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James McMurtry: Harmony and Empathy

XPN | By David Dye
Published July 31, 2006 at 12:36 PM MST
James McMurtry.
James McMurtry.
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Singer-songwriter James McMurtry has a repertoire that ranges from soft ballads to tough rock songs to political anthems. A remarkable, empathetic songwriter, McMurtry has released seven enormously acclaimed albums in his nearly 20-year career.

McMurtry began playing guitar when he was only 7, and started writing songs in college, moving on to perform all over Arizona and Texas. His father (novelist Larry McMurtry) passed his demo to singer John Mellencamp, who produced James McMurtry's 1989 debut, Too Long in the Wasteland. Childish Things, his seventh studio release, shows McMurtry and his band at their best, with warm harmonies, smart lyrics and diverse instrumentation. This segment originally aired on July 14, 2006.

Copyright 2006 XPN
David Dye
David Dye is a longtime Philadelphia radio personality whose music enthusiasm has captivated listeners of World Cafe® since 1991. World Cafe is produced by WXPN, the public radio service of the University of Pennsylvania.
See stories by David Dye