Gravely James
VIP Skybar Stage
“Let's clear up a misunderstanding right away: as talented as he turns out to be (and this is indeed the case), the young singer-songwriter Chris Madronich (whose pseudonym Gravely James is therefore) is not, strictly speaking, bluesman, in the commonly accepted sense, but more the heir of a more than centuries-old tradition: a songster. More in the tradition of Leadbelly, Big Joe Wiliams, Bukka White, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Mississippi John Hurt, Woody Guthrie, Cisco Houston, Dave Van Ronk, Sonny Terry, Townes Van Zandt and Pete Seeger than that of Big Bill Broonzy, Howlin' Wolf or Muddy Waters, Gravely James proves to be an expert in the art of putting together these refrains which we begin to imagine as belonging to an immemorial heritage, when in fact they are indeed his pen.”
Patrick Dlongeville
Paris-Move , Blues Magazine , Illico & BluesBoarder
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Gravely James is an Americana & Folk singer-songwriter based in Niagara, ON. Growing up in Port Colborne, ON Madronich spent a decade playing trumpet with a variety of jazz bands, which has inspired him to incorporate blues, soul, and rock into his art. Through these experiences, along with teaching himself guitar, he developed soulful songwriting and dynamic performance skills which ultimately led him to Gravely James.
Whether his performances are supported by his 97.7 HTZ-FM Rocksearch 2023 winning band, Gravely, or acoustic - you can expect nothing less than high energy instrumentals and passionate vocals. Madronich shares his lust for life and travels through his captivating shows, intricate lyricism, and multi-genre influence.
He has released a stripped-down folk record titled “From Steve’s Shed”, along
with a new single “Cosmos” in partnership with Snareguy Records. The album
has received many praise, and has already been getting steady airplay
throughout North America thanks to "At The Crossroads Blues Radio".