Just Jim. Occasionally hasbeen backed by other musicians around the Edinburgh scene.
Influences
Musical and otherwise: Soft Machine, Caravan, and the Canterbury scene (for the sounds, I think, these odd time signatures), Steely Dan (it's the tantalising chords that do it for me) , Bartok (the rhythms, dissonance, and tunes) Noel Coward (the lyrics and wit), Michael Nesmith (the lyrics-and saying it -oh,so, straight from the belly), Ravel (the orchestration), World Music (it moves my lower belly and eases me), Gentle Giant (the structure of the songs and the f*** the boundaries attitude), 60s Blues Bands, David Ackles (lyrics, arrangements, the crafted nature of the songs), Paul Williams (in a popular vein, verging on the sentimental, but, my god, they work). This Heat, Magma, Scott Walker (go for their own vision) "Classical" Music, jazz etc etc etc - any or none of these - and more - may flavour Jim's work. These are some of things that move me. It's all music ...............................................favourite music? Silence and the listening that flows from that..............................
John Garrie Roshi, Sonia Moriceau, and the web of circumstance that flows. Indeed, anyone or anything, or my interpretation of them, that has occurred and on which attention has been placed.
“Decidedly quirky songs ........ somewhere between boogie-woogie and advanced atonality” (The Scotsman)
“Somewhere between Billy Joel and the Bonzo Dogs” (Acoustic Underground)
Of his second album - Sprinting Round a One Inch Circle
“This collection makes no concessions to fashion, but is the work of someone with a clear vision, great confidence in what he's set out to do, and the musical skill and range of styles to carry it off...Very Original lyrics ..... haunting....achingly beautiful” (Out of the bedroom)
If we'd known him for the last 20 or 30 years as a singer/songwriter in his own wacky vein, he'd probably sell bushels of CD's, even in a world of current download piracy....... I don't know what happened there. You'll have to ask him yourself.(MGCK)
Sounds Like
see comments above.Depends on the song. On one he might show Steely Dan influences, on another he might appear straight out of the folk scene, on another sound like a music hall artist. One review (of one song admittedly) stated "Boogie-woogie meets advanced atonality".
Very particular about his lyrics.
Instruments: keyboards, bass guitar, guitar
As a musician and singer, Jim occasionally gigs in and around the Edinburgh scene. Currently occasionally plays bass in a "standards" function band, and in a ceilidh band, keyboards in an r&b band. In various incarnations, his songs been compared to Frank Zappa, Joni Mitchell, "Billy Joel meets the Bonzo Dogs", Jethro Tull, and music hall (none of which makes much sense to him: as far as he's concerned, what any song's about determines the style)
two albums released: "Bootlegged by his own hand" and "Sprinting round a one-inch circle"
He has composed music for various theatres including Edinburgh Lyceum, Perth Theatre, The Young Vic, Benchtours, Paines Plough etc; has written works for Wind Quintet, Choir and sax; and regularly writes children's music for educational radio. Very little of which bears much resemblance to his album work.
He has another hat: as an actor, on radio, talking books, in theatre, on TV
I can't believe it! The GMB song, 'I can't believe I fell in love with you' is currently sat in 5th place in the worldwide Fame Games tournament and needs just a few more votes to pass through to the Internation Finals.
Hey Jim - good to see/hear you on MySpace, and even better to see that the quest for world domination is going so well. I will do my best to come to your Fringe show assuming I'm in town. Wx
