Jim James of My Morning Jacket to Perform With Louisville Orchestra

Louisville, KY – The Louisville Orchestra is delighted to announce that Jim James of My Morning Jacket will perform with the Louisville Orchestra on Saturday, April 7, 2018 at 8PM at the Kentucky Center. Scheduled as part of the Orchestra’s “Classics Series” sponsored by Brown-Forman, the concert, titled “Kentucky Classics,” was already announced and is currently on sale.

James will perform with the orchestra in a set of his original songs orchestrated by LO Music Director, Teddy Abrams. The two have hoped to collaborate for years in an orchestral performance.

The concert on April 7, 2018, also features the orchestra performing a Louisville premiere of Natural History by Michael Gordon under the direction of Teddy Abrams. The piece, written to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the United States National Parks Service, honors the beauty and grandeur of the American National Parks. A selection from the 2017 Grawemeyer Composition First Place Award winning work Play by Andrew Norman will also be performed by the Orchestra.

Jim James

Tickets are $58 to $27 and are available at the only authorized LO ticket ventor: Kentucky Center Ticket Office (501 W. Main, Louisville) by calling 502.584.7777 or 800.775.7777 or online at KentuckyCenter.org. Concert details are available at LouisvilleOrchestra.org.

LOUISVILLE ORCHESTRA
PLAY: FESTIVAL OF AMERICAN MUSIC 1
SAT 07 APR 2018
8PM  |  Kentucky Center

Jim James, guest artist
Teddy Abrams, conductor

JULIA WOLF:  riSE and fly
ANDREW NORMAN:  Play, Level 1
JAMES / ABRAMS:  Song Cycle with Jim James
MICHAEL GORDON:  Natural History

JIM JAMES

Jim James has spent the better part of almost two decades as the lead singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist of My Morning Jacket.  Through seven studio albums, My Morning Jacket has grown into one of the most acclaimed rock and roll bands in the world. The New York Times heralded the band as, “…the new kings of expand-your-mind, religious-experience rock…”  Their last three albums, 2008’s Evil Urges, 2011’s Circuital and 2015’s The Waterfall, each received Grammy nominations for Best Alternative Album — the latter debuting at number 5 on the Billboard 200 chart.  Alongside the band’s recording and touring, James has maintained a steady, bordering on voracious, flow of work.

In 2013, James released his debut solo record, Regions of Light and Sound of God. James wrote, produced and played all instruments himself (except for strings and some percussion) for the record, which was inspired by life and the 1929 novel (written in woodcuts), ‘God’s Man’ by Lynd Ward. It was named one of the best albums of the year by PASTE, MTV and FUSE and was “the year’s first great record” (GQ). A performance of track “A New Life” on the then-hosted Late Night earned high praise from the now-Tonight Show host, Jimmy Fallon just this year: “”…to this day my favorite musical performance was ‘A New Life’ on Late Night that we did…He [Jim James] is fantastic. I love him”.

James’ most recent work is the politically-charged 2016 solo record, Eternally EvenRolling Stone described as, “nine flamboyantly spiritual songs wrapped in creamy electronics and set to funk and hip hop beats…an eccentric, gently compelling pleasure. [Jim James] renders his change gospel with conversational grace, Bill Withers warmth, Sly Stone optimism and Neil Young conviction”. The album’s release saw him embark on a national tour with appearances on the Tonight Show, The Late Late Show with James Corden and a debut at #1 on Billboard Alternative chart. The album topped many year-end ‘best’ lists, with NPR praising the record’s “arresting, soulful … transcendent tunes”.

James has continued expanding on his zealous lists of credits, lending his voice to albums by the likes of the Roots, David Lynch, Brandi Carlile and John Fogerty and partnering with other artists on numerous side projects such as New Multitudes, Monsters of Folk, and T-Bone Burnett’s The New Basement Tapes. Known for his live performances, James has found himself in the touring company of those like Neil Young, Pearl Jam, and Bob Dylan – even appearing in the Dylan-inspired film, I’m Not There. He has embedded himself in the world of film and television, be it through the use of his music in various projects or his long-running relationships with those in the field.  James has also established himself as a producer in his own right, producing records by Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Dean Wareham, Basia Bulat and Ray Lamontagne’s most recent record Ouroboros (2016), the same year in which he collaborated with NASA for the launch of their Juno Mission and Sundance Film Festival and their “Freedom of expression” event.

Although having recently moved to LA, James has little plan to remain in one place. My Morning Jacket embarked on a US tour this summer, which included a recent stop at the famed Forest Hills Stadium in NYC. James will also be embarking on a mix of unique solo acoustic and solo full-band performances including stops at Newport Folk Festival, the 50th Anniversary of Monterey Pop Festival, and at the Kennedy Center Honoring John Lennon.

LOUISVILLE ORCHESTRA
September Concert Schedule Snapshot
9.9.17 | Season Preview | Iroquois Amphitheater | 7pm | More Info
9.16.17 | Sgt. Pepper’s at the LO Pops | Kentucky Center | 8pm | Tickets | Info
9.23.17 | Yuja Wang Plays Rachmaninoff | Kentucky Center | 8pm | Tickets | Info
9.27.17 | Mostly Mozart | Kentucky Country Day School | 7:30pm | Tickets | Info
9.28.17 | Mostly Mozart | Ursuline Arts Center | 7:30pm | Tickets | Info
9.30.17 | Mostly Mozart | Paul W. Ogle Center at IUS | 7:30pm | Tickets | Info

The Louisville Orchestra is sponsored by the Fund for the Arts, The Kentucky Arts Council, and the Association of the Louisville Orchestra.
Brown-Forman sponsors the 2017/18 Classics Series.
LG+E Sponsors the 2017/18 Pops Series and the Music Without Borders Series.
Hilliard Lyons sponsors the 2017/18 Coffee Series.