jim kanas
jimmy and the swingers
© 1996 jim kanas
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Acoustic string swing jazz, standards done by veteran players on arch top guitar, violin, mandolin and string bass. All the tunes are standard execpt for two originals. Music that resonates in the spirit of Django with cooler edge.
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In Jim Kanas' playing Doc Watson peacefully coexists with Jim Pass. Creating a distinct personal style from
such disparate influences isn't easy
to do. Jim pulls it off with aplomb."
- Pat Donahue, 1996
"Few musicians achieve success in both the jazz and folk realms."
Keisha Smith, Presenter
Jim has been described as world class and is one of the most highly regarded guitarists and diverse musicians in the Midwest. He has been featured in concert at colleges, theaters, festivals and recorded and broadcast media throughout Illinois. Jim Kanas' professional collaborations have included concerts, recordings and/or performances with other Midwest musicians such as harmonica/pianist, Howard Levy; violinists, Johnny Frigo, Randy Sabien and Peter Ostroushko; mandolinist, Don Stiernberg; bassist, Larry Gray; bluesmen, Eddy Snow and "Pistol Pete"; guitarist, Muriel Anderson; percussionist, Rubén P. Alvarez and others.
Jim Kanas is a guitarist from Northern Illinois. As a teenager Jim studied classical music and jazz improvisation and through educational and other venues found himself in the company of many jazz performers and educators including Pat Metheny, George Benson, Gary Burton and Stan Kenton to name a few. Also, at that time Jim was performing with then neighboring high school student/saxophonist Bill Evans sat-in
with veteran blues man Eddy Clearwater. Jim won consecutive awards as a jazz guitarist in the Chicago land area and then later pursued his love and "hobby" of playing bluegrass, folk and traditional music. He then once again found himself surrounded by and jamming with influential musicians such as Steve Goodman,
Corky Siegel, the Nashville Cats, Allison Krause, Harvey Ried, Jethro Burns and others. Jim broadened out his performance base to include pedal steel guitar, fiddle, banjo, harmonica, mandolin, dobro and vocals and toured regionally as a sideman with many country oriented groups. Jim earned a unique interdisciplinarymusic performance degree from Northern Illinois University in
contemporary guitar skills, commercial music and American folk instruments. Jim now spends time as an artist-in-residence throughout Illinois with the Illinois Arts Council and other cultural arts organizations and performing and producing. He is an Illinois Arts Council Artstour artist and performs and records regularly as a soloist (singer/multi-instrumentalist), with the Jim Kanas Trio folk/bluegrass/western swing) and with the Jim Kanas Jazz Quartet.
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Pleasant swingy surprise and wonderful groove!
author: Joe RossWhat a pleasant swingy surprise! Although they stick mainly to standards, Jimmy and the Swingers breathe new life into them with tastefully rendered arrangements characterized by unique interpretive twists. Six of the eleven cuts span over five minutes each, and some move into new and enchanting acoustic territory. I was left questioning their 90-second atmospheric improvisation that concludes “All of Me,” but I truly enjoyed all of their renditions. Jim Kanas hails from DeKalb, Il. and is a consummate veteran jazz guitarist. Grammy nominee Don Stiernberg continues as among my favorite jazz mandolinists. Randy Sabien does some especially fine and creative bow work on this project. He has played on Austin City Limits and A Prairie Home Companion. A very solid low end is cemented by bassist Larry Gray who also plays with Ramsey Lewis. Engineer Steve Yates also deserves kudos for capturing the quartet’s musical chemistry in a masterful way. You can learn more about the players and CD at www.jimkanas.com/record.html Two Jim Kanas originals, “Swan Quarter” and “BabBoo’s Blues,” appear at tracks four and seven, respectively. The former is leisurely played to a slow bossa rhythm that allows each musician to fully explore the melody’s mood. Stiernberg’s tremolo paints a picture of imagery which had me daydreaming about sipping wine at a sidewalk café on a warm, summer day. Measure after measure, their music is simply a true joy of life! In music, as in life, playing the changes can be challenging. Jimmy and the Swingers embrace it, and these chordmasters navigate without ever getting lost or disoriented on challenging pieces like “Baboo’s Blues.” The result, with its abundant reward, is a spiritual and emotional depth to their music. Joe Pass would be proud of them. Jim Kanas is a highly-acclaimed, award-winning guitarist who has studied classical music and jazz improvisation, although he’s also played bluegrass, folk and traditional music. Few know that the multi-instrumentalist can also expertly play pedal steel guitar, fiddle, banjo, harmonica, mandolin, dobro and sing. His unique interdisciplinary performance degree program at Northern Illinois University emphasized contemporary guitar, commercial music and American folk instruments. He performs and records as a soloist, with the Jim Kanas Trio (folk, bluegrass, western swing), and with the Jim Kanas Jazz Quartet. He is in a PPS feature (WTTW11-Chicago PPS) “Arts Across Illinois” which has aired many times. This album project was partially funded by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, which also sponsors Kanas as an artist-in-resident and touring roster member. His collaboration with Stiernberg, Sabien and Gray is a special one. These professionals are competent and committed to excellence. I sense that they’re also very passionate about what they do. Jimmy and the Swingers follow their vision and establish a wonderful groove. (Joe Ross, staff writer, Bluegrass Now)