Electrified Blues! That's what you get with DICKY JAMES AND THE BLUE FLAMES. This
Midwest band from Indiana draws lifeblood from the bluesy sounds of St. Louis and
Chicago, down to the delta of Mississippi; the stories of lost love, of painful memories
burned into the soul of a hard life. That's the only way blues is good...when you can feel it
and not just play it. When you listen to greats like MUDDY WATERS, ROBERT JOHNSON,
JOHN LEE HOOKER or PINETOP PERKINS, you feel their pain and struggle. You can't be a
true Blues artist unless you evoke those feelings from your audience. Dicky James and the
Blue Flames immerse you in those feelings.
RICHARD WAGSTER--aka “Dicky James”--started playing guitar while getting inspiration
from Blues and Motown records. Since the age of 18, he has played nationwide in various
Rock and Blues bands, sharing the stage with greats like ROD PIAZZA, BIG DADDY KINSEY,
BIG TWIST AND THE MELLOW FELLOWS and KOKO TAYLOR. In 2008, he formed The Blue
Flames with BOB "Icehouse" FREEZE on harp, JOHNNY "Lightning Bee" BEESON on the B3
Hammond, MARK "P-Funk" FORD on bass and WILL COX (Hey, we’ve got to get you a cool
name too!) beating the drum skins.
To say these guys are good is a HUGE understatement. Each musician takes their own
vision and blends it to make the perfect Blues sound. Dicky's strong vocals and songwriting
abilities interface with all of the other musicians, to give you a true musical experience.
The sweet harp in the hands of Bob can turn in a moment to gritty, dusty road, down-onmy-luck wailing. The Hammond solos transcend to something almost majestic—Johnny’s
blending and shaping adding depth and substance to the songs that would be lost without
it. The funk of the Jazz-trained bassist Mark adds a smoothness that feels edgy, yet soft to
the touch; deep licks that give your bones that rattle without causing pain. And Will knows
the exact time to strike the drums harder or softer, adding his own interpretation with a
masterful skill lacking none--you know the percussion section is alive and well. Bring
Dicky's powerful, guitar solos into the mix with his cutting, road-worn, whiskey-thrashed
vocals, switch him up with a dobro occasionally…and watch the magic happen!
Their first album “The Blues Taste Good” was called "brilliant and timeless". It opened the
eyes of the Blues scene to take notice. In 2011, those same eyes had a bright light shine
into them with their second CD release “Hard Rain”. In September 2011, “Hard Rain” shot
to #1 in the nation on the Blues Roots charts, handily beating more well-known artists like
THE TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND, GRACE POTTER, JOSH STONE, BONNIE RAITT and MARC
BROSSARD. They also earned “Best Self-Produced CD” for Indiana and other numerous
and prestigious awards, to include Nashville Blues Society, and the Indiana Blues
Challenge.
The Blue Flames have radio airplay on almost all stations that have call signs starting with
a “W” or a “K”, just too many to list. And not just in the states, as their music is worldwide
with countries on the list like Guam, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Hungry,
Germany, Norway, Scotland, France, Croatia...you get the idea.
I could tell you about some of their fan reviews, but there are just page after page after
page of their fans--new and old--giving them props for an excellent job. So grab a copy of
their CD, give it a listen, and I'm sure you will agree, Dicky James and The Blue Flames are
masters of the Blues domain.
https://www.facebook.com/DickyJamesandtheBlueFlames
http://www.dickyjamesandtheblueflames.com/