We are delighted to announce Jim Greene as our latest featured artist for Chats with the Cats.
A native of St. Louis, Jim remembers a small scene there and coming to jazz music later than most.
"I remember seeing that Dizzy video on PBS from 1966. It had Kenny Baron, James Moody and Chris White on bass. I think I was 17 or 18 years old at the time. But it got me in the right spot. When I started playing, my main influences were two guys I lived with. One was the saxophone player Chris Cheek and the other was bassist Steve Kirby. We had a loft in the section of town called Soulard. It's right up next to the Mississippi and the Budweiser brewery is there as well. We had an agreement that whoever played the first note of the day, got the apartment for that day to practice!"
"There is a small scene in St Louis and East St Louis. A lot of great musicians come from there, but a lot of them leave. I left town for a while, went to school, and went back to St Louis. This is when I started to play in a group with Russell Gunn, Greg Tardy and drummer Lemoine Carlisle. That was a great band. Most of the time we played without chords. I also got to play with the St Louis legend Willie Akins and the guitar player Rob Block who moved to NY a few years ago. Rob and I are old friends. He is the brother of saxophone player Dan Block."
Jim ended up going to school just outside of NY in northern New Jersey. The relationships he built during this time and over the last 30 years continue today.
"It just made sense for me to stay here. The level of musicianship in NY is unmatched anywhere in the world. So I have found it a fabulous place to live and play music. I have had a lot of great things happen for me living in NY. However, now the price of living in NY is way beyond being a musician full time. There used to be neighborhoods you could move to and still be on a musicians budget. Not anymore." Jim is part of a quintet that performs regularly at The Counting Room in Williamsburg, a spacious wine bar that is partnered with KeyedUp! for Sunday afternoon sessions.
"The Counting Room has been a great gig to have. It is the perfect spot for what we are doing. I play in a quintet called 'The Cafe Society' that plays around town and we travel some as well. The band consists of a fantastic singer named Emily Wade Adams as well as saxophonist Justin Flynn, pianist Steve Einerson, Joe Strasser on drums and myself. My good friend and bandmate Justin Flynn got us this gig. He knows both the owners there and they were looking for music. We have had a magnificent time at The Counting Room. The staff there is great to work with, and the people are there to have fun. It has worked out very well."
So how is Jim managing in isolation during this pandemic?
"I'm just hanging out with my wife, playing bass, having an occasional drink, talking with friends when I can. I have been cooking a lot. It's crazy this is even happening. It's very sad all the people and great musicians who have died. I get frustrated every once in a while, but I'm alive and I am grateful to be.
As far as what I'm listening to, I'm always going back to Ray! This month I am listening to Oscar Peterson in Chicago and transcribing Ray Brown solos. I've also been listening to The Three Sounds and Ahmad Jamal. Piano trio, my favorite setting."
"I'm just getting back to playing music. Practicing is great and I love it, but playing gigs is where it's at. I had gigs coming up at Fat Cat, Smalls, Counting Room,The Roxy, and a new gig at a place called Gran Tivoli. I hope all these places will still be around when this is all over. I hope I have gigs there."
Finally, Jim spoke of his experiences with KEYEDUP!
"I played a gig with somebody a handful of years ago that was a KU! gig. That's how I found out about it. There are very few places in NY that can afford to pay a quintet weekly. It's interesting that so many places actually pay less than they did 15 or 20 years ago. So, having an organization like KU! makes it possible to keep a gig going.