As a solo recording artist, working with an array of talented musicians, Pledge has created ten widely varied American Roots Music-based albums with forays into blues, rock, folk/country and even a well-received classic jazz project. And he has achieved consistent critical success and Top Ten Chart status.

As band leader, Pledge has assembled a team of like-minded musicians to help achieve and expand upon his eclectic American Roots Music vision. While Pledge’s solo projects have largely featured his award-winning original compositions, the 90+ song BLP Band’s repertoire deftly mixes classic blues, Americana and jazz songs with Pledge’s critically acclaimed compositions.

Lemon Live! documents the Blind Lemon Pledge Band in performance. Recorded over two performances in Pacifica, CA, this is a raw, warts-and-all testament to the tight rhythmic power and melodic strength of the band’s rootsy music. With Winston “Sioux City Slim” Andrews on harmonica, Peter Grenell on bass, rockin’ Juli Moscovitz on drums, and Blind Lemon Pledge on guitar and vocals, the quartet achieves an impressive acoustic fullness and sense of dynamics.

The album kicks off with three of Pledge’s originals: “Black Eyed Susie” – an energetic, slide guitar driven ode to Son House; “Hard Heart Honey Bee” – with echoes of rockabilly; and “Sugar Rush” – a swinging, gently risqué ragtime number.

“Somebody Loan Me A Dime”, the first cover tune, combines a variation on the Boz Skaggs arrangement with some of Fenton Robinson’s original vocal phrasings. “She’s Into Something” – a deep Muddy Waters cut with an unexpected rhumba beat, “I Feel Like Goin’ Home” – a classic Muddy Waters song, “Fever” which channels Little Willie John, and the classic Americana song “I Know You Rider” follow in short order with an array of tempos and moods. “You Can’t Get There From Here”, another Pledge original, brings in a melancholy touch of jazz. “Big Road Blues”, “Railroad Mama” and “The Red Rooster” drive us to the final cut: “Junkyard Dog” – a humorous Pledge original with boisterous audience participation.

Lemon Live! is a fun, lively, joyous romp through Blind Lemon Pledge’s unique and eclectic place in American Roots Music.

BIOGRAPHY

In 2024, Blind Lemon Pledge (aka singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, composer, producer James Byfield) released his 10^th album of Blues and Americana, showcasing his eclectic and award-winning compositional skills. “Oh So Good” shot to the top of the charts and stayed there for the rest of the year, earning the #3 spot on the year end Roots Music Report’s Top 50 Acoustic Blues Chart and #54 on RMR’s Top 200 All Blues Chart. Now he’s back again with a driving album recorded live with his eponymously named backup band featuring Winston Andrews on harmonica, Peter Grenell on bass and Juli Moscovitz on drums. “Lemon Live!” showcases Blind Lemon Pledge’s unique music in front of a live audience for the first time.

Byfield has a lifelong love of music and penned his first song at age eight, launching his ongoing fascination with the magic synergy between melody and lyrics. In his early teens, he discovered a world of great music through the twist of his radio dial. The pre-WWII Country Blues, including the great recordings of his stage-namesake Blind Lemon Jefferson, Son House, Skip James and others had a huge influence on his early musical development; at the same time he also absorbed an influencing mix of rock, folk, country, jug band, Zydeco and other genres, sometimes called Americana and Roots Music.

In high school, the young musician joined his boomer contemporaries in the 60’s Rock explosion. Over the years, he played in a variety of bands, as well as finding time to explore more exotic forms of music including jazz, a 5-year stint studying Chinese Classical Music and an abiding interest in electronic music and computer recording techniques. At one point, testing his compositional skills, he created the first ever Rock Music Mass under the aegis of Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. Ushering in the use of modern Rock Music in a liturgical setting, it received national press and was performed throughout California.

In 2008, following a long and honored career as a graphics designer and media producer, Byfield reconnected with his Blues and Americana roots, created the musical persona Blind Lemon Pledge, and began performing and recording under that name. The first BLP album, “Livin’ My Life With the Blues”, a mixture of original songs and blues classics, was self-recorded. Byfield soon found a market through the power of the Internet, allowing him to gain international radio/internet play and a warm critical reception in the blues community.

While fronting his blues quartet, Byfield continues to maintain a two front musical career with public performance and solo records that often feature guest musicians. His albums have received international airplay and many critical raves. His original songs have won several awards and nominations in the Blues, Folk, Jazz and Gospel categories.