By Jeffrey James
Free Smiles Productions

Jeffrey James returned to Madison’s Northside after a summer abroad sharing his distinct, heartfelt sound across the U.S. and Europe. James is known on the singer-songwriter circuit for his ambitious and adventurous world tours. With just a 20-pound backpack and a hard-case guitar, James has performed at special events such as the 21st Annual California WorldFest, house concerts in Reykjavik, Iceland, and Madison’s own Between The Waves Festival.

James has been writing and performing music for over 15 years. In 2013 he launched “The Jeffrey James Show,” where a soulful folk sound combines smiles, spirit and improvisation for a unique and engaging experience. The show has been performed more than 300 times in the past three years at festivals in Colorado, Europe, Hawaii, the Midwest and the West Coast. James runs a blog at Free Smiles Productions and consults artists around the globe.

James’ music video for the Madison anthem song “Home Again” has garnered international attention. Jaime Dow, CEO of Sunny-One Entertainment Consultants in Hollywood, said, “Jeffrey James, in my professional opinion, is one of our industry’s future music giants and he will have a long, successful career composing, recording and performing his musical creations.” In 2014 James received the Northside Planning Council’s North Star High Impact Award for his energy and vision in helping create a fun, family-friendly Northside Independence Day celebration.

After two years on the road, James collaborated with multi-instrumentalist and audio engineer, Russick Smith, in recording “The Jeffrey James Show’s” fifth album entitled “Everywhere,” featuring Tim Snider and Max Ribner of Medicine for the People. The album’s genre-blending style weaves world, folk, reggae and slide guitar. “Everywhere” releases worldwide Sept. 28.