Biography

Keyboardist Teresa James and her band, the Rhythm Tramps, have long reigned as one of Los Angeles’ leading contemporary blues groups, even though their uncommonly imaginative repertoire, much of it supplied by Terry Wilson, James’ husband, producer, and bassist, is by no means strictly limited to the 12-bar form. Their 2019 CD Here in Babylon was nominated for a Grammy in the Contemporary Blues Album category. Rose-Colored Glasses, the band’s new release on Blue Heart Records, continues that proud tradition. Their 12th album features a coterie of Texas guitar greats, including Anson Funderburgh, Lee Roy Parnell, Johnny Lee Schell, Snuffy Walden, and Dean Parks. “Growing up, I was exposed to a lot of different kinds of music,” Teresa says. “I studied classical music until I was in high school and my dad taught me how to play guitar when I was 8. Those seeds ultimately blossomed into a musical career including recordings with Walter Trout, Eric Burdon, Stephen Bruton, Randy Newman, LeeRoy Parnell, Neil Diamond, and more; plus live performances with countless others, including Marcia Ball, Levon Helm, Delbert McClinton, and Eric Burdon & the Animals. She has been a featured act on Delbert McClinton’s Sandy Beaches Cruises for more than twenty years. Her band, The Rhythm Tramps, consists of world class players that have worked with artists including Eric Burdon, Bonnie Raitt, Delbert McClinton, Jimmy Vaughan, Smokey Robinson, and more.