Indie Sounds: So, why a live album? Kalu James: We wanted to capture what you hear/feel when you come to one of our shows. It’s the kind of album that when you close your eyes, we hope it transports you to that exact moment/venue it was recorded. It’s a feeling that we want to convey through the music and even the loose chatters between songs. I’ve been playing with the same band for three years now and I’m proud of what we do every night we are on stage but there’s a certain “magic” that happens when you are performing live that studio albums have not captured for me. The energy being tossed back and forth between the artist and the audience plays a major role, at least for me. Also, I tend to over-analyze things in the studio so just going for it usually works. Read more: indiesoundsny.typepad.com/indie_sounds_ny/2010/02/five-minutes-with-kalu-james.html Excerpts from Flanfire.com: “The Way I Feel” opens with the organ holding a long note — and the guitar comes in underneath, and then Kalu … singing a love song ….. about Rochester and the love he found there as a young African man in America where the summers are colder than whatever he thought was winter and the winters are a whole other planet. The sheer energy of this performer already comes through, and we are just getting started. “Dreams” is a bouncy tune, Simon and Garfunkely even, about a “brand new chapter for this love.” “Love for Someone Else” is a quiet song about ending an affair – “I’ve built mansions, you leave me with a leaky roof,” and so it is time to move on. Next is “To Be in Love with Me,” a song about smiling … and why not? Malaria is prevalent in Africa, and this song evokes memories that left Kalu smiling in the face of danger. And then there is “Big Heart,” which opens with a monologue and ends with a smile. “The World Needs You” is just beautiful. Did I mention these are lengthy cuts — four of the songs are over 7 minutes long. “Listen to the Wind” opens with an Erik Telford trumpet solo and later there is this mandolin dolo from Michael Rubin} The final cut, “Answers,” is yet another ballad … oddly, his live sets are anything but. This is lovely stuff