For more on Jimi visit his website at
http://www.gymshoe.com
Check this site out too!
AmericanBluesBand.com
Big City Blues
Oct-Nov. 2002
Jimi Schutte is a consummate professional and a very likeable guy, two qualities that make him highly respected and much in demand as a drummer, both regionally and nationally.
Jimi was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1949. Although he had a drum set when he was in high school he really didn't start to play until he was about 22 years old. Shortly afterward he began giggin' professionally and hasn't stopped since.
Schutte cites Freddie Below (The Aces), Bob Richey (Wolf) and Sonny Freeman (B. B. King) as influences and is also a big fan of Bernard Purdie. His first professional gigs were with "J. T. and Church" (the band got its name because they rehearsed in a church).
In the late 60's Jimi met his life long friend, Luther Allison, in Madison, Wisconsin and from 1972 until 1975 Schutte was a member of Luther's band. While with Allison, Schutte toured all across the U. S. and Canada. They opened shows for blues legends such as B. B. King, Albert King, Little Milton and Howling Wolf. Jimi spent the rest of the 70s and early 80s working with Bryan Lee and Jimmy Dawkins.
In 1981, while on a tour in Europe with Jimmy Dawkins, Schutte played drums on the award winning CD Hot Wire 81. To this day Jimmy Dawkins cites that recording as some of his best work and personal favorite!
Jimi liked Europe so much that in 1982 he decided to leave the States and moved to Paris, France. Shortly after his arrival he began playing around Paris with an Englishman named Mox Gowland, as well as French blues singer Chris Lancry. He also toured Europe with a show billed as "The American Living Blues Festival". The show featured Jimmy Dawkins, Queen Sylvia Embry, Lester "Mad Dog" Davenport, Lafayette Leake, and Otis "Big Smokey" Smothers. A two CD set of the performances was also released.
During 1983 Schutte continued to work with Mox in addition to playing behind American blues stars Lowell Fulsom, Hubert Sumlin, and "Blues with the Girls" which featured Larry Davis, Lavelle White, Zora Young, and Jeanne Carroll. Schutte was also re-united with his good friend Luther Allison who moved to Paris in late '83. Jimi also served as a rep for Tama Drums and Paiste Cymbals. Schutte stayed in Europe thru 1985 performing with Allison as well as forming his own band called The "Hoo Doo Men".
Jimi decided to return the States in late 1985 and settled in Chicago — "The Blues Capital of the World." He quickly immersed himself in the Windy City Biues Scene becoming a member of the house band at "Remingtons" on Rush Street backing Big Time Sarah, Eddie Shaw, Hubert Sumlin, Louis and Dave Myers, Jimmy Johnson and a host of others.
In 1986 Jimi joined the Lonnie Brooks Band. As a member of the band, Schutte toured the world and appeared on Brooks' Alligator recordings Wound Up Tight and Live - "Bayou Lightning Strikes". He also became a rep for Remo Drums and Sabian cymbals.
Sometime around 1989 Schutte began hanging around Milwaukee again. There he worked with a band called "The Complainers" who were voted Milwaukee's "Best Blues Band".
In 1992 Schutte moved back to Milwaukee and he became a member of the popular regional act "Big Bob and the Ballroom Blitz". The Blitz headlined clubs and festivals around the region as well as backing up such blues performers as Pinetop Perkins, Hubert Sumlin, Shirley King and Cash McCall. Schutte also did some time with the popular Midwest show band, "Dr. Bop and The Headliners" featuring the lovely Ena Anka.
Through-out the '90s Schutte has kept busy performing regularly on both the Milwaukee and Chicago Blues scenes, often working with Jimmy Dawkins, Billy Flynn, The "Jim Liban Blues Trio" and others.
Currently Jimi works with Milwaukee's #1 Blues Band, the ever popular Jim Liban Blues Trio that features Jimi on drums, Kurt Koenig on bass and the incomparable Jim Liban on vocals, harmonica, and guitar. The Jim Liban Trio plays all the top clubs and festivals in the state of Wisconsin and you can usually catch them at least once a month at the Up & Under Pub in Milwaukee. Jimi was also recently in Delmark Studios with Lester "Mad Dog" Davenport, Jimmy Dawkins, Billy Flynn, Detroit Jr., Alan Batts, Bob Stroger, and Sho Komiya, working on Davenports' Delmark release "I Smell a Rat". Released in September 2002.
-- Jim Feeney
Oct.- Nov.2002 .Big City Blues 25
