"Samuel James is like a time machine – the same one that keeps Son House and Mississippi John Hurt traveling back to the public consciousness."
                         Portland Phoenix

A master of fingerstyle, slide, banjo, harmonica and piano, blues artist Samuel James will bring his special brand of entertainment to the Centenary Stage on Saturday, February 7 at 8 PM.With musical influences ranging from Skip James and Sonny Terry to Gus Cannon and Charley Patton, James has been called one of the most relevant blues artists to come along in the contemporary music scene. Channeling the sounds of Mississippi John Hurt and Piedmont soul, his performances have won him accolades and awards and standing ovations.

James’ musical lineage stretches back to the post-slavery era, his grandfather a guitarist playing blues styles of the era at the turn of the century. James’ father carried on the musical lineage, becoming a professional pianist and trombonist. James himself leaned to tap dance at age five, was playing piano by age eight and was touring the Northeastern Circuit professionally by the age of 12. As a song-writer, his heritage is descended from the long forgotten art of the songster and storyteller, living dynamically within the style of the blues, with his stamp of originality in every song. "Pre-war blues is the most intimate for me," James stated recently, "[It’s] like a conversation with the audience."

Audiences in the region can begin their own "conversation" with this singular guitarist and celebrate Black History Month with the artistry of the blues on Feb 7th.

Lackland Performing Arts Center

Lackland Performing Arts Center scheduled for    completion in 2010

The Centenary Stage Company and all it’s programs will find a new home with construction the Carol and David Lackland Center, scheduled for completion in Spring, 2010. With a 22,000-square-foot performance space, the facility is destined to become the most sophisticated performing arts venues in northwest New Jersey. The center will include a 500-seat theatre, a black box theater, a dance studio, scene shop, a costume shop, green room and dressing rooms. In addition to housing the theatre, the 68K square foot Lackland Center will be a home for a variety of cultural activity, and will include WNTI, the College’s listener-supported public radio station, CCTV, Centenary’s Comcast-licensed television studio, and gallery space for visual artists.

Named in honor of Carol Burgess Lackland, A Centenary graduate (Class of 1954), and her husband, David A. Lackland, a Centenary College Trustee, The David and Carol Lackland Center, has been designed to enrich student life and bring new cultural opportunities to northwest New Jersey.   ...more (including photos, progress reports, and 'Tour Lackland with Carl')

www.centenarystageco.org           boxoffice@centenarystageco.org
400 Jefferson Street, Hackettstown, NJ 07840       908-979-0900
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Revised: December 23, 2008
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