MUSIC
"A lyricist with charm, wit and often perceptive views... comes across like a modern day Woodie Guthrie."
- Relix Magazine
"Heads or Tales couples Notarthomas' poignant, spirited lyrics with improv heavy music that would be at home on the H.O.R.D.E. tour." - Billboard Magazine
Notarthomas goes from jazzy blues to funky rock to swing and back again meeting those styles' vocal demands with all the humor and social conciousness of Bob Dylan or Bruce Springsteen -Why isn't he famous? - Elmira Star Gazette
"Casts a hopeful eye toward the future with an emotional intensity rarely found in today's music... Like Dylan's early 60's period... and captures the majestic beauty of nature with Thoreau-like elegance." - Ithaca Times
“Thought-provoking imagery and poignant socio-political commentary instantaneously draw the audience into his music’s emotional vortex.” - The Source, Saratoga, NY
“...his solo act often rivals full rock bands in terms of volume & intensity.... Notarthomas’s energized performances separate him from the rank and file of acoustic singer-songwriters. He has established himself as one of Upstate New York’s most passionate, politically articulate and visionary performers.” - Syracuse NewTimes
PHOTOS & VIDEO
Learning to Fly
Beatlecuse - Joe Cocker Tribute
This summer, Jamie again turns his attention and musical energy back to the Tribute Tuesday Series at his "home" - The Ridge/RidgeRocks in Chittenango, a beautifully unique outdoor venue that he helped create. He'll be organizing, directing and performing in all 9 shows which are unique and magical collaborations of more than 50 of the
areas most talented musicians.
He'll refocus his creative energy to his own original music and
5th studio album this fall & winter.
A Tribute To Bob Dylan - Tuesday, May 28, 6-10 pm
The Ridge | RidgeRocks - 1281 Salt Springs Road, Chittenango
A long-standing Jamie tradition and the season opener for The Ridge Tuesday Tribute Series. Don't miss this celebration of Dylan's genius!
Sing It Sister | A Tribute to Great Women in Music - Tuesday, June 11, 6-10 pm
The Ridge | RidgeRocks - 1281 Salt Springs Road, Chittenango
A celebration of pop music's female icons - 20+ women vocalists are joined by 20+ of the area's best players to perform great pop songs written, performed or made famous by some of the greatest women musicians of all time.
A Tribute To Billy Joel - Tuesday, June 25, 6-10 pm
The Ridge | RidgeRocks - 1281 Salt Springs Road, Chittenango
Jamie brings more than 30 of the area's most talented musicians together to honor the piano man with a collaborative energy unique to this series.
A Tribute to oRIDGEinals - Tuesday, July 9, 6-10 pm
The Ridge | RidgeRocks - 1281 Salt Springs Road, Chittenango
Finally, a real concert platform for original music to celebrate the work of over 20 of the region's best original artists - including Jamie. Come be a part of what will become a legendary series in the region! Support original music!
A Brothers Tribute | The Allman & Doobie Brothers -Tuesday, July 23, 6-10 pm
The Ridge | RidgeRocks - 1281 Salt Springs Road, Chittenango
A celebration of the incredible collaborative energy of two of rock and roll's iconic "brotherhoods." Jamie brings together 30+ great players to honor the songwriting and blended instrumental talents of both great bands.
Hornucopia | A Tribute to Great Pop Tunes feat. Horns Tuesday, July 23, 6-10 pm
The Ridge | RidgeRocks - 1281 Salt Springs Road, Chittenango
The best horn players in the region come together to bring some of pop music's greates horn-based tunes to life. Chicago, Tower of Power, Earth Wind & Fire are among the greats that will be covered. Jamie's put together an awesome band of over 20 players to support what will be an incredible night of great music!
A Tribute to The Who | including Pete Townshend Tuesday, August 13, 6-10 pm
The Ridge | RidgeRocks - 1281 Salt Springs Road, Chittenango
Another great collaborative show celebrating the decades of great rock & roll that we can thank these incredible artists for. Some of the areas best players and vocalists will bring their music to life in The Ridge's beautifully unique outdoor amphitheater!
A Tribute U2 - Tuesday, August 27, 6-10 pm
The Ridge | RidgeRocks - 1281 Salt Springs Road, Chittenango
Jamie leads a collaboration of incredible players to fill The Ridge's beautiful outdoor space with the power and magic of their music. Don't miss this one!
A Tribute to The Traveling Wilburys & ELO
including Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison & George Harrison Tuesday, September 10, 6-10 pm
The Ridge | RidgeRocks - 1281 Salt Springs Road, Chittenango
A celebration of collaboration on all levels! Jeff Lynne's co-founding of this "super group" is one of music history's best creative ideas and Jamie will bring together some great players to honor these iconic musicians.
Check back for any pop-up solo dates this summer!
BIOGRAPHY
Born in Syracuse NY into a large family of talented musicians and artists, Jamie Notarthomas began his music career in 1986 and quickly gained national recognition for his high-energy live shows and passionate performances. A gifted songwriter, Jamie combines thoughtful, provocative and sometimes humorous lyrics with a soulful, broad vocal range to reach the minds and hearts of his audience. His songs touch eloquently on aspects of human nature, love, ecology, and his own philosophies of life and living. Notarthomas does not shy away from difficult subjects - religion, environmentalism, gun control, homelessness, missing & abducted children to name a few - and his music has been used in television, documentaries, and movies as well for charitable causes.
Jamie has shared the stage with many greats including Bob Dylan, The Replacements, Melissa Ethridge, David Burne, Rosanne Cash, Tori Amos and performed with the likes of Allen Toussaint, Rick Danko, Keller Williams, Hot Tuna, Patti Smith & Pete Seeger. He has also written and recorded with a number of notable musicians such as Trey Anastasio (Phish), John Popper (Blues Traveler), 10,000 Maniacs and David Bearwald of Sheryl Crow's Tuesday Night Supper Club.
His 1990 self-titled debut album burst him onto the music scene as a powerful and promising original artist and propelled him onto regional and national level stages. Recorded with a rock band (plus guests like 10,000 Maniacs) that he then took on tour across the country, this album helped define him as a cutting-edge, independent musician – combining elements of alternative and traditional rock and Americana. Songs on this first album have stood the test of time and established lyrical themes that Jamie returns to again and again as he and his audience evolve.
After maturing as a touring band, Jamie’s second album, Heads or Tales, was released in 1995. Garnering respect from the music industry at that time, three of the top grossing world acts – Trey Anastasio (Phish), John Popper (Blues Traveler), and David Bearwald (Sheryl Crow's Tuesday Night Supper Club) - collaborated on this album. An ambitious and innovative project, dense with a wide range of instrumental arrangements to complement his lyrical talent, it moves from jazzy blues to funky rock to Celtic swing and back again, meeting those styles’ vocal demands at the same time keeping Jamie’s own identity intact.
After two albums with his band and full production, Jamie listened to his fans and decided to revisit his solo, acoustic side with which he had established a great reputation in his formative years. He took an unpredictable approach to writing by telling the press and fans that he moved to Colorado when in fact he retreated to the woods and lake to work on his third album - Climbing Out of the 21st Century - released in 1999. Critics compare this album to the work of Bob Dylan and Neil Young. As a songwriter, Jamie honed his skill to create a potent and eloquent tool for expression: some songs are hilarious; others carry messages of preservation, compassion, tolerance and beauty of nature. Jamie's ability to convey his perceptive views and keen eye for observation are unmistakable on this pure acoustic folk album.
In 2001, Jamie made the decision to put his successful career on hold to raise his son. The example of other great musicians taking the same path - John Lennon, Peter Gabriel - gave him the confidence to risk a promising career to do what he knew was right. As a career on the road became impractical, Jamie continued writing songs and shifted his focus to playing local and regional venues and festivals. During this time, he also developed tributes to some of his idols – Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, John Lennon, Van Morrison, The Beatles – showcasing his fluency in hundreds of their great songs. His confidence and ease on stage results from the over seven thousand shows he's played over the years and he effortlessly moves an audience through moods and dynamics with his impressive repertoire of both originals and cover tunes.
With the release of his fourth album, The Crow Convention in 2008, Jamie again combined his literary and poetic lyrics with a breadth of musical style that showcased his maturing, exceptional talent. Capturing a unique sound that blends the best of his signature styles, the addition of orchestral elements and special guests like Grammy winning cellist Hank Roberts, adds depth and interest to this album.
Jamie is currently working on his 5th studio album to be released at the end of this year. In this newest work, he will combine his multi-layered lyrical and musical talent with a varied mix of many forms to create a sound that is uniquely his own. He hopes to again connect to a wide variety of audiences with a warmth and intimacy that transcends generations.
"Casts a hopeful eye toward the future with an emotional intensity rarely found in today's music... Like Dylan's early 60's period... and captures the majestic beauty of nature with Thoreau-like elegance." - Ithaca Times
“Thought-provoking imagery and poignant socio-political commentary instantaneously draw the audience into his music’s emotional vortex.”
- The Source, Saratoga, NY