Jimmy Crimmins

Rockin Jimmy Crimmins - Keepin It Real - 2003 - Bluzone

A wonderful, sophisticated soul/blues/jazz album from Jimmy Crimmins. This guy is an exceptional guitarist, and this is an exceptional album, HR by A.O.O.F.C. This guy could be the new Albert Collins, or Freddie King. An outstanding guitarist who can pen a mean tune, and his vocals are not half bad either. Backed by a basic, but talented three piece band on drums, bass, and keyboards, Jimmy creates some Grade A sounds. Buy this album. If talent like this is not promoted, and heard by more people worldwide, then it's a sad day for music. Watch out for other releases by this great guitarist.

TRACKS

1 Makin' Such a Fuss
2 Footsteps
3 Deep Blue Sea
4 Evil Mood
5 Educated Fool
6 In This World Without You
7 That Woman
8 Come Home
9 Baby Don't You Leave Me
1 0Mr. Friendly

All tracks composed by Jimmy Crimmins, except "Deep Blue Sea" by Crimmins, & Fischer

BAND

Jimmy Crimmins - Guitar, Vocals
Jim Denk - Bass
Tom Reynolds - Keyboards
Craig Panosh - Drums

PRESS QUOTES

"With all that exposure to great Artists, I'm still blown away by the way you've mastered your vocal & guitar skills. You reveal your soul unlike very few I have ever heard. You're truly Rockin!" -- Thom Fowle, Gibson Guitars, Nashville, Tn.

"Keepin It Real" smokes with easy confidence" -- Blues News, Las Vegas, NV.
"Jazzy Blues? Bluesy Jazz? Who cares??? This is 100% unadulterated cliche free rockin' tone fest" -- Steve, Two Guys Music, Rhode Island

"Blending in subtle elements of jazz to create a genuinely unique and enjoyable style of blues, Jimmy Crimmins plays tasty blues and blues-rock which is both moderately aggressive and soulful." -- Herm, Electric Blues Radio, Florida

“Jimmy Crimmins is both a powerhouse and passionate guitarist as well as a solid vocalist and songwriter. His nickname is a bit misleading, as while he certainly is a rockin guitarist, he is also substantially flavored with equal portions of blues and jazz, …sort of Robben Ford-ish with more guts and energy.” -- Tom Branson, Blues Rockers

“Jimmy Crimmins is a guitar-players guitar player.” -- Blues Freepress - England

“Rockin' Jimmy Crimmins shows on keepin' it real that as a guitarist he is phenomenal. He can run the gamut from Robert Jr. Lockwood to Albert Collins and beyond, makes this one for all guitar lovers in the house.” -- Norman Darwen - Blues in Britain magazine

“Jimmy Crimmins sure does have plenty of beefy guitar, turned up it gets better.” -- Blues Matters - Europe

“The Bluesman, Rockin' Jimmy Crimmins from Wisconsin, brilliantly plays guitar, he is a great guitar master.” -- Jazz News - Russia

“Rockin' Jimmy Crimmins is a monster player. There are plenty of good players out there, but few with as dazzling command of the instrument. It's gonna take a player with big chops to get close to what he's laying down. This is hot stuff.” -- Mark Gallo - Blues Bytes

“Keepin' It Real is the latest CD from guitarist Rockin' Jimmy Crimmins and it contains two instrumentals. Mr. Friendly is jazzy with guitar ranging from cool to intense in a matter of minutes, but Footsteps is a very impressive Rhythm & Blues workout by a master.” -- Pipe Line Magazine - London

“With a nickname Rockin' on the cover, opening up the CD cover and placing it on the machine, one is expecting to get pulsating Rockin' Blues... what a surprise! Crimmins displays succinct, fluid jazz-influenced phrasing on the guitar. True, the first cut, "Makin' such a fuss" is rock-based blues, but is tastily delivered. "Deep Blue Sea" reveals Crimmins' soulful vocals on this rendition with some hot, beefy guitar licks. Every cut is enjoyable and the original quality of all the songs is refreshing.”-- Dorothy Hill - Jazz Now

“Jimmy's playing style on this album evokes memories of Albert Collins at his coolest, mixed with a slightly jazzy tinged edge, laced throughout with more than a couple of shots' of Chicago blues. An, album well worth investigation.”-- Brian Harman, Blues in the South, England "

A powerful, energetic bright rock-blues CD precisely and tastefully performed by a really shinning elegant guitar player. Great...."-- La Hora Del Blues, Barcelona

REVIEWS

Because of the genuine emotion -- and real, pure, unadulterated guitar and tube-amp tones (no digital, simulated, imitation tones here) -- Wisconsin guitarist/vocalist Jimmy Crimmins chose to call his new CD, " Keepin' It Real ". Crimmins is one of those rare musicians with a technique so advanced that it evaporates in the heat of his self-expression. On this disc, which may represent some of his finest playing, Jimmy surrounds himself with the hottest musicians he could find and unleashes the guitaristic power that has made him a cult figure in music industry circles. Two instrumentals are featured, including "Mr. Friendly" and "Footsteps". So position yourself between two speakers and prepare yourself for some fat, all-natural and unprocessed guitar tones, hip songwriting and blistering guitar work! © 1996-2008 Guitar Nine Records

File under Blues-rock. This CD will be widely accepted by all lovers of blues guitar with rock overtones and there’s plenty of that to enjoy here. Little Jimmy Crimmins is a seasoned player with chops and substance with feeling for tradition. Backed by an excellent band Little Jimmy offers 10 of his original songs based on familiar song structures and licks made famous by the likes of Albert Collins (Mr.Friendly), Freddie King (That Woman), New Orleans stuff (Come Home), even some Santanaesque grooves (Evil Mood). “Footsteps” is a great instrumental, imagine Bugs Henderson playing uptempo with Booker T. & The MG’s ! A couple of heavy electric shuffles will have fans of the genre smiling (Makin’ Such A Fuss, In This World Without You, Educated Fool). His writing exposes man-woman relations, stuff we all face one way or another. “Keepin’ It Real” is a fine release that should bring Little Jimmy Crimmins wider exposure and I think he should try Europe as soon as possible, musicians like him would go down well there! © Vasja Ivanovski, © 2005 Ray M. Stiles & Blues On Stage

I haven't been this excited about a guitar player since I first heard Warren Haynes some 15 years ago. Jimmy Crimmins is a monster guitar player. He as a great feel for the music and isn't afraid to push the envelope. His solos are huge, swirling, festive, passionate, tasteful and joyful. He has a command of the guitar that comes along every decade or so if we are lucky. He sings with conviction and soul. This CD is a "must have" guitar album... If you are a guitar fan you must have this in your collection. Jimmy is joined on the CD by Tom Reynolds on Keyboards, Craig Panosh on Drums and Jim Denk on Bass. They are a great band and add much to the overall sound. My favorite tunes are, "Making Such A Fuss" which opens with some of the most joyous guitar playing I have heard. "Deep Blue Sea" is a classic slow blues which showcases Jimmy's perfect phrasing and sensuous licks, fat with an edge. "Educated Fool" is a wonderful shuffle and Jimmy scorches this one with his blow torch guitar...the man can play. "That Woman" kills me every time I listen to it. I wish I had written this song!! I wish I could play guitar like this! "Come Home" is a rhumba in the vein of Albert Kings "Crosscut Saw". Some very tasty understated guitar on this one. The whole CD is just top of the line blues, with guitar playing that can be as tender as a grandmothers hug or as hot as a back alley love affair.. Jimmy Crimmins should be a household name, and I'm sure he soon will be. © Johnny Mannion, © www.johnnymannion.com/Reviews.html

Rockin' Jimmy Crimmins may be one of the most exceptional, soulful blues/jazz guitarists on the scene today. Other guitarists are amazed with his technique. Blues fans are are floored by his emotional, confident playing. Jazz cats dig his harmonically sophisticated phrasing and mature song writing. Everyone else just listens and feels their soul lifted by an honest musician with something to say. © www.rockinjimmy.com

SHORT BIO

Rockin' Jimmy Crimmins -- one of the most exceptional jazz/blues guitarists on the scene today -- was born in Madison, Wis. He started on the instrument early, making his first live appearance at the age of 13. While attending high school and gigging on the weekend, Jimmy became obsessed with learning from the masters. He wore out every B.B. King, Freddy King and Paul Butterfield album he could get his hands on. After graduation, Jimmy hit the road with the area's most popular blues bands, performing five to six nights a week. Then, one winter's evening in the early '70s, Jimmy's world really turned when he was introduced to George Benson at a Madison coffee house. Already very much into Wes Montgomery and Herb Ellis, that meeting took Jimmy to the next plateau. Later, at a gig in Milwaukee, Jimmy heard that George Pritchett, guitarist with the Buddy Rich band, was teaching at a music store in town. He studied with the dexterous jazz master briefly, while attending the Milwaukee Conservatory of Music. While learning all he could about Pritchett's effortless command of the fretboard, Jimmy unlocked the secret behind the way masters practice the instrument. This simple secret became the catalyst for Jimmy's first guitar instructional manual -- ROCKIN' JIMMY'S DAILY GUITAR WORKOUT. In a quest for more knowledge of the instrument and the music business, Jimmy moved to West Hollywood, Cal., where he landed a position with the world's largest music retailer, Guitar Center Hollywood. There he would learn from the best, see and hear the best and get to play with the best. For 14 years, he hung out with, gigged with and got to understand the inner workings of the hottest musicians on the planet. Jimmy's emotive style landed him on stage with major players -- including the Blues Brothers -- and Jim played the last performance with the duo from Saturday Night Live before frontman John Belushi's death. The last two years Jimmy’s gigged over 300 shows from Buddy Guy’s Legends to Luther’s Blues, the Jazz Company Disney World and also blues club of the year Blues on Grand. Today, Jim is back in his home state of Wisconsin where he continues his love affair with the instrument. From his home base in Green Bay, he teaches, records and embarks on tours to the delight of thousands who groove on his sophisticated blues sound infused with soul. A life spent mastering an instrument and a soul full of blues combine to make Jimmy a must-see live and a must-hear on compact digital disc. In a world of make-believe, Rockin' Jimmy is truly KEEPIN' IT REAL. © www.rockinjimmy.com/index.htm