“Be yourself and play what moves you. James Jamerson said it best: ‘If you don’t feel it, don’t play it’”: Parlor Greens’ Jimmy James is putting the soul back into guitar, groove by groove

Jimmy James holding a sunburst Silvertone.

New bands rarely strike gold from the jump; assembling the right players can be tricky, and the timing and mood are a big part of the magic. But the chemistry between guitarist Jimmy James and his bandmates in Parlor Greens exploded the first time they got in a room together.

“I think it was the same night we flew in,” James says. “A groove started happening, and the next thing you know, [it became] ‘West Memphis.’ You catch a certain vibe, and there it is.”