Unique Blend of Blues, Jazz, and Roots Stylings

Two of Minnesota’s most innovative musicians, Tim Sparks, known for his celebrated series of recordings on John Zorn’s Tzadik label, and James Buckley, one of the Twin Cities busiest bass players with The Pines, Har Mar Superstar, Mystery Palace and The Blenders, are collaborating on a new duo, taking a Post-Modern Road Trip with Ornette Coleman and Buddy Emmons, rambling through an Americana Landscape littered with Broken Hearts and Rusty Jukeboxes. Performing their unique blend of Blues, Jazz, and Roots stylings, the Sparks/Buckley duo is a Symposium of Soul-Nourishing musical musings.

Tim Sparks:
Tim Sparks has been redefining the acoustic guitar repertoire since he won the National Fingerpicking Championship in 1993 with a ground breaking arrangement of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite. Sparks continues to surprise, challenge, and thrill audiences with his diverse repertoire and stunning technique. Equally at home with Country Blues, Jazz or World Music, Sparks’ extraordinary ability has earned him an international reputation as one of the most innovative guitarists working today.
“An amazing technician with elements of guitarists Leo Kottke, John Fahey, Lenny Breau, Andres Segovia and Doc Watson, Sparks stands alone in his ability to arrange and abstract worldly elements into a cohesive guitar-based approach.” -Eliot Simon All About Jazz, New York
“Tim Sparks is incredible, a complete original” -Bill Frisell
“He’s really one of the best musicians I know” -Leo Kottke

James Buckley:
“Meet James Buckley, the hardest-working musician in the Twin Cities” -Erin Roof, City Pages.
Buckley has performed with Har Mar Superstar for an extensive world tour, highlighted by a live television performance on “Le Petit Journal” in Paris, France. He jammed on Bon Iver’s album, 22, A Million, nominated for Best Alternative Album in the 2017 Grammy’s. Most recently, he can be heard on the new P.O.S album “Chill, Dummy”. He has also performed live with Lizzo on The Late Show with Steven Colbert.
Buckley has toured internationally with the indie-folk group, The Pines, and appears on their Red House Records releases “Tremolo”, “Dark So Gold”, “Pasture: Folk Songs”, and “Above The Prairie”. He backed the Minneapolis super-group, “Gayngs” on “The Last Prom on Earth” album, performing at notable venues like First Avenue and the Coachella Music Festival.