American recording artist Jo James has a gift for songwriting and entertaining a crowd. From heavy-hitting stages to intimate heartfelt performances, Jo James continues to captivate audiences in a powerful way.
Jo has worked and performed with some of the industry's top acts and also received the honor award at the 100% Music Songwriting Contest.
Jo uses his songwriting, stage performance, & life struggles and triumphs to encourage, uplift, & inspire others. His voice can simultaneously break a heart and heal any broken soul.
"Great raw talent and voice is lovely to listen to."
- John Legend
Originally from Ottawa Canada, Anders was singing and playing from his first gig at a jazz club at 16. He never looked back. Since then he has written and performed on countless albums, toured 18 countries spanning 5 continents, released two solo records plus a plethora of singles and recently earned a place on Nick Jonas’ team on season 18 of NBC’s The Voice.. in 2020, no less.
He is a consummate multi-instrumentalist believing that the best way to understand one thing is to know it in the context of another. He plays guitar, mandolin, piano, bass, pedal steel, writes, sings, acts, dances... you get the idea.
His career has taken a lot of interesting turns; being scooped up to front an all Cuban rock band based in Havana when he was 22 then touring Europe for years as a pedal steel/guitar player for numerous artists. He gained critical acclaim from the Montreal Gazette in 2013 for acting the lead role in a theatrical stage play about the life and times of Gram Parsons. Anders has toured extensively in Mexico, Canada, USA, Australia, China, Africa.. It's a rich tapestry with no boring moments. Through each experience Anders quietly worked on his performance and songwriting craft, never missing an important lesson to pour into his songs.
His style has been categorized as Americana in that it rolls smoothly down a track with frequent stops at the stations of blues, country, rock and roll, R&B and latino influenced music. The live shows have gained a reputation for being spontaneous and exciting on account of the phenomenal musicians he plays with and the wide variety of music on the palette. Truly accomplished players supporting a powerhouse writer and performer. Anders moved to Austin in 2019 and is quickly becoming a name to remember, despite being a little tough to pronounce. He remains a student of his business and a servant to his muse, prepared with experience beyond his years for whatever comes next.