My first solo CD, Toiling in Obscurity, Available NOW! I've posted a few songs from the cd, including Common Man, my ode to the moneyed class that runs this country, and Don't Believe It, a funky call for serious skepticism. Purchasing Info: The absolutely BEST way is to come to a show and get it from me. Second best way is to order it directly from me. Send me a check for $20 and I'll sign it (the cd) and send it to you right away, or send me a myspace message with any questions: Jimmy Carpenter 1817 Dante St., New Orleans, LA 70118 You can buy it online RIGHT NOW, along with hundreds of other great Louisiana artists, (like the ones that play on my record, see list under band members) at The Louisiana Music Factory. CD's and MP3s available at CDBaby:
AND AT iTunes.com AND Amazon.com. OR 
From the liner notes: "These songs are kind of the soundtrack to my illustrious career, each from a different era; hearing them now, that may be the only thing that connects them. Being able to record them now, in this great city that has accepted me with open arms and continues to teach me so much about music and life, is the payoff for all the years spent happily Toiling In Obscurity. The band on this CD is truly outstanding (see details under band members);..."they were able to interpret my sometimes-vague concepts and turn them into real grooves. They filled the gaps in my thinking, were patient while I struggled with what I wanted, and then delivered killer tracks, all with grace, skill and soul." The new cd from Walter Washington and The Roadmasters is out and doing well. Doin' The Funky Thing, on Zoho Records, features all original songs by Walter and bassist Jack Cruz, with horn arrangments written by me. A short but sweet review in Downbeat Magazine had this to say: "Sax player Jimmy Carpenter has a flair for arranging horns" I had the honor and pleasure of writing and playing the horn arrangements on Eric Lindell's new CD, Gulf Coast Highway, . It's out on Alligator Records, and it sounds great, if I do say so myself. I'm also playing mostly local dates with 101 Runners, a super bad Mardis Gras Indian band. I had to make room on my page for my new music, but you can hear and see 101 at the site above.
I've played sax for a living since 1979, when I hit the road with renegade blues band The Alka-Phonics, from Greensboro, NC. After 8 rather blurry years I moved to Charlottesville, VA to join Charlie Pastorfield and The Believers, an original bluesy pop band. From '88-'95 we toured the Mid-Atlantic extensively, and self-released 3 recordings of original material, "Golden Road" 1989, "I'm Your Prisoner" 1991, and "Live at Red Hot & Blue", 1993. For most of my time with The Believers I did all the booking, publicity, bookkeeping, payroll etc, and I learned a great deal about the business. I spent 2 years as an agent and promoter in the DC area, and then took the first opportunity out, which came as a phone call from blues guitarist Tinsley Ellis. I toured with Tinsley in 1998, doing about 250 shows nationwide. I then joined my old friend and stellar guitarist Jimmy Thackery, and worked with Jimmy as saxophonist and road manager until the end of 2004. I also recorded 4 cd's with Jimmy, "Sinner Street" (Blind Pig), "We Got It", "True Stories" and Whiskey Store Live", all on Telarc. In the meantime I had moved to New Orleans, and began trying to break into the scene here. I left Jimmy in December '04 to pursue opportunities here in New Orleans, and thus began what has been a wild adventure, musically and otherwise. I am currently playing with Walter "Wolfman" Washington, a New Orleans icon and truly amazing musician in a town full of them. I am also a member of The Sophisticats (www.sophisticats.com and www.myspace/thesophisticats) with a brand new CD out called "When it Rains, it Purrs". I'm truly blessed to be here in New Orleans, getting to play with a variety of musicians, from blues to funk to jazz, and I consider it a priviledge just to walk the same streets with these people.
|
Online Now!
