Interesting Tidbits
Authors note: During this project of producing Jim's latest CD and getting Jim's name out there , I am always surprised at the little tidbits of information I get from Jim and his interesting life, so I have decided to add them here for the record, and will continue to do so as they are revealed to me, just out of interest sake.
Lucya Almeida
Jim was in a band during highschool; they played all the highschool dances etc. After Jim moved to Canada, the band went on to be called The Young Rascals and then just "The Rascals"; the "blue eyed soul" group who wrote many top ten list singles including the song "Groovin" . Jim was in the car cruising on THE Sunday the band came up with the line "groovin on a Sunday afternoon".
As a teenager Jim called into a talk show to express his opinion on the Vietnam war. This was just before the U.S entered the war. He stated that as far as he could see it was a civil war between North and South Vietnam and that the U.S should stay out of it. He was then called "everything in the book", Communist, traitor, anti patriot etc. The talk show host was none other than Larry King. The Vietnam war was one of the incentives for Jim to move to Canada. 50,000 young men in Jim's age group died in the war.
When JIm flew to Jackson Florida to perform at this renowned festival , not only did he perform after The Modern Jazz Quartet and before Chick Corea: he sat right next to one of his musical influences Tito Puente for the entire flight, as well as hanging with all these legends backstage.
Jim and his young family at the time lived in the country in northern Ontario for a number of years in the 70's. After being disenchanted with the music business, he and his wife decided to live off the land. At the time there was a huge coal company to be established that was going to cause much enviromental dammage to the area Jim was living. Jim was the 1st person in Ontario to take on an enviroment case against a large corporation all the way to the Supreme court, unfortunately, the coal company won , and fortunate for jazz lovers JIm moved back with his family to the city and started performing his new compositons that came trough during this time in the woods......
Jim had the honour of playing with jazz piano legend Mary Lou Williams. Years later after Mary Lou's death, he attended his eldest sister's funeral and discovered that like their father she was an activist in the civil rights movement, and well respected by the African American community. At the funeral he happen to meet mary Lou williams brother!
Authors note: During this project of producing Jim's latest CD and getting Jim's name out there , I am always surprised at the little tidbits of information I get from Jim and his interesting life, so I have decided to add them here for the record, and will continue to do so as they are revealed to me, just out of interest sake.
Lucya Almeida
Jim was in a band during highschool; they played all the highschool dances etc. After Jim moved to Canada, the band went on to be called The Young Rascals and then just "The Rascals"; the "blue eyed soul" group who wrote many top ten list singles including the song "Groovin" . Jim was in the car cruising on THE Sunday the band came up with the line "groovin on a Sunday afternoon".
As a teenager Jim called into a talk show to express his opinion on the Vietnam war. This was just before the U.S entered the war. He stated that as far as he could see it was a civil war between North and South Vietnam and that the U.S should stay out of it. He was then called "everything in the book", Communist, traitor, anti patriot etc. The talk show host was none other than Larry King. The Vietnam war was one of the incentives for Jim to move to Canada. 50,000 young men in Jim's age group died in the war.
When JIm flew to Jackson Florida to perform at this renowned festival , not only did he perform after The Modern Jazz Quartet and before Chick Corea: he sat right next to one of his musical influences Tito Puente for the entire flight, as well as hanging with all these legends backstage.
Jim and his young family at the time lived in the country in northern Ontario for a number of years in the 70's. After being disenchanted with the music business, he and his wife decided to live off the land. At the time there was a huge coal company to be established that was going to cause much enviromental dammage to the area Jim was living. Jim was the 1st person in Ontario to take on an enviroment case against a large corporation all the way to the Supreme court, unfortunately, the coal company won , and fortunate for jazz lovers JIm moved back with his family to the city and started performing his new compositons that came trough during this time in the woods......
Jim had the honour of playing with jazz piano legend Mary Lou Williams. Years later after Mary Lou's death, he attended his eldest sister's funeral and discovered that like their father she was an activist in the civil rights movement, and well respected by the African American community. At the funeral he happen to meet mary Lou williams brother!