SHELLEY JAMES MUSICBOX TO SHOWCASE
THE POWER OF MUSIC AT THE WILD DUCK

The music of certain bands can't always be easily classified. A song may resonate like gospel, switch quickly to a reggae beat with soulful lyrics and then blend into a sound filled with elements from rock and then Motown, ending to the vibration of clapping from a crowd of happy dancers. The music of Shelly James Musicbox can be darn hard to classify but the Eugene-based band always draws a crowd of dancers interested in twirling and gyrating during every song.

"I'm a singer that loves to sing great songs," James said. "My problem is, I guess, that I love all musical styles and can be a nightmare to market," James added.

Born in Canada and raised in a spiritual environment rich with music - Shelly James sang in a Gospel Quartet with her family - James discovered at an early age that music can be uplifting and positive.

"For me, music reflects my love of humanity," James said. "For three hours of bliss (during a concert), people can escape the cares of the day and dance, " James said.

James cut her musical teeth in Eugene as a vocalist for Pyramid Breakfast, where she met and fell in love with her now husband Cal Coleman, the current bass player for Musicbox. After a year or two of disillusionment in the music industry due to a bad experience had at the working end of a lawyer, James joined Satin Love Orchestra. A temporary band from the start, when Satin Love Orchestra disbanded, James re-discovered her love for singing and formed Musicbox.

"I had to get back on the horse," James said. "I was devastated, jaded and had no desire (to sing)," James said. "The three years with Satin Love Orchestra helped me get the love for music back" James said.

In the early 90's, Pyramid Breakfast used to play the now closed Veteran's Club in Eugene every Friday in a quite surreal scene, common at the Vet's Club in those days. Students from the UO dance school would band together and commandeer the dance floor, dressed in polyester for effect and working up a serious sweat through complex, athletic dance steps while college students drank cocktails and the locals sat at the bar, drinking tall bottles of beer and turning around to see what all the commotion was about now and again.

In 1993, James moved to Portland and commuted to Eugene for gigs. When Pyramid Breakfast broke up in 1994, James found herself embroiled in legal troubles that almost destroyed her desire to continue a musical career.

Shelley James released her solo LP "Crack the Shell" in 1995 as the legal wrangling continued and began to tour as the Shelley James Band up and down the I-5 corridor, from Los Angeles to Seattle, with her bass player and new husband Cal Coleman. Needing a year off from music, both moved back to Eugene in 1996. James re-discovered her love for music the following year with Satin Love Orchestra. With such inspiration, James re-mixed and released "Crack the Shell" in 1998.

"I paid my dues and discovered (that) there is nothing like the power of music," James said.

In between Satin Love Orchestra concerts, which played the club circuit for three years, James found time to sing with "Dark Side of the Moon" and "The Wall." Assembled by Big Green Events producer Brendan Relaford, the popular shows at the Wild Duck Music Hall recreated the classic Pink Floyd albums note for note.

Musicbox, which officially debuted at Art and the Vineyard in 2000, features Tom Teutsch on lead guitar, Rich Sellars on drums, Owen Wright on keyboards, Cal Coleman on bass and Shelley James singing in her signature rich and buttery tone. The band plans to release a gospel album later this year with more albums in the works.

After all the years, the music of Shelley James is still hard to classify but features sounds easy to appreciate. Shelley James Musicbox will showcase her love for music at the Wild Duck Music Hall Saturday, May 5th.