Jim Vick
Singer-songwriter/guitarist Jim Vick has been performing for over 25 years as a solo artist, bandleader, and backup musician with numerous rock, R&B, folk and world music acts. His Seattle-based band jimvick.combo plays indie folkrock known for risk-taking, issue-oriented lyrics and equally adventurous musical twists, with a frequent emphasis on world rhythms ranging from Afropop to Bossa Nova.
Tell me about your history? How did you get where you are now?
Jim formed jimvick.combo in early 2000 with his vocalist daughter, Elisa Vick, and his longtime musical collaborators, Dan Ochipinti and Rob Moitoza. The songwriter first joined forces in the late 90's with bassist/producer/songwriter Moitoza, known for his work with the Sons of Champlin, Holly Near, Cold Blood, and other leftcoast luminaries; and Ochipinti, a first-call drummer/percussionist for numerous NW world music acts who has played regularly with Urban Bushmen, Heather Alexander, Gaia Consort, and Le Orchestra Afrisound. The group has been promoted in the King County Arts Roster since 2001 and has been a featured act at numerous summer festivals, concerts, and progressive political events in the Pacific Northwest area, including the Rolling Thunder Democracy Festival, the 2003 S.N.O.W. Peace Concert at the Seattle Federal Building, the Art of Resistance Conference, and the NW Folklife Festival. The band released its first CD, Surfing the Web of Life, in August, 2004.
Have you performed live in front of an audience? Any special memories?
We are based in Seattle and the great Northwest is our home territory. We love it. Our favorite shows in town have been at Rolling Thunder, our NW Folklife Festival sets at the EMP, and in Seattle Thunder's Thunder Music in Fremont series, which I host regularly.
Your musical influences
The Beatles, Bruce Cockburn, Joni Mitchell, The Police, Jimi Hendrix, Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, Habib Koite, Bill Frissell, Peter Gabriel.
What equipment do you use?
Parker Fly acoustic electric and Taylor acoustic guitars
