Jim has signed with artistShare record label/promotion company. He looks forward to working with artistShare and building an artistShare website with music downloads and updates of current projects. Digicards are now available for $8.00 which allows you to download "The Angle of Incidence" and photos from the studio where it was recorded.
Jim's new CD with Seamus Blake, Dave Easley, Alan Hampton, and Reggie Quinerly named "The Angle of Incidence" was released the end of May 2007. It is truly a step further into the modern Jazz realm. Everyone in the band played great. Audio clips are available on the audio page.
Jim's bands play weddings, private parties, jazz clubs, festivals, etc. Jim always adapts the band size and material to fit your needs. Please contact Jim via the contact page for bookings.
Ever since I was seven years old I knew I wanted to be a professional musician, but my family was against the idea of pursuing music as a career. Despite their objections, I played in several bands in high school and made money in college playing music. I was driven; I had to play music.
When I graduated from college with a Civil Engineering degree, I chose to go on the road with my band playing western swing. We played songs from Commander Cody and Asleep at the Wheel. I never looked back, and I never regretted my decision. I began writing a Jazz column for Scotty’s SGI publication. My articles included music with the tab and were jazz oriented. This started me transcribing and I became active at many steel guitar shows. Soon I was playing pedal steel guitar out of Denver in my band “Rage Of The Sage” which was one of the most working bands in Colorado.
However, shortly after I turned 29 years old, my hands stopped working and I had to stop playing. By that time I had been published in Scotty’s SGI newsletter for a total of 13 years, all Jazz and swing stuff. Finally my hand problems were correctly diagnosed and after surgery on both hands I worked years to get my hands back together and to catch up to where I wanted to be musically. Unable to play the steel guitar, I worked to play Jazz guitar. I studied with Paul Warburton who taught me things I did not even knew existed and it took years for some of his concepts to sink in. I was still doing tons of Jazz transcriptions. I played in various Jazz bands and settings.
In 1999 I met John Scofield. He inspired me, and taught me to be myself within my music. Both he and Paul’s teachings tied in well together inspired by Jim Hall and Bill Evans. My friend Chuck Lettes got me back into the steel guitar scene seven years ago. We worked hard to get a well-arranged team sound. I have enjoyed playing with him across the country.
At the Texas Steel Guitar Association show in 2005 I ended up playing with Maurice “Reece” Anderson, a real influence in my early years. By July 2005 Reece and I and two good buddies from NYC, Alan Hampton and Reggie Quinerly, recorded a Jazz CD "Out Of Nowhere" and it was released in September 2005.
I finished my newest CD, "The Angle of Incidence" and it was released the summer of 2007. Both this CD and "Out of Nowhere" made it to the main playlist at KUVO (Denver's Jazz Radio Station). "The Angle of Incidence" is a more modern Jazz CD.
And so I continue to work on and refine my music.