New England
 Jim Geezil is a singer/songwriter and music producer who grew up in a small town outside of Boston, Massachusetts. His early musical influences were classic blues harp legends, Sonny Terry, Sonny Boy Williamson II and Junior Wells. In his teen years Jim carried the harmonica around with him everywhere. It was the blues and its improvisational form that ignited his interest in playing music. From an early age, Jim learned he could create simple melodies on the piano. He wrote songs discreetly on acoustic guitar all through high school. After graduation, he attended Northeastern University with the intention of studying acting. Instead, he studied songwriting independently and left the country for the first time, reuniting with artist friends in Belgium. For the first two months, he lived in the city of Antwerp where he sang with his guitar in terraces and bistros. Jim began to develop his singing voice and became more confident with his performances. Europe  Between 1989-1992, Jim performed in over a dozen countries in Europe. He set out playing a solo act with acoustic guitar, harmonica and a tambourine on his foot. Beautiful towns like Feldkirk, Austria, and Ghent, Belgium, offered inspiration for Jim's songwriting. Even as he encountered uncertain places like "Needle Park" in Zurich, Switzerland, he always kept his head making music his first priority. As Jim traveled alone he met a variety of strangers who would be a mixture of craziness and kindness. Jim saw the best and the worst in people and it was a powerful tool in helping him write about the human condition. When he toured in an Irish folk band in Germany and Scandinavia, he performed live for the first time for larger audiences, playing drums. Jim's freedom to arrange the percussion work at popular German festivals like Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas Market), gave him a broader understanding of music theory. Following a brief return to the United States, he then spent a year in Portugal, where he became immersed in the language. He listened to Portuguese rock music from artists like Xutos & Pontapés. At that time, Xutos & Pontapés was played everywhere. Jim met new friends and often found himself riding around the university city of Coimbra on vespas. He was introduced to Portuguese folk music at all night gatherings, which ended in the wee hours of the morning. Sometimes he would end the night at a local bakery, and help make the first batch of bread for the day. He performed in cafés and bars and later worked as a bartender in The Algarve and as a music teacher in Lisbon. As a teacher, he was encouraged to attend Fado performances and he gained a great appreciation for its craft. He organized a music festival at the end of the school year and was voted best arts/music teacher by the graduating senior class. In 1992 he left the country with a strong sense of Portuguese history and culture. Jim took a short trip back to Lisbon and Coimbra in 1993, visiting with friends and saying 'adeus' (goodbye), eventually choosing to live permanently in the U.S.. Santa Fe to Boston Jim moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, in the fall of 1993, and lived there for just over three years. Hired by two hotels as a bookkeeper, Jim soon became the managing auditor in charge of new employee training. As Jim continued to write new songs, he became subtly influenced by southwestern roots music. Jim gained a strong admiration for musicians like nouveau flamenco artist Ottmar Liebert and Native American flute player Carlos NaKai. At that time, he began his first professional recording sessions and eventually took his first trip to LA to attend a songwriting exposition. The experience introduced him to the mechanics of the music industry. He then started to explore the idea of organizing his own independent record label and music publishing company.  In 1997, Jim moved to Boston, Massachusetts. He immediately began to audition as a singer for local rock groups, but eventually started his own band, The Jim Edwards Band. The band was short lived after a few performances, a four-track production and a music video. The following year Jim took a brief trip to The Netherlands, where he discovered techno music. When he returned to Boston, Jim met up with an old friend, she persuaded him to see Orbital and The Crystal Method perform live at the Worcester Centrum. Both groups would later inspire him to record his own original interpretations of industrial dance music. Two of the songs can be heard on "His American Pop" on the tracks "Wide Awake" and "Bugs."  Los Angeles  Since 2000, Jim has lived in Los Angeles, CA where he writes, records and releases music under his own indie label, ebdb records (ASCAP). He's also worked with various indie bands, mixing and co-producing on several albums.Jim built his own recording studio between 2001-2003. Recently, he began learning how to play traditional Chinese instruments. One that he has been working with is called the Erhu. You can hear more on his latest release, "Facing Harder Reasons Than Before." |
|
     |
|