BACK
JAMES R. NEWELL, PhD, MTS
PO
Box 120064
Nashville, TN 37212 USA
ACADEMIC TRAINING
2007 Ph.D., History and
Critical Theories of Religion, Vanderbilt University, Graduate Department of
Religion
2001 MTS, Pastoral Counseling and Theology,
Vanderbilt University Divinity School
1999 B.S., summa cum laude, Psychology,
Tennessee State University
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
PROFESSIONAL AND ACADEMIC
2008-09 Lecturer, Introduction to Islamic Traditions, Western Kentucky
University
2008-09 Lecturer, Introduction to Religious Studies, Western Kentucky University
2007-08 Director, Tutoring Services, Vanderbilt University.
2008 Graduate Assistant Grader, History of Rock & Roll, Vanderbilt
University, Blair School of Music, Spring Semester,
Lecturer Jen Gunderman.
2007 Graduate Assistant Grader, History of Rock & Roll, Vanderbilt
University, Blair School of Music, Fall
2007 Graduate Assistant Grader, History of Rock & Roll, Vanderbilt University, Blair School of Music, Spring Semester, Lecturer Jen Gunderman.
2007 Graduate Assistant Grader, American Popular Music, Vanderbilt University, Blair School of Music, Spring Semester, Lecturer Jen Gunderman.
2006-07a Event Coordinator, Templeton Research Lectures, Center for the Study of Religion and Culture, Vanderbilt University.
2006a Presented paper Unseen Power: Aesthetic Dimensions of Symbolic Healing in Qawwali, as part of the panel Sufi Music: South Asian Qawwali and Debates on Music in Islam, at the Pan-Asian Music Festival, Stanford University.
2006b Graduate Assistant Grader, History of Rock & Roll, Vanderbilt University, Blair School of Music, Spring Semester, Lecturer Jen Gunderman.
2006c Graduate Assistant Grader, Introduction to the Blues, Vanderbilt University, Blair School of Music, Spring Semester, Professor Gregory Barz.
2006b Graduate Assistant Grader, History of Rock & Roll, Vanderbilt University, Blair School of Music, Fall Semester, Lecturer Jen Gunderman.
2005-06a Event Coordinator, Templeton Research Lectures, Center for the Study of Religion and Culture, Vanderbilt University.
2005-06b Research Assistant, Center for the Study of Religion and Culture, Vanderbilt University.
2005a Presented paper The Wisdom of Intoxication: Love and Madness in the Poetry of Hafiz of Shiraz, at the Durrell School of Corfu, Greece 2005 annual seminar: "Madness and Creativity."
2005b Summer research field trip, Ahmednagar, Pune, India. Documentation of qawwali music, interviewing Islamic religious music specialists and participants in qawwali practice.
2005c Teaching Fellow, Aspects of World Religiosity, Vanderbilt University, Professor Jay Geller.
2005d Teaching Fellow, Seminar in History and Critical Theories of Religion, Vanderbilt University, Professor Richard McGregor.
2005e Presented paper Unseen Power: Aesthetic Dimensions of Symbolic Healing in Qawwali, annual conference of the American Academy of Religion.
2004a Presented paper The Power to Enchant: Meaning and Context in African American and Turkish Religious Music, Southeastern regional conference of the Society for Ethnomusicology.
2004b Teaching Assistant, Introduction to the Blues, Vanderbilt University, Blair School of Music, Spring Semester, Professor Gregory Barz.
2004c Teaching Assistant, Introduction to Islam, Vanderbilt University, Fall Semester, Professor Richard McGregor.
2004d Summer research field trip, Ahmednagar, Nagpur, and Khuldabad, India. Preliminary research trip, documentation of qawwali music, interviewing Islamic religious music specialists, and scouting locations for future research at Islamic shrines.
2003a Presented paper The Power to Enchant: Meaning and Context in African American and Turkish Religious Music, annual conference of the American Academy of Religion.
2003b Teaching Assistant, The Evolution of Religion and Science, Vanderbilt University, Fall Semester, Professor Shai Cherry.
2002a Teaching Assistant, The Evolution of Religion and Science, Vanderbilt University, Fall Semester, Professor Shai Cherry.
2001a Ahmednagar, India, field education placement for Vanderbilt Divinity School.
2001b Meherabad Performing Arts Center, Ahmednagar, artist in residence.
2001c Meherabad Hospital, Ahmednagar, volunteer with cataract camp.
2000a Veteran’s Administration Hospital, Nashville, chaplain intern.
1997-99 St. Thomas Hospital, performer and co-facilitator for music therapy group on mental health unit.
1996-98 PEACE, Inc. Educator and group co-facilitator teaching domestic violence curriculum.
PUBLICATIONS
2007 The Wisdom of Intoxication: Love and Madness in the Poetry of Hafiz of Shiraz. In Pine, Richard, Ed.
Creativity, Madness and Civilisation. Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.2007 Unseen Power: Symbolic Healing in Qawwali. In Muslim World 97(4) pp. 640-656.
CD REVIEWS
2004 World of Music 46 (4). Music of Makran: Traditional Fusion from
Coastal Balochistan; Topic Records. World Library of Folk and Primitive Music V.
7: India, Rounder Records.
2003 World of Music 45 (3). Portraits: Davie Stewart: Go On, Sing
Another Song, Rounder Records. Portraits: Jimmy MacBeath: Tramps & Hawkers;
Rounder Records. Portraits: John Strachan: Songs from Aberdeenshire; Rounder
Records. Davie Stewart and Jimmy MacBeath, Two Gentlemen of the Road; Rounder
Records.
2003 World of Music 45 (1). World Library of Folk and Primitive Music V.
1: England, Rounder Records. World Library of Folk and Primitive Music V. 2:
Ireland, Rounder Records. World Library of Folk and Primitive Music V. 3:
Scotland, Rounder Records.
RECORDINGS
2001 The Songs of Hafiz, English language adaptations of Persian Sufi
poet Hafiz of Shiraz set to American folk music idioms. Nashville: Blue Sadhana.
1992 The Blues is My Business. Acoustic folk blues. Nashville: Blue
Sadhana.
1975 Get Down to the Nitty Gritty: Luther ‘Snake Boy’ Johnson.
Electric Chicago style blues. Montrouge: Last Call Records.
PERFORMANCE
2004-05 Vocalist and guitarist, The Lighthouse, Hendersonville, TN
2002b Vocalist and guitarist, Hillwood Country Club, Nashville, TN.
2001d Vocalist and guitarist, artist in residence concert series at Meherabad,
Ahmednagar, MS, India.
1998-2001 Vocalist and guitarist, Newell and Sorrells Jazz/Blues duo.
1992b Vocalist and guitarist, International Arts Festival, Assisi, Italy.
1988 Songwriter, Tammy Wynnette Enterprises.
1980 Vocalist and percussionist with blues guitarist Hubert Sumlin.
1979 Percussionist on tour with Jr. Wells and the Howlin’ Wolf Band.
1978 Percussionist with Buddy Guy and Jr. Wells at Sandy’s Jazz Revival in
Beverly, MA, and Jonathan Swifts, Cambridge, MA.
1977a Percussionist on tour with the Fabulous Thunderbirds.
1977b Percussionist with Big Joe Turner and Lolyd Glenn at Sandy’s Jazz
Revival in Beverly, MA, performance broadcast on WGBH, Boston.
1977-88 Vocalist and guitarist with James R. Newell and the After Hours Band and
solo folk-blues artist.
1978-88 Percussionist and vocalist with Tony Barrie Orchestra.
1974-76 Percussionist on tour with blues singer John Lee Hooker, opening for
Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf and James Cotton. 1973-76 Percussionist on tour
with blues singer and guitarist Luther Johnson.
1970-73 Percussionist on tour with cabaret singer Helen Schneider.
HONORS AND AWARDS
2006 Student Summer Research Award, Vanderbilt University, College of Arts
and Sciences
2004 Student Summer Research Award, Vanderbilt Center for the Study of Religion
and Culture
2002 Tuition scholarship for doctoral studies in History and Critical Theories
of Religion, Vanderbilt University GDR, ethnomusicology.
2000 Vanderbilt
Divinity Faculty Scholarship Award.
1999 Tuition scholarship, Vanderbilt Divinity School.
1999 Valedictorian, Tennessee State University.
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
American Academy of Religion
North American Folk Music and Dance Alliance
Nashville Songwriter’s Association International