James Wilsey

…though his name may not be known to some, his sound is well known throughout the world. His signature guitar work on Chris Isaak's single “Wicked Game” helped propel the record to 6 on the Billboard Top 100 chart and the album to multi-platinum status.

After an extended retirement from live performance and recording alike, he is finally releasing his first solo album, “El Dorado” via Lakeshore Records, January 2008.



Originally from Missouri, James moved to California and began playing professionally at age 19 with seminal west coast punk group, The Avengers.



Soon after, he met Isaak and legendary record producer Erik Jacobsen. Together they crafted a new sound based on Isaak's crooning vocal style, and Wilseys' haunting guitar. Collaborating for the next 12 years, they produced four highly regarded albums, culminating with the hit single “Wicked Game”.



The simple two-note riff that opens the song crystallizes Wilsey's approach in the span of a couple seconds, and is instantly identifiable to people around the world and can be heard in countless movie and television soundtracks.



“El Dorado” marks Wilsey's first effort as a solo artist. A purely instrumental album, it pays homage to some of his musical influences; Duane Eddy, The Shadows, Billy Strange, James Burton and Link Wray.



El Dorado is more than a mere homage however; it is one of the most original instrumental albums in many years. Wilsey's retro-futuristic guitar vision comes to the forefront as it never has before. The ten songs cover many styles, yet form a cohesive whole; cinematic in scope, with a distinct western flavor. A true solo effort, Wilsey composed, performed, engineered and produced the entire album himself.



Insomnia - Live