Album Notes

Jimmy Johnson, who was born and raised in Eugene, Oregon, has been playing music for 27 years. He began at age five as many other children did, plunking out tunes on the piano. But even at that early age, Jimmy quickly grew bored and looked for more challenging music to play. That desire would set the stage for the intricate rhythms and melodies that appear in his songs today.

Jimmy began his transition from playing music to creating it at age 16 using a keyboard and samples to put together hip-hop beats with a childhood friend. Later he delved into studying music and instruments, starting with a guitar-building class at Oregon State University. His teacher there suggested he listen to the late guitarist Michael Hedges, whose brilliant composition style made an indelible impact on Jimmy. It was at this time that he began composing the type of music that eventually became “Silence to Static.”

Jimmy’s songs developed more of his own signature while he was studying music composition at Portland Community College. At that time, West African drums and guitar began appearing in his songs, and some of his lyrics began to take shape. When he entered a songwriting competition there and won the top prize, Jimmy realized he was on the right path.

Today, Jimmy is busy writing songs, playing in a band, studying voice, and generally enjoying the musical opportunities of the San Francisco Bay Area, where he has lived for three years.

He describes his music as acoustic ambient with a heavy beat, intricate rhythms and melodies, and diverse instruments. Listen for unexpected sounds such as tablas and didgeridoo in some of his songs.