AreYouBlues: Jim, thank you for taking the time to speak with AreYouBlues. Your new CD "American Hips" combines an array of musical genres (blues, country, jazz , and rock), yet you manage to blend each genre with the next, like they were meant to be together. So, where did this unique style of songwriting come from?
Jim Campilongo: That's a hard question. I think that the songs blend together because my guitar has a distinctive sound and voice. I don't mean to sound full of myself, nor am I comparing myself to an artist, let's say, like John Lennon, but John could sing any song and you 'd know it was unmistakably Lennon, it would have a
continuity with all the other songs he sang regardless
of style. I would say the same for Ray Charles. I
never think about, "Oh, I'm going to write a country
song", or a swing song. I think about conveying an
emotion I'm feeling or a mood I want to express. As
far as where my songwriting comes from, I would say
mostly from standards based on A-B-A-A song form, and
usually the music I like is fairly simple and straight
ahead, whether it be Hoagy Charmichael, Hawaiian slack
key or the Beatles.
AYB: How does "American Hips" differ from your earlier solo release of "Table For One" as well as the two CD's you recorded with the 10 Gallon Cats, "Loose" and "Heavy"?
JC: First of all, American Hips is my favorite record for a number of reasons. It took me a long time to feel confident enough to work in a trio and get the
benefits of a sparse , intimate setting. Playing and
Tim (Luntzel) and Dan (Rieser) has been a great
experience for me and we all feel pretty comfortable
with the use of space. This record was also recorded
live in the studio and because of that I feel that it
has a real palatable ambiance thanks to the airy room
of Bedford Sudios and the genius of engineer Daryn
Roven.Daryn really made that record sound great. All
that said , I think the bottom line for any good
record , is good , musical performances. I think
"Bought Some Swampland in Florida" is my favorite
track because I can hear us walking on the tightrope,
taking chances and yet still staying on our musical
feet. I think some of my other records, specifically
with the" 10 GallonCats" , sound a bit more produced,
but nonetheless I am proud of those records too.
AYB: "American Hips" also bears vocals, on two tracks, from one Norah Jones. How did this collaboration come about?
JC: I met her boyfriend and Norah's soon-to-be-collaborator, Lee Alexander, in San Francisco a few years back. We played a few gigs together and hit it off personally and musically. We stayed in touch, even after Lee moved to New York. Our mutual friend, Adam Levy, who played in Norah's band, had me sub for him a few times. During this time, Norah , Lee and myself discovered a mutual love for classic country music and proceeded to get a group together , " The Little Willies . This was to create an arena and outlet for us to play our favorite
Country songs. We still play together whenever we can
and it's always a blast. The band's current lineup is
Richard Julien on guitar and vocals, Lee on the bass, Dan Rieser on drums and Norah on piano and vocals and me on guitar. I'm hoping and have my fingers crossed for a Little Willies record someday.
AYB: Well, you both compliment each others talent -- and it defiantly makes for a memorable listen. That being said, are any collaborations with Jones scheduled for the future?
JC: Besides the Little Willies no, not at this time.
AYB: Your current band, The Jim Campilongo Electric Trio performs live every Monday Night at the Living Room in NYC. Can you talk a little about how this weekly spotlight came about.
JC: I believe that musicians should play music as much as possible. Because of this, I always try to have a weekly gig. This allows me as a composer to hear the new songs I've written and to hear the old ones develop into something that is sometimes surprising and refreshing. I also try to mix things up and have people sit in . For example, next week Adam Levy is going to play with us and we're going to play the music of Duke Ellington. Last week, a more informal appearance happened when Richard Julien walked in the club and sang a Hank Williams song. To me, that's what being a musician is about.
AYB: Do you have any other gigs lined up outside of the Living Room and/or out of NYC?
JC: I just got back from my second tour of Finland and played the Lille, France festival in December. Last week we got back from playing in Detroit. So right
now I'm ready to settle in and concentrate on the Living Room gig here in New York. I also play the 55 Bar the second Sunday of every month. It's a great spot.
AYB: Tell our readers about your most memorable performance.
JC: I think the time I played a drug raid and men came running in with shotguns was a pretty memorable gig. We didn't know they were DEA, and one of them came up
to me and put the shotgun to my forehead, looked me in the eyes and said, "BANG". The DEA left with about ten people who they arrested, and we went up after a long break and played "Cocaine".
AYB: On your webpage, www.jimcampilongo.com, I noticed you offer Audio Guitar Lessons via mail? Explain this concept.
JC: Hey, thanks for asking! The concept is pretty self-explanatory. Lessons by mail are the result of
all the private lessons I gave while living in San
Francisco, the instructional articles I've written for
Guitar Player Magazine and being the author of TipWorld.com's "Guitar Tips". This has allowed me to
hone and edit what is about a 45-minute audio lesson with tablature. One doesn't need to read music, and they're offered to students at any level. What I'm most proud of is the note-for-note transcriptions I have of lesser-known artists like Jimmie Rivers, Billy Butler, Hank Garland and Jimmy Bryant. Despite their large cult followings, their music isn't really available. Because of this, I get requests for transcriptions from all over the world. Despite this, I still get a kick out of helping a beginner unlock some of the mysteries of the guitar.
AYB: What is in store for Jim Campilongo beyond "American Hips"?
JC: I've been really enjoying New York as my home and I want to continue to work and hopefulloy thrive here. In some ways I want to continue to do what I've been
doing the past year and a half, which is playing on TV
commercials, playing a weekly gig with my trio, playing with great talent like Richard Julian and Norah Jones and hopefully continue to branch out into Europe. Most importantly, I hope to find leisure time to live in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. As far as my next CD, right now I'm thinking about doing a record of all covers. I'd love to do a record where I can interpret songs in my own voice with my own reading. The only problem I have with this is I won't be able to do the songs I've written, but it's a nice dilemma.
AYB: Jim, thank you for taking the time to talk to AreYouBlues. I wish you luck, and will be seeing you soon at the Living Room.
*** For those interested in reading more about Jim Campilongo, check out AreYouBlues' review of "American Hips"
HERE, or you can visit Jim Campilongo's webpage at:
www.JimCampilongo.com.
