Performing -

July 8 2010 - Gearhart, OR, Sandtrap (Triple Threat Rockwriters), 7:00PM

July 10 2010 - Portland, White Eagle - Reina Collins CD Release, 9:00PM

July 15 2010 - Forest Grove, Grand Lodge (Triple Threat Rockwriters), 7:00PM

Jul 16 2010 - Salem, OR, Boons Treasury (triple threat), 9:00PM

July 17 2010 - Sherwood, OR, Sherwood Robinhood Fest (triple threat), 1:00PM

July 17 2010 - Hillsboro, OR, Rockcreek Tavern (triple threat), 9:00PM

Story

A Pacific NW native, Joshua Slamp was born into a musical family. Beginning his musical exploits on piano at the age of 9, then trombone at 11, before switching to guitar. Self taught and eager to create, he set out to discover his voice. During the height of the "Grunge Era", Portland was pulsing with creative energy, an abundance of talent and venues helped drive the local music scene. Joshua soon found himself center stage performing in such notable acts as Mind Disciple, Feral Muthas and the Fetish Kings, collectively spanning more than 10 years.

Mid 2005 marked the beginning of Joshua's solo endeavor. It was then; he released his self-titled debut. Drawing influence from such artists as Jeff Buckley, Nick Drake, John Scofield and Pat Metheny. Indie-music.com describes his CD as "an eclectic mix", "with a lush diversity" and proclaiming it "an impressive debut". Since then, Slamp has devoted his energy toward live performance with his one-man show, playing over 200 shows to date. Continuing to push his creative vision, with over three hours of dazzling improvisational guitar.

So what make Joshua Slamp's live show so unique? Upon first listen, one might think the sounds that emanate from this lone guitarist must be coming from a prerecorded tape or CD. How could a soloist create such lush layers with just a guitar? Simple, just watch his feet. Equipped with two real-time loop pedals and his trusty acoustic guitar, Joshua performs, then captures the song's rhythmic structure, which creates the foundation for his improvisational texturing. Orchestrating sounds from bass to percussions, giving his audience the sense of a full ensemble; there's never a dull moment. Joshua has redefined the meaning of "soloist".

Currently Slamp is promoting his latest CD, "Slide Into Christmas"; a collection of seven Christmas classics adapted on acoustic slide guitar. "I think it is important for musicians to not only create original work but provide new insight on standards. I thought it would be a fun and refreshing take on songs we all hold dear to our hearts. My album takes those songs and gives them a Delta blues twist", says Slamp.

Sleigh ride of slide by Cory Fry

ALBANY -- Joshua Slamp isn't used to covering other people's material, much less chestnuts of comfort and joy. After all, the Portland-based guitarist rocked and buzzed through the '90s in such area bands as Mind Disciple, Feral Muthas and Fetish Kings -- none known to "fa la la" -- before going solo in 2005. Though he was adept at many styles, Christmas songs weren't part of his repertoire.

But, as an artist, Slamp loves a challenge. So when he was approached last year for a corporate function at the Portland Art Museum -- with the caveat that he augment his set list with random holiday standards -- he accepted the offer. The gig was a festive success, and Slamp had the genesis for a most unusual sonic season's greeting.

The six-song "Slide Into Christmas," which Slamp unwraps at 8 p.m. tonight at the Calapooia Brewing Company in Albany, fuses two dissimilar conditions: holiday cheer, and the blues as delivered via the slippery slur of the slide guitar. On paper, the contradiction is curious: Christian fare as interpreted by what was once demonized as "devil music." On disc, however, the union is divine, a cool evocation of a Delta porch on a wintry morn, of calloused fingers smoothing weathered frets as eyes absorb miles of frozen white.

"When it comes to Christmas albums, it's all been done before," Slamp explained of his approach. "This was a creative challenge -- a physical one, too, with the limitations of the slide. Plus, I'm not a traditional slide guitarist. I love the sound of the guitar, so this to me seemed a natural progression."

Yet it's rooted in something very old. On "Slide," Slamp dabbles not in the electric blues of stadium jams and pony-tailed ennui but in the acoustic yearnings of thick shellac, from a time when the form's practitioners were first committed to posterity in the 1920s and '30s. The album was inspired in part by the toil of Robert Johnson, Blind Boy Fuller and Mississippi John Hurt, only one of whom (Hurt) lived to see the halfway point of the 20th century and enjoy, in person, the accolades accorded the masters. Those early recordings -- fat with aged crackle and hiss -- still bubble with a vibrant warmth. Many are illuminated by the addition of a slide, whether it comments with a wry aside, ribald wink or troubled shudder, creating another, almost simultaneous layer of expression.

"It allows the guitar to play the part of the melody," Slamp elaborated. "It also has this real vocal quality. There's an intimacy as well, and a vulnerability. In a lot of those early blues, there's a vulnerability to what these guys did. They cut records in little time, so there are little flaws and a lot of character in their songs."

"Slide's" offerings reveal such character as well. Most of Slamp's interpretations could hardly be called straightforward or traditional. He strips "Angels We Have Heard on High" of its choral bombast to expose the simple and lovely composition beneath -- though he can't resist adding his own flourishes and drops. "The First Noel" could be mistaken for a slack-key lament, a tropical hail from a winter wonderland. "Joy to the World" and "White Christmas" nod at their structures while skating past to explore other paths. The most interesting track, however, is "Deck the Herald," a cocoa-warm blend of "Deck the Halls" and "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing." The songs are tightly woven into each other and layered with a blanket of new-fallen licks.

"That came up as I was working those songs out," Slamp said. "I thought they'd make an interesting mash-up. And I couldn't pass up the opportunity to call it 'Deck the Herald.' They have similar tunings and characteristics. It was just a fun way to mix it up. But I like to let the music lead me along; I try not to force it too much."

Loosey'sLucy Interview

LooseyLucy's Headquarters
Volume 4, Issue 10/Volume 4, Issue 11 May/June 2009

Interview with Indie Musician, Joshua Slamp

Q) What motivated you to become a musician and how did you get started?
A) I started playing guitar at the age of 15. As long as I could remember, I had a love for music. Started out learning the piano at 9 and quickly grew tired of it...moved on to the trombone, merely because the music director at school pushed me into it. My father played guitar and we would have jam sessions, him on guitar and me on trombone. It was a lot of fun. Tried that for a couple of years. Once a few of my friends started playing guitar, was when really started getting interested. Haven't looked back since.

Q) Tell us a little bit about your music.
A) I'm not afraid to blur musical genres. I'll play a traditional blues slide number one minute, move to a Jazz fusion piece the next and immediately follow up with a touching singer-songwriter vocal ballad. It's all relative to me. Plus I get bored creatively. I try to push myself. When I play live, I like to use two loop-pedals to record rhythms on the spot to improvise over or beat on the guitar to create beats. Whatever I feel like doing at the moment. It should be organic and interesting.

Q) There are mixed feelings within the music industry about new Internet technologies. How do you see the future of the music industry? How do you see these technologies affecting your music?
A) As with everything, there's a pro and a con. I have an internet presence, but find that the bulk of my music sales come from CD's sold at my shows. I still press my own CD's. The thought of having a huge inventory of product seems like bad business in these changing times. I think we'll continue to see more downloading and start moving into more streaming of music. Sites that offer a low monthly fee to have access to anything out there. My only concern, is how any of us will be compensated for it. Recorded music will really be more of a promotional tool. But it could help in securing higher-profile gigs.

Q) What is one positive thing and one negative thing you have learned about the music business through your experiences?
A) Boy...I'm still trying to find the positive...no the fans, the people I meet when I play out. I've found them to be the most positive thing. Nothing more fulfilling than connecting with a new fan or audience. As for negative, the business as a whole. The "music business" has nothing to do with talent. It's really more about who you know and how much press you can get. It's about making money. If you want the high-profile gigs, fame and fortune, you need to prove that your product can deliver the goods. If you have talent too, well then you've got us all beat.

Q) What advice can you give to other musicians who are trying to make a career of music?
A) A real career in music is a job. You have to accept that quickly or you're going to fall by the wayside in no time. I personally dislike the PR side of things, it's just not my forte. But it's something I'm having to work on. Nobody is going to know you exist if you don't start leaving breadcrumbs and screaming on rooftops. So write your songs, play a hell of a lot and keep working on finding ways for your potential fans to find you.

Sketches CD Review

"This dude is very good at the guitar, though blues picking fans and George Bensonites might not fall into the same ear camp. But when his resonant vocals kick in it lassos things together."

-Roctober Magazine #46




"There is something warm and familiar about Joshua Slamp's voice, but his album, Sketches, is largely instrumental. "One to Remember" is a moving jazz/acoustic guitar instrumental, and Joshua shows off his full, strong voice on the second track, a bluesy folk song, entitled "Dangerous." The danceable, "Irvington," is a funky instrumental with a heady/spacey guitar sound performed with his band, Slampsquatch. On the Delta blues instrumental, "Around the World," Joshua shows solid musicianship, and the folk song, "Home," has a very memorable chorus and lyrics. "Touche" is a bluesy instrumental with an affective breakdown, and the sultry ballad, "What's Real," has complex, introspective lyrics. "A New" is a flowery, hippy folk instrumental, and is followed by a dirty, raw blues rock tune with a singing guitar called "Letting Go." The instrumental, "Take A Hike," is dancey, fun and funky with a cool organ-synth sound. "Downhome Funk" is a "jump up and dance" instrumental, and "To The Edge I Walk" is a beautiful guitar ballad. Joshua Slamp has extremely clean guitar playing, and his album is a pleasure to hear!"

-LooseyLucy's Headquarters

Self-Titled CD Review

By Kevan Breitinger of Indie-Music.com

Another self-written, self-titled, self-played and self-produced CD. Except this one has the notable distinction on being very, very good. Can I get away with calling it a slamp-dunk?

Joshua Slamp has created an eclectic mix of songs, about half of them instrumental, with a lush diversity. Acoustic guitar is prominently featured, but electric is represented as well as some nicely placed violin. Slamp describes some of these instrumentals as mere "noodling," but he's selling himself short. Several are distinctive jazz-flavored pieces, each executed with great precision. "Take a Hike" stands out here, not just for the beautifully swelling organ notes but for the George Benson-like electric guitar riffs. There is an understated masculinity to this music, despite its exquisite tenderness. Maybe it's the deep Lou Reed vocals, but I think it goes deeper than that, to the actual structures of these unique songs.

The spooky pacing of "Letting Go" sets a mood for the project, and the stark beauty of "One Memphis Night" confirms it. Most of the songs time out at around three minutes, and there is a well-constructed flow to the CD, the instrumentals placed perfectly within the framework. "Irvington" stands out for its happy little melody, and the layered guitar work of "Diestro" closes things out nicely with its tight groove. An impressive debut.

Clean Clean

Clean Clean

Artist Name
00:00 / 00:00