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GUITAR FOR A BRUSH

Aussie singer/songwriter James Blundell is back with Portrait Of A Man, a new album he
believes is among his best on several levels as he explained to Bob Anthony.

JAMES Blundell gets a wry smile on his face when he says he can “make a 70-year-old
man with a tan blush”.

Probably, because that 70-year-old is his father, Peter, and the subject of the title song to
his latest album, Portrait of a Man. The album is James’s second with Compass Brothers
and he freely admits, without the risk of being cliché, that it is probably his best album to date.

“A lot of people are saying this album reflects the music I do best,” James said.

“That may well be accurate because I feel that this is back to my earlier albums like Hand It Down and This Road.

“I think the path I was heading down showed itself on Ring Around The Moon and now with Portrait Of A Man I’m back to where I started I guess.”

The album features 12 tracks ‘accumulated’ over a period of time, each painting a clear and distinct picture of Australia and the people James has encountered in his travels.

“I think there’s plenty of me stamped all the way through this album - there’s been a lot of bumps and bruises to get to this point but that adds to the flavour of it,” James said.

“The more distance an artist puts between himself and the subject matter, the less impact the song makes on the listener.

“With this album, there are plenty of songs that come from first hand experiences.”

One of those songs is about his father, ‘Portrait Of A Man’ which he said wasn’t designated as a track for the album originally.

“My father was a bit embarrassed at first when he heard the song but I think he’s getting used to it now,” James laughed.