Jeau James makes classic music for the contemporary world, blurring the lines between electric blues, rock & roll, blistering soul, and funk. It's a sound anchored by grooves and guitars, delivered by a longtime musician who makes his official debut with 2022's Fated. 

A debut album 10 years in the making, Fated was recorded with Grammy-nominated producer/songwriter Eric Corne (John Mayall, Sugaray Rayford, Walter Trout) and legendary drummer Kenny Aronoff (John Mellencamp, John Fogerty, Jerry Lee Lewis). James pulls triple-duty as the album's frontman, lead guitarist, and bass player, leading his collaborators through a batch of songs rooted in sharp songwriting and raw, rhythmic performances. Composed during a decade-long stretch that found him battling — and overcoming — a life-threatening heart condition, Fated delivers rallying cries and reflection in equal measure, with James writing songs about compassion, catharsis, and the confidence needed to blaze one's own trail.

Years before moving to his adopted hometown of Los Angeles, James grew up on the move, shuffling between New Mexico, Kentucky, and Chicago while still a child. "My father was in the Air Force, so we kind of got around," he explains. Along the way, he began listening to music that was as diverse as his travels. After cutting his teeth in New York City during early adulthood, James relocated to L.A., bringing his own musical mix — a combination of Isley Brothers-inspired funk, gospel, guitar grit, and the open-minded optimism of late-1960s rock — with him. 

From the start, James' songs bridged the gap between rock & roll's golden years and the present day, so it made sense that two of his earliest champions were legends who'd both shaped mainstream music during previous decades. "Jeau's songs, vocals, and brilliant guitar playing are so unique, passionate, and authentic," says Kenny Aronoff, who began working with James during those early years in Los Angeles. Another supporter was the late Billy Preston, a keyboard-playing virtuoso who'd toured with Little Richard, recorded with The Beatles, and collaborated with The Rolling Stones. Preston became a personal mentor, backing up James during a handful of LA shows and even hiring him to play bass on one of Preston's final recordings. 

Before Jeau James could truly deliver his own version of the blues with Fated, though, he had to live the blues. Financial issues haunted him for years, and his own personal demons — "a fear of either failure or success," he says — prevented him from releasing the music he'd been recording with Corne and Aronoff at Mad Dog Studios. Things became even more dire when doctors diagnosed him with a serious heart condition. "I had a situation with my aorta," he clarifies, "and I had to undergo an operation. I survived it and overcame it. While I was recovering, I remember thinking, 'Why have I not done what I came to earth to do? How much more development do I really need to do?' I woke up on the other side and knew I simply had to do this. The whole situation gave me something to say and something to play."

Fated is both an introduction and a comeback story. It's a bold battle cry from a musician who knows what it's like to come face-to-face with his own mortality. Here, Jeau James celebrates life over the course of eight songs, pouring plenty of heart, soul, and bluesy rock & roll into a track list that struts and swaggers.

JEAU JAMES