JIMI BOTT: Jimi Bott Live Volume One Cheap Thrills

Jimi Bott

Jimi Bott Live Volume One Cheap Thrills

© 2005 Roseleaf Records (678277087521)

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Features The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Rod Piazza, Junior Watson & more.This CD swings, shuffles, rocks and imbeds itself into a stone-cold groove. If you like soulful vocals, undeniable rhythm with incindiary harp, piano & guitar, this CD is for you.

notes

NEW: ORDER NOW AND GET A FREE POSTER SIGNED BY JIMI!
limited time only!
CHEAP THRILLS IS NOW A HEAVY ROTATION HIT IN FINLAND!!
"He is one of the best damn drummers I've ever worked with. He knows how to fit in a situation, add to it and never take from it. One of my favorites, and I don't have many." -- Doug MacLeod

"Jimi is one of the top drummer's in the world. He's worth twice what I pay him and it's an honor to work with him!" -Kim Wilson of The Fabulous Thunderbirds

Jimi's legendary, outrageous, dare-devil behavior and stunts range from: trying to play a drum solo three hundred feet underwater while holding his breath to.... jumping off his drum throne in the middle of a performance, attempting to fly around the room with a red cape, goggles and nothing else on, cannot detract from the fact that he is a...

Nine-time W.C. Handy nominee for blues drummer of the year...

Five time winner of the Northwest Muddy Award for blues drummer of the year, and...

Is one of the most recorded and respected blues drummers in the world.

While still in high school Jimi started his professional career at the tender age of 17 with well-known Bay Area blues men, Paul Durkett and Byrd Hale. At 19 he joined Mark Hummel and the Blues Survivors, starting what would be the beginning of a perpetual life on the road. On his 21st birthday he auditioned for and won the gig of his dreams with Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers, the very same band that had inspired him to become a professional drummer. He is currently the backbeat and backbone of The Fabulous Thunderbirds. His discography boasts impressive credits to over 60 CD's and countless live performances with other blues greats such as:

Earl King, Joe Houston, Snooks Eaglin, Jimmy Rogers, Katie Webster, Mickey Champion, Floyd Dixon, Little Charlie, Johnny Dyer, Little Willie Littlefield, Duke Robillard, Robert Ward, Rick Holmstrom, James Cotton, Joe Hughes, Rick Estrin, Charlie Musselwhite, Roy Rogers, Norton Buffalo, Brownie McGhee, Jerry Portnoy, Carey Bell, Larry "Arkansas" Davis, Bill Campbell, John "Juke" Logan, Brenda Burns, Lowell Fulson, Albert Collins, Guitar Gable, Louis & Dave Myers, Luther Tucker, Bonnie Bramlet, Clarence Fountain & The Five Blind Boys of Alabama, William Clarke, Junior Watson, Bob Jones & Lee Oscar

Born in San Francisco on August 13, 1965, some would say that music is in his blood. His father, Ken Bott, was his earliest musical influence. He would sing and play guitar every night after work entertaining Jimi, his brother Jere, their mom and two dogs (the audience was nearly spellbound each evening). Ken bought Jimi his very first drum and paid for his lessons. His mother Lee, though often rattled by his constant practicing, was always encouraging and supportive. Later, he and his brother Jere would record and produce their father's very late debut CD entitled The Blues From Bottsville. At the age of 72, Ken was finally able to realize his life-long dream to write and record an album. The Blues From Bottsville features Jim Wallace, one of Portland's most seasoned blues musicians, on harmonica as well as Marc Ford, famous guitarist for the Black Crowes & Ben Harper. Only released as a limited pressing, the CD was very well received on the west coast and in blues magazines, such as Blues Revue. As luck would have it, you can now purchase The Blues From Bottsville here at cdbaby.

Jimi was privileged to be schooled by two of the best drum instructors in the country. From 1980 to 1983 he studied with the Bay Area great, Forrest Elledge. Later, while living in Los Angeles, he was one of the infamous Murray Spivack's last (and according to Murray, one of his best) students ever, an incredible compliment considering Murray's list of students includes world-famous drummers such as Joe Morello (Dave Brubeck), David Garibaldi (Tower of Power), Louis Bellson and Chuck Silverman. A hand technician genius, Murray befriended Jimi and passed on his vast knowledge of stick control, musicality, and sense of rhythm. Murray's influence flows through every performance of Jimi's, but until now, there has never been such an example as the track Tribute To Gene, Buddy & Louie, found here on Jimi's debut CD, Jimi Bott Live Volume I Cheap Thrills. As the title suggests, Jimi touches on, and improvises over, established themes of each of these great drummers while adding his own mark and flair.

Although Jimi's first love is blues, as a drummer he excels in many other genres. Check out his now-defunct band, Mad Hattie (Soul Fishin'), and hear him play different styles that bridge jazz, country, punk and electric bluegrass (also for sale here at cdbaby). Odd time signatures, washboards, tambourines, garbage cans (yes, garbage cans!), brushes and mallets prevail throughout. But his talents don't stop there! Jimi is also one hell of a rock drummer and he has played with several mainstream players including rock guitar hero, Marc Ford (The Black Crowes & Ben Harper). While on hiatus from The Fabulous Thunderbirds in 1998 to 2000, Marc and Jimi, along with Luther Russell and Fred Trujillo, formed the crushing rock band Federale. A blend of The Band meets Neil Young, Federale never made a commercially released CD. They became a cult internet sensation and toured the country with other underground greats Government Mule and The Mother Hips. Only a handful of demos and live recordings remain. Jimi is currently working on gathering these together as another possible archival project.

A current resident of Portland, OR, when he is not on tour with the T-Birds Jimi is a regular on the music scene there. He can be seen playing with many of the city's great musicians. Among his favorites are: Jim Wallace, Marco Savo, Curtis Salgado, and Lloyd Jones.

For more information about Jimi, the many CD's he appears on, pictures, or to contact him, please visit www.jimibott.com.

reviews

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  • Fantastic!!! A must have for the collection!
    author: Walter Herleman

    A fantastic live CD. Jimi is as good as it gets. There's plenty of proof here why Jimi has played with the Who's Who, of West Coast Blues greats. Jimi's not only one of the best drummers working in modern Blues right now, but right up there with the best of the ALL time great drummers,....EVER! BUY this CD, you absolutely won't regret it!!

  • This album takes me back to some of the best performances I ever saw.
    author: Dan Bednorz aka Taxicab Dan

    This recording takes me back to Carlos O'brien's when Jimi first arrived on the seen.He stood out from the beginning as a musicians' musician.At the time the Flyers were considered to be THE BLUES BAND in southern California and Jimi immediately raised the bar and improved an already dangerous group.Jimi,Thanks for reminding us how sweet it was!

  • Jimim Bott Live Volume One/Cheap Thrills is a must
    author: Reuben Vigil

    I bought this CD on recommendation. The shipping and packaging are first class. I received an email from Jimi and a signed poster. I played the CD and was blown away. From the first cut to the last, Jimi Bott proves that he is the premier West Coast Blues Drummer. I recommend this CD to everyone, an excellent value for your entertainment $$$. Good Stuff Jimi, I am looking forward to Jimi Bott Live/Volume Two ...

  • This CD is Fabulous!
    author: Yngve Grønvik

    I bought the CD from Jimi Bott personally right after the Fab T-Bird concert in Alta, Northern Norway in May. Jimi signed it for me and guaranteed that it was great! So it was! All the way home (six hours to drive!) the CD was not out of the CD-player! This is a great compilation with great artists! Word is that Kim Wilson wants to include Cheap Thrills on the T-Birds set-list. A really good song, written by Jimi! Buy this CD!

  • A must-have CD!!!!
    author: Floyd Lasky

    Jimi, if it wasn't for this review, I'd say you were the Best Drummer in the Blues!!! But, I still say you are the BEST!!!

  • A „must have” CD for all blues lovers!
    author: Przemek Draheim, Blues & Gospel Radio Host, Poland, www.blues.pl

    Jimi Bott’s new CD came to me some time ago. Since then I fell in love with the album and the love continues to spread. When I first presented it in my radio shows my listeners were blown away. Now, they keep requesting it and I keep airplaying it. If you love the blues played from the bottom of human’s heart, „Cheap Thrills” is for you. Get it because live music doesn’t get any better than this!

  • great! can't wait fo vol 2. thanks jimi for autograph
    author: richard

    great cd it follows a live litany of westcoast blues, and why the musicians who recorded these tracks have had such a tremendous and loyal following over the years. a grateful thnak you to all of you!

  • this is as good as it gets
    author: clive mellor

    this is a terrific piece of work. if you have any interest in genuine grooving blues, buy this cd. i've been a fan of jimmy's since i saw him in the uk on his first tour of service with the mighty flyers, and was thrilled when he joined the fab t.birds. everyone's playing on this is exemplary, not surprising when you consider their pedigree, but at the heart of it all is a top top drummer. doesn't matter how good the rest of the band is, in the end they're only as good as the drummer lets them be, and this guy's the best. not that this is just about blues. that old style big band drummer thing gets me every time, like a pro sticksman pal of mine said..... a blues drummer's got no right being that good ! my personal fave along with grady tate (jimmy knows who that is). congratulations jimmy, i've been waiting for this one for years.

  • is like opening a special vintage bottle of wine that’s been cellared for decade
    author: Blues Revue

    Jimi Bott, Cheap Thrills, Vol. 1, Roseleaf Records, RL 001      Dear Jimi,      Thanks so much for taking these live recordings from your personal collection and sharing them with us. Hearing the Peter Gunn Theme with Luther Tucker and Mark Hummel from 1985 is like opening a special vintage bottle of wine that’s been cellared for decades. And you were only 20. Very special. The high powered energy is so cool I feel like I was there with the mic hidden in my jacket. I know that playing with Rod Piazza and the Flyers was your dream gig, so thanks for parting with seven special Flyer moments from 1987 to 1992. You really nailed that double shuffle on Rod’s chromatic “The Eliminator”. It reminds me of how Rod starts off every show, high flyin’ and over the top. I’ve long been a fan of the Mighty Flyers, so to include “That’s What You Do to Me”, from 1987 with Junior Watson on guitar is a rare treat. Watson’s tone is as sleek as the lines on a classic Corvette. And when the song accelerates, Watson’s dynamics amp up the ride, pushing and pushing the speed limit. P.S. I love hearing your niece yelling, “Go Uncle Jimi!” That cracks me up. No Flyer show was ever complete without you and Honey doin’ a brilliant drum piano surge. So instead of pressing songs we all know, you asked Honey for something unique and she responded with “The Bumble Boogie/The Nutcracker” medley. It’s her classical upbringing meets her boogie woogie passion. But there”s even an Alex Schultz guitar bridge holdin’ it all together. I loved how you and Honey recreated the big bands of the 1930’s on Louis Prima’s “Sing, Sing, Sing”. And when you see Alex, be sure to tell him “Jam Up” is one of my favorites on the record. It’s 10 minutes perfectly captures the night to night spontaneity of the Mighty Flyers. You couldn’t have picked a better way to end then with the deepest blues, Rod’s soulful “Ah’w Baby” from 1990. Your drum techniques were put on the world stage when you left the Flyers and joined the Fabulous Thunderbird. I’m glad you included two tunes with Kim Wilson, one song featurng Kid Ramos and the other with Kirk Fletcher. The only bad thing about this record is that it ends. Jimi, please thank Rod and Honey, Kim, Junior Watson, Alex, and Mark Hummel for giving you permission to release these songs. One thing is unmistakable, no matter who you play with, you’ve always been the engine that drives the music. art tipaldi

  • A must for all West Coast aficionados ... Rating 9 ( out of 10)
    author: Blues in Britain

    Jimi Bott – Live Volume 1 – Cheap Thrills Roseleaf Records RL001 Jimi Bott has forged a formidable reputation as one of the blues world’s most talented drummers, having worked and recorded with many of the greats of modern day blues, especially those artists who are known as voyeurs of the West Coast blues scene; typical comments reading like this one from Kim Wilson who says “Jimi is one of the top drummers in the world and it’s an honour to work with him”. For fans of artists like Kim Wilson, Rod Piazza et al, “Cheap Thrills” is a treasure trove of previously unreleased live recordings drawn from Bott’s collection “live board, walkman and demo cassette tapes” that were found in his basement in 2003; all featuring Bott working with various blues greats at different times throughout his career. The set opens with “The Eliminator”, a swinging harp fired shuffle featuring Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers recorded live at Carlos O’Briens, Riverside, California in 1991. Piazza shows his superb mastery of the chromatic harp on a number on which Bott, Bill Stuve, Miss Honey and Alex Schultz lay down the kind of vibrant groove that allowed Piazza to stretch out and shine. Piazza is again in magnificent form on Little Walter’s “Ah’w Baby”, a moody West Coast/Chicago hybrid with deeply intense vocals and harp, beautifully understated guitar (Schultz) and deep rolling piano. Alex Schultz takes the spotlight on “Jam Up!”, an improvisation recorded in 1992 that opens with Miss Honey laying down some moody piano before Schultz segues in with a repetitive guitar riff before stretching out to tease every nuance from each and every note as Stuve and Bott lock into the tightest of grooves; whilst Miss Honey takes the spotlight with a wild medley of “The Bumble Boogie /The Nutrocker” (JJ’s Room, San Jose, 1992) fired by the train-like rhythms of Bott and Stuve. Fans of the Fabulous Thunderbirds will love their two featured tracks, opening with “I’d Rather Be Blind Crippled And Crazy” (Rhythm Room, Phoenix, 2002), a tough slab of R&B with Wilson in great voice underpinned by Gene Taylor’s rolling piano and a baying horn section featuring Doug James, Joe Sublet and Darrel Leonard; whilst “Cheap Thrills” is a previously unreleased slab of stomping R&B recorded in 1996, featuring Wilson’s high energy vocals underpinned by Taylor’s hard rocking piano and a thunderous backbeat, Kid Ramos’ feral r’n’r guitar exploding all over the mix. Jimi Bott takes centre stage, along with Miss Honey, as they unleash a duo recording of a big band swing number with “Sing Sing Sing (With A Swing)” (JJ’s, 1992), a dramatic and uncanny liaison between piano and drums; whilst “Tribute To Gene, Buddy and Louis” (Sully’s, Detroit 1992) is a drum extravaganza that shows Bott at the height of his powers. The set is rounded out with a typically wild performance from Jr Watson of Roscoe Gordon’s “That’s What you Do To Me” (1987); Mark Hummel’s Blues Survivors featuring Luther Tucker laying down a wild and bluesy “Peter Gunn” (1985); whilst the stunning interplay between the twin Strats of Curtis Smith and Mike Schermer on a swinging, jazz inflected “Frosty” (2004) has to be heard to be believed. A must for all West Coast aficionados and roll on Volume 2. (www.jimibott.com) Rating 9 Mick Rainsford

  • Real life blues,,,recording makes you feel there
    author: Bob

    If you like blues, (and I do) this cd is a must. Just buy it and when you look at whos on it,and how it sounds...you'll agreee

  • In my opinion Jimi Bott is the greatest Blues drummer around today. A must list
    author: Headstrong Amps

    Great track selection, high energy blues music. A great list of contributors on this CD, some of my favorite artists around today. It is a must listen! Worth twice the purchase price considering that all of these songs are unreleased and most are live cuts. In my opinion the best way to hear Jimi and the blues.

  • A great display of Blues/Rock talent on each track.
    author: Ken Bott, ( Jimi,s Dad).

    The mix is eclectic from its up tempo begining to its soulful conclusion. Jimi real nails it with his tribute to Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich and Louis Bellson and check out the title tune a Jimi Bott original. Who says drummers arn't musicians!

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