural instigator and, at first, I laughed but realized that was what I was trying to do! Every tune is different and showcases the band in a different musical setting. The tunes were all mixed and recorded differently to capture what we wanted to convey artistically.

What is your favorite track and why?

It depends on the day. I love the back half of the CD. “Leather/Aimee/Pooja” were all written as a suite of music with sitar/table as a segue from piece to piece. I love how they turned out, but it was difficult trying to record them all at once so we had to record them separately.

“Kelly” is the second oldest of the tunes and has a special place in my heart as it reflected a time in my youth where I played jazz four nights a week for three years at the same club. It was a tune I came up with while walking to the gig one night and we ended up playing it almost every night since the initial conception. I have had the most success with “Kelly” because of its sound and style appeal to the masses.

I was proud of how the group pulled off “If She Only Knew.” This is a free-form tune that morphs from the minimalistic beginning through several time/feel changes and eventually group improvisation. Believe it or not, we spent the most time rehearsing that tune.

Talk about your band personnel and how you mesh together.

I put the band together in hopes of a long-term relationship. I wanted to create a unique “band sound.” We accomplished a lot in a short time and in a place (Las Vegas) that did not have much jazz going on at the time. Justin Vogel (bass) is one of my best friends and I initially talked to him about putting the album together. Justin is a bass player’s bass player and can play anything you ask of him. Listen to what he added to “Matador” after the trumpet solo. It’s only four bars but adds a lot and the tune can’t be played without it now.

Justin introduced me to Mitchell Anthony (drums). Mitch just blew me away with his technique and stylings but also his individual sound. Much of what I wrote for the CD only had sketches of what I wanted from the drums and Mitch took that and added his creative input. His style and solo on “Matador” and “Pooja” are great.

We found EJ Delgado (guitar) on Craigslist when he answered a call for an audition. We had other guys in mind for the guitar spot but EJ had a different background in rock/Brazilian/reggae/jazz and a very individual voice that I loved. I did not intend to feature guitar on every tune of the recording, but EJ rose to the challenge and gave me no better option.

EJ’s wife Rachel (keyboard) finishes out the group and was intended as a studio player only. However, she fit in very well with the group and is a great singer. Our live performances featured a lot of Rachel’s vocals. Overall, we had a great three-year run but eventually had to part ways. I think much of this was due to the economy forcing the larger festivals and clubs to limit booking newer groups. Forcing us to work mostly in Las Vegas made the commitment challenging.

Your favorite venues?

I loved playing at Dazzle (Denver), The Jazz Kitchen (Indianapolis), The Nash (Phoenix), Sonny’s Tavern (Las Vegas) and The Rhythm Kitchen (Las Vegas) because we had an instant appeal to the clientele here and did very well. The smaller, more straight-ahead jazz venues never fell in love with us and the feeling was mutual.

Where would you like to play that you have not yet?

I want to get on the larger circuit of festivals and concert halls. North Sea Jazz, Newport, Montreux, Umbria, etc. The music and band (even to this day) are made for larger audiences. It’s big, boisterous, loud, energetic stuff that larger audiences feed off.

What countries have you toured in?

Not necessarily toured but played in Norway, England, Canada, China and Malaysia.

What themes inspire you when you compose?

Life inspires me, and not necessarily my life directly. I can be an observer and get inspiration from watching others or events elsewhere. I am not much of an “I love you” or “I am pissed at the world” type of composer but take for example my tune “Kelly.” This tune was inspired by a woman named Kelly. She was a frequent patron of the bar at the club I played four nights a week for three years. She was young, attractive, and professionally successful as an attorney. Yet here she is, every night at the same place looking for “Mr. Right,” going home with someone different every night. I kind of felt sorry for her because she was a nice person but emotionally lost. The tune is in a minor key with a 4-measure melody that repeats itself time and again. It has a very sexy feel and a thrusting pulse by the bass but the melody is almost “3rd personish” and raises a questionable eyebrow with a note up a half step, as if her conscience is asking her if this is what she really wants.

How has jazz itself changed since you began performing?

The music has changed but has also remained very much the same. The learning curve has straightened out with the internet and learning to play this music has gotten easier.

I came about during the “Young Lions” movement. Being able to bop and play like Freddie, Lee, Clifford or Miles was imperative. A lot of creative people out there have been cast to the side because the industry only wanted young and fresh. With this music, time makes you better and being young is great but, doesn’t allow for longevity unless the artist is dedicated to moving in different directions and moving the art form forward.

There are much fewer places to play and almost no recording opportunities. Education and interest is, IMHO, at an all-time high but what are students supposed to do when they get out? There are so many great talents with nowhere to play and grow as artists. It’s much less now than when I started my professional career.

The art from is somewhat stagnant from the business/industry point of view. All the companies can market is straight-ahead or watered-down versions of the originals. There is amazing artistry and virtuosity all over the world but that is not what is being focused on. We constantly get more of the same and it’s pretty sickening.

Any CDs since “Instigator” or one in the works?

I have two that are in the works and if I can get the funding, maybe three. I would love to record them all at once. These will all feature a very unique sound in that the style will be modern and will feature me on EVI and not trumpet. Probably will have about 30-40 new tunes.

Future plans for the rest of 2017?

Trying to get this stuff recorded. I don’t feel touring or trying to book gigs is a good idea without a product to promote/market. I should probably look for a local-steady gig and maybe I will do that.

Other comments?

This art form is a music of assimilation. We take what we know and what we’ve just learned and combine to create. Please don’t stop doing that. That is what makes the art form so unique.

The musical regurgitation that has taken place over the past 30+ years has had catastrophic consequences to the art itself. The best thing about “jazz” is that it cannot be defined…let’s not try to put it in a box and define it, eh?

Thank you for the opportunity.

For more information, visit www.blu7music.com

Photos courtesy of and with permission of the artist.

© Debbie Burke 2017

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Wyoming Tribune story on James Barela (external link)

Josh Rhoten story on James Barela
http://wyoming-tribune.vlex.com/vid/jazzin-it-up-in-vegas-262227234

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nosolosmoothjazz review (external link)

Blu7 is a contemporary jazz band that performs music actually worth listening to. Brilliantly combines elements of modern Jazz styles or genres as diverse as Pop, R & B, funk and even in their Latin compositions added ingredient that is so fashionable.

http://www.nosolosmoothjazz.com/?p=4933

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Las Vegas Sun story on James Barela (external link)

Las Vegas Sun interviews James Barela
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/nov/23/trumpeter-back-jazz-scene-after-injury-lip/

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Paul Miller BBC review

"I just love these guys. Their music is fresh, the grooves are up front, and the musical styles are varied. Really good album..."

Paul Miller
BBC
March 2009

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Nick Mondello

Cultural Instigator, a debut CD by Las Vegas-based Blu7 (www.blu7music.com), is a highly interesting, eclectic instrumental effort. While rippling out from a smooth jazz focus, the entries here are all energized and never “vanilla jazz” bland or clichéd. This is a very tasty CD by a hip group of players.

Led by ace trumpeter James Barela, Blu7 fuses varied rhythmic and textural grooves, some tried and true and others unique and seductive in their own right. Surely, there are references and hat tips here to trumpeter-leaders in the contemporary jazz pantheon -- Herb Alpert, Rick Braun, Greg Adams, Eric Bolvin, later Miles Davis, et al. Barela has obviously been listening to these greats and its shows and shines in his fine playing.

Straight-ahead jazz lovers will find Barela and his Blu crew only occasionally slipping into that realm on his and their fine solo efforts. However, contemporary is the operative word here, so BeBoppers bop elsewhere.

Of particular interest is the smart mix of instruments and rhythmic textures – EJ Degado’s Bossa-tinged acoustic guitar and Barela’s neat Harmon on “Caipirinha,” Barela’s use of an EVI – an Electronic Valve Instrument (“Disruption”), the savvy incorporation of Sandip Thanki on Sitar and Tabla (“Aimee”) and Justin Vogel’s from-the-depths wailing arco bass (“If She Only Knew”). Drummer Anthony percolates all throughout. Barela knows how to get the most “orchestrally” out of this quintet. Whether acoustically or electronically, Blu7 never seems to give in to the gimmickry, though. There’s always a melodic, rhythmic or instrumental-choice surprise twist just ahead.

Nick Mondello-All About Jazz 2009

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T.R. Witcher review/Las Vegas Weekly

Anchored by Barela’s steady, full trumpet, and borrowing bits and beats from world music and hip-hop, the album tries to navigate the space between too avant-garde and too commercial. The stew includes straight-ahead, radio-friendly jazz-funk (“Matador”), some laid-back neo bossa (“Caipirinha”) and sleek cuts for a rainy day (“Pooja”).

Creates an unabashed sonic dreamscape of piercing solos, haunting guitar and shifting drum work. It recalls the angular, cool brand of funk of Steve Coleman, and points in an interesting direction.

T.R. Witcher
Las Vegas Weekly Nov. 2008

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Louis Marxx review

An Awesome Sunday
2008-06-02
SOURCE: Louie Marxx-www.smoothjazzbeachradio.com

My 2nd favorite of the night has to go to a brand new artists "BLU 7", with their newest CD titled, "Cultural Instigator". This album you can not put down, especially with "Matador" and "Kelly", both will put you on higher ground.