Photo copyright Carla Perry
Photo of Julz and James Kasner taken at
2009 FisherPoets Gathering in Astoria, Oregon.
For our bio, pics and our upcoming shows please visit us at: http://www.myspace.com/jamesandjulz
JAMES & JULZ KASNER
James Kasner, frontman and singer/songwriter on lead vocals and guitar.
Julz Kasner on vocals and hand-held percussion. Acoustic rockin-folk country style of original tunes and classic covers with a little bit of the blues thrown in for good measure.
Original tunes include fan favorites Women Are My Weakness, Country Boy, Walking A Tightrope, Riding The Bad String, Distant Water, and From Here to Eternity. They perform songs for rockers, lovers, truckers, hippies, beer drinkers, hardworking men and sweet women.
When I was five years old, my parents bought a beef ranch in Western Oregon, moving there from Corpus Christi, Texas. I grew up just outside the tiny town of Burnt Woods, immersed in ranch life, owning and managing my own beef and sheep herds.
My father, Slim, has always been a big fan of classic country music. My mother Leone's tastes ran more to swing, big band and Hawaiian music. My mother sang to all of us kids all of our lives. My big brother Pat wouldn't go to sleep until Mom sang "Casey Jones" for him. It was Pat who taught me how to play the guitar when I was nine years old.
After high school, I started working in the woods as a logger, playing rhythm guitar, and singing in my big brother's band. Later, I had several bands of my own, most notably Knee Deep, a seven-piece country-boogie-swing band that played from the mid 1970s to the early 1980s, which is when I first performed my original songs in public.
During the early 1970s, I switched from logging to commercial fishing to carpentry. In 1985, I made the big jump and went commercial fishing in Alaska in the Bering Sea. A schedule of three months at sea and one month home in Oregon made playing in a band impossible. But the long hours on the ocean and the solitude allowed me time to write and develop my songwriting skills. I continued to fish in Alaska until 2000 when I'd had enough and moved to Austin, Texas, pursuing my musical dream. I returned to Oregon a few years ago.
My wife, Julz, has finally joined me on stage. Not only does Julz have a great voice that compliments mine, she brings a whole new set of musical influences and perspectives to our performing and writing. With her talent for arranging and her ear for what works best, she has brought our music and arrangements to an exciting level. She has become the producer of both our original songs and cover tunes. I rely on Julz to tell me what will and won't work, and she finds ways to fine-tune the music and our presentation.
Our greatest joy is sharing our musical journey with as many people as we can. Our greatest hope is that you will find emotional truth in our music that speaks directly to your heart.