Celestial Greetings

During a musical career begun as a professional organist while still in his teens, James has appeared in major concert halls throughout North America, Europe and Australia, from New York’s Lincoln Center to the Konzerthaus in Vienna, Austria. James’ 1991 debut tour as a glass armonicist was praised by both critics and public alike, appearing in New York City, London, Amsterdam, Vienna and Salzburg. His glass instrument recital and ensemble appearances have since taken him to venues in London, Paris, Versailles, Nantes, Munich, Hannover, Cologne, Florence, Rome, Verona, Naples, and Venice, Vienna, Brussels, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Den Haag, Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Quebec City, among others. James continues to appear before United States audiences from New York City to Los Angeles and most major cities between.

“There was plenty to enjoy in the varied chamber program presented by the Midsummer Mozart Festival in Herbst Theatre Monday night, but nothing quite so striking as the inclusion of Mozart’s only two works for glass armonica. Under the moist fingers of Dennis James, this wondrous contraption emitted a haunting, ethereal music that was a far cry from the tones of more traditional instruments. James played the solo work surely and tenderly, savoring the clash of its brief dissonances and resolving them into harmonies that rang with extraordinary sweetness.”

Joshua Kosman - San Francisco Chronicle

Born in Philadelphia in 1950, James began formal musical training at the age of seven. He attended Indiana University’s School of Music as a student of both concert and church organ performance, earning his bachelors and masters degrees. His New York debut organ recital was held at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in 1973 and his organ concerto debut was with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 1982. James has since appeared with orchestras in forty U.S. cities plus various ensembles throughout Canada and The Netherlands.

A glass instrument authority, Dennis James presents illustrated lectures and solo recitals in addition to his guest appearances. He also founded several chamber ensembles himself, including the Musica Curiosa Trio, the Arcadian Players and the Franklin Consort to showcase his unusual instrument collection.

“The Glass Armonica really is an instrument derived from musical wineglasses, and lest you chuckle at the idea, consider that Mozart took it seriously enough to write several works for it. Consider also that in the right hands, it’s quite a gorgeous instrument. James turned on an impressive display of musicality and, what despite my lack of any substantive knowledge of the instrument, I will call technique. Listening, it’s easy to hear what Mozart heard in it, for it marries what is essentially a keyboard’s horizontal layout with an organ’s sustained tone, a flute’s pleasantly sinusoidal wave structure, and a piano’s dynamic responsiveness. It accommodates myriad subtleties of articulation, and a palette of colors, all in the pastel, which are nevertheless varied and infinitely subtle.”

Michael Manning - The Boston Globe

James’ glass armonica theatrical engagements began when he toured throughout France during the early 1990s with six other actor-musicians presenting “Glass Music at the Salon of Benjamin Franklin,” a theatrical production written especially for his unique talent. His portrayal of Pauvre Richard, the armonica-playing servant to Benjamin Franklin, was critically acclaimed and enthusiastically applauded by audiences. James performed his opera debut in 1995 with his restoration of the original glass armonica part in the famous ‘Mad Scene’ in Donizetti’s “Lucia di Lammermoor”.

CRISTAL: Glass Music Through the Ages, Dennis James’ debut recording for the Sony-Classical label, features performances with The Emerson String Quartet, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and vocalists Ruth Ann Swenson, Veronique Diestchy and Linda Ronstadt plus members of the Los Angeles Opera. James currently tours his thematic glass programs “A Jeffersonian Soiree” and “Mozart Curiosa” plus the evening length festival ensemble program, “Three Hundred Years of Glass Music” and continues his unique and illustrious musical career here as a guest artist with the Seattle Women’s Chorus.

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Cris’s stellar vocals and compelling persona are regarded as legendary for good reason. Despite being like a well-kept secret, and dwelling almost completely in the independent music world, she nonetheless had an impact worldwide. During an interview in Washington, D.C., she conceived of a national all-women’s record company, which subsequently issued her now-legendary classic, The Changer and the Changed — one of the best-selling independent releases of all time. Cris’s Music was embraced and so-called by audiences hungry for fresh, bold sound able to match the uncharted waters of the mid-seventies. It took close to a decade for the genre to earn a critical reception, and by that time Cris’s astounding vocals were earning reviews sounding as though they were penned by close relatives. Finally, the stage had been set for women, and particularly for lesbians, to write, produce, record, and issue their own material ’ on their own terms. Heralded by The Boston Globe as, “a brilliant lyricist and composer”, Cris’s music has always defied categorization. Whether it’s the vibrant clarity of Blue Rider, or the live concert recording celebrating the (then) fifteenth anniversary of the anthemic Changer, Williamson continues to traverse the musical and lyrical map. A dynamic performer, she electrifies, empowers, and enlightens audiences across the generational and musical spectrum.

For nearly 30 years, Cris has toured incessantly, performing in Russia, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. One of the most sought-after performers on the acoustic circuit, she continues to criss-cross America, selling out Carnegie Hall three times, and headlining among others, the Newport and Kerrville Folk Festivals.

For Cris, the music has always been the vehicle for something larger. Her lyrics appear on a regular basis in books and thesis papers. Her albums are part of the curriculum for women’s studies courses, and thousands of people who may not even know her name join their voices in ”Song of the Soul” around campfires and places of worship. She is often considered a treasure, passed hand-to-hand, person-to-person.

Says the Boston Phoenix, “Williamson is an heroic character whose tireless activism continues.” Indeed. She has appeared on a multitude of benefit records including On A Winter’s Night and Legacy, the late Michael Callen’s final project. On behalf of Native American issues, she has helped the weavers of Big Mountain, and performed with Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Brown, Floyd Westerman and John Trudell on the Water for Life Tour.

Cris has as shared her talents with an incredibly diverse array of artists, including Bonnie Raitt, Holly Near, Vicki Randle, and Laurie Lewis. She also played a part in Kate Wolf’s tribute CD. Recently, Cris has devoted a portion of her heart and time to The Songbird Foundation, sharing the stage and cause with Bonnie Raitt, Danny O’Keefe, Tom Robbins and Keb Mo.

Considered by many to be her finest work to date, Ashes, her latest CD on her own label, Wolf Moon Records, is a powerhouse collection of 12 artfully-crafted songs which read like a map of the heart’s own landscape.

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