Matthew “Dickey” James is a freelance bass player with experience as both a touring musician and as a session musician. He has played on stage and in studio on an eclectic mix of genres including Jam Band, Reggae, Heavy Metal, Hard Rock, Country and Jazz.
Described by many as an “Old Soul”, Matthew was heavily influenced by the music of the Grateful Dead as well as Arlo Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Joe Cocker, John Prine and other artists of the 60’s folk revival. Drawing from his bass influences, his playing style can be best described as bluesy and southern rock based, with elements of folk, funk and reggae.
Originally from the Northern suburbs of Chicago, Matthew James first picked up the bass guitar at the age of 11. Within a year, he started performing on stage at various clubs and venues throughout the Chicagoland area with his music school.
In 2020 Matthew moved to San Antonio, TX where he continued his music education and once again began performing throughout the city. Not long after, he was picked up by the Britt Ballenger Band, a local country group, to be their full-time bass player. The Britt Ballenger Band would be Matthew’s first full-time gigging band and they would perform regularly throughout the greater San Antonio area.
During his time in San Antonio, he performed additional gigs in South Texas with the up and coming country artist Devin Michaels. In August 2022, Devin Michaels released the song “Goodnight and Goodbye” featuring Matthew James on bass and produced by Caleb Grant at Tonal Recording.
“Without love in the dream it’ll never come true”
– Grateful Dead
Matthew has had the great honor of being mentored by two of the top bass players in today’s reggae rock scene, Matt Link (The Elovaters, TreeHouse!) and Christopher Nishida (Kyle Smith). Their mentorship culminated in Matthew being invited throughout the country to play guest spots for various artists. By the age of 15 Matthew was sharing the stage with the likes of TreeHouse!, The Elovaters, Zach Fowler (Sun-Dried Vibes), Kyle Smith and Dan Kelly (Fortunate Youth).
At the age of 16, Matthew James got his first big break when he became the bassist for Roots of Creation, a billboard and radio chart topping, award-winning, reggae-rock, dub and jam band. It was with Roots of Creation that he got his first taste of touring life. While on tour, he has been honored to share the stage with artists such as Mihali (Twiddle), G. Love, Man of the Forests, Joe Samba, Fortunate Youth and Matisyahu.
“Music is very spiritual, it has the power to bring people together”
– Edgar Winter
While being with RoC, Matthew has had extensive studio recording time with Peter Pelequin at Boardz House Productions. The first RoC single with Matthew on bass, “False Alarm” featuring The Elovaters, was released in December 2022. “We Could Do Anything” featuring The Expendables and Sierra Lane was released in January 2023. More releases will drop throughout 2023, including songs from RoC’s “Grateful Dub” catalog that are being produced by Errol Brown, six time Grammy winning Audio Engineer who produced for Bob Marley (among others).
Outside of Roots of Creation, Matthew has been sought after by many other bands to perform. In Spring of 2022, Matthew toured briefly with Kyle Smith, filling in for his mentor Christopher Nishida. In the Fall of 2022 he set out on a national tour with the band Sensi Trails. In addition to these tours, he has had the fortune of performing gigs with Brett Wilson and Mighty Mystic.
“You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows”
– Bob Dylan
Dickey Grooves With…
Give Thanks and Praise
Without my Mentors, Teachers and Influences I would not be where I am at todayMy Teachers
Dave Taub (drummer for John Lennon & Chaka Khan)
Grant Martin (bassist for the jam band Mungion),
Mike Lopez (bass guitarist for nu metal band Union Underground)
Andrew Bergman (Jazz Professor at University of Texas – San Antonio)
Jonathan Dawson (SoR)
Todd Steffenhagen (NoOneSouldier)
My Mentors
Matt Link (Elovaters, TeeeHouse!)
Christopher Nishida (Kyle Smith)
“Soon as I could play one guitar chord and laid my ear upon that wood, I was gone. My soul was sold. Music was everything from then on.”
– John Prine
My Influences
Berry Oakley (Allman Brothers)
Tommy Caldwell (Marshall Tucker Band)
Phil Lesh (Grateful Dead)
Jack Casady (Jefferson Airplane)
Paul McCartney (Beatles, Wings)
Tommy Shannon (Stevie Ray Vaughan, Johnny Winter)
Carl Radle (Eric Clapton, Derek and the Dominos)
Jaco Pastorius (Joni Mitchell, Pat Metheny)
Aram Bedrosian (Solo Bassist)
Chuck Panozzo (Styx)
John ‘the Ox’ Entwistle (The Who)
Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
Marvin Isley (Isley Brothers)
Aston ‘Family Man’ Barrett (Bob Marley & the Wailers)
Robbie Shakespeare (Sly and Robbie, Peter Tosh, Gregory Isaacs)
Jackie Jackson (Jimmy Cliff, Toots and the Maytals)
Christopher Nishida (Kyle Smith)
Matt Link (TreeHouse!, Elovaters)
Corey Draskovich (Fortunate Youth)
Kyle McDonald (Slightly Stoopid)
“Without music to decorate it, time is just a bunch of boring production deadlines or dates by which bills must be paid.”
– Frank Zappa
Greg Ridley (Humble Pie, Spooky Tooth)
Jack Bruce (Cream)
Ric Grech (Traffic, Blind Faith)
Gerry McAvoy (Rory Gallagher)
Felix Pappalardi (Mountain)
Leo Lyons (Ten Years After)
Larry Taylor (Canned Heat)
Andy Silverster (Savoy Brown)
Louis Yacknin (Lighthouse)
Stanley Sheldon (Peter Frampton)
Bob Arkin (Arlo Guthrie)
Lonnie Turner (Steve Miller Band)
Craig MacGregor (Foghat)
David Brown (Santana)
Alan Spenner (Joe Cocker, Spooky Tooth, Peter Frampton)
Carol Kaye (Joe Cocker, Glenn Campbell, the Beach Boys)
Joe Osborn (Simon & Garfunkel, Scott McKenzie, Ricky Nelson, Mamas & the Papas)
Donald ‘Duck’ Dunn (Booker T. & The M.G.’s, Albert King, Otis Redding)
Bob Glaub (Arlo Guthrie, Jackson Browne, Bob Dylan)
Pino Palladino (John Mayer, the Who, D’Angelo, Paul Young)
Leland Sklar (James Taylor, Jackson Browne, Phil Collins)
James Jamerson (Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder)
