"I just believe it was in the water," says Martinsville, Virginia native James King when explaining where his powerful, heart-wrenching sound came from: "When I grew up, I grew right into it." One of the greatest mountain soul singers of his generation, James brings a deep understanding of the roots of the tradition to his hard-driving blend of bluegrass and honky-tonk country music, as well a husky baritone voice full of raw emotion that has won him two SPBGMA (Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America) Traditional Male Vocalist of the Year awards.

One thing's for sure: whether it's one of James' signature ballads like "These Old Pictures," a gospel number like "Garden in the Sky" (the title track on his latest CD from Rounder), or a good ole foot-stomper, James and his band play the real stuff. Centerpiecing beautiful three-part harmonies around James' lead vocals, the band features Chris Hill on 5-string banjo, Greg Moore on fiddle, Ron Spears on mandolin, and bassman Glenn "Cookie" Inman.