Someone forgot to tell James Whiton that bass players are the underdogs of the rock ’n’ roll kingdom. Not one to stare at his shoe laces and hide behind the beat of the drum, Whiton brings the fat strings to the forefront. Not since Flea from Red Hot Chili Peppers has there been a spotlight stealing bass man like Whiton. Sure, there are bass players that front the band because they are also lead singers, but this guy doesn’t even sing! Though judging by his sexy baritone phone voice, I’m not inclined to believe him that his singing voice isn’t up to par.

James Whiton and the Downtown Apostles headline the Totem Stage at the Urban Art Festival Sunday, June 24, at Fireman’s Park in downtown Tacoma.  The music begins at noon with Whiton taking the stage at 8:15 p.m.

Born of two musicians, a bass playing mother and a drummer dad, Whiton was getting his groove on before leaving the womb. His mom continued to perform even when she was so pregnant that it was difficult to reach around her standup bass. She gave him his first cello when he was just 3 years old. Whiton started stroking strings before he could even form complete sentences.

“She gave me a love for music,” says Whiton. “Sometimes I think I can express my emotions better through music than I can verbally.”

His musical roots stem from his mother’s love of classical and his father’s love of jazz and big band, but his own music falls into a category not yet defined — somewhere between rock and fusion jazz with a lush atmospheric slant. He says his songwriting process starts with a drum tempo and builds from there, layer after melodic, textural and harmonic layer. The resulting sound is like that of an intense movie soundtrack. Instead of singing, every so often he throws out a bit of spoken word.

“The live shows are mostly improvisational,” he explains. “They are different every time we play. It’s kind of like jumping off a diving board.”

The songs begin with a movement, or as Whiton calls it, a seed, and the band sets to work on it until they feel they’ve expressed what they meant to say. A song could last three minutes or 10. They just never know. Their environment and the crowd interaction play a roll in the emotional temperament of the music.

Each member of Whiton’s band, the downtown Apostles, was hand picked by Whiton because of his unique approach to his instrument. For example, the trumpeter, John Fricke, like Whiton, uses effects and loop pedals to produce never before heard sounds from his instrument.  The other band members are Bill Patton on guitar, Jay Jaskot on Drums and Nate Distelhorst on Alto Saxophone.

Aside from his own band, Whiton is a highly sought after collaborator who has performed with the likes of George Clinton, Lady Kier (Dee-Lite), Thomas Dolby, Eric McFadden, Jim Page, Kevin Sawka, Danny Godinez, Kym Tuvim, Hans York, Artis the Spoonman, American Idol runner-up Blake Lewis (aka B Shorty), Alice Stuart, Emmanuel Louis and too many others to list.

Whiton’s proud parents are in town this week and will be in the audience for their son’s performance at Urban Arts Festival Sunday.

“I’m living his dream,” says Whiton about his father.

During his gig in Olympia last week, Whiton’s father even sat in for a jam. We hope we’ll get a repeat performance in Tacoma.

For more information about James Whiton and the Downtown Apostles, visit www.myspace.com/downtownapostles and www.downtownapostles.com.



[Fireman’s Park, Sunday, June 24, Whiton at 8:15 p.m., music begins at noon, no cover, 803 A St., Tacoma, www.urbanartfestival. net]