| Jim Campilongo | |
|---|---|
Campilongo with Fender Telecaster 2010 |
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| Background information | |
| Born | July 8, 1958 San Francisco, CA, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz, Rock, Americana, Alternative, Country |
| Occupations | Instrumentalist/Composer |
| Instruments | Electric and Acoustic Guitar |
| Labels | Blue Hen Records |
| Associated acts | Cake, Bright Eyes, JJ Cale, Norah Jones, Teddy Thompson, Nels Cline, Al Anderson, Julia Darling, Peter Rowan, and Gillian Welch/David Rawlings |
| Website | www.jimcampilongo.com |
Jim Campilongo is a U.S. guitarist/composer from San Francisco, currently residing in New York City. Most of his original music is instrumental, although he has featured the singers Norah Jones and Martha Wainwright on his last two releases, and he is a member of The Little Willies, which also includes Jones. Campilongo plays a Fender Custom Shop Campilongo Signature Fender Telecaster.
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Jim Campilongo was born in San Francisco, CA on July 8, 1958. At 9 years of age Campilongo discovered The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix through his two sisters. He became very interested in improvisation saying in one interview, "I knew I liked improvisation and long musical journeys...so I used to buy albums based exclusively on how long the tracks were.... That’s how I discovered John Coltrane Live in Japan, John McLaughlin Devotion, a couple of different Cream albums."[1]
Campilongo’s career began in the mid 1970s when he studied guitar in his native San Francisco with Bunnie Gregoire, who taught the pre-teen to embrace everything from George Van Eps to John Denver. Campilongo's first instrument was purchased with Green Stamps. During high school he regularly jammed with drummer pal Ken Owen and at 17 began performing with area bands.[2] One of Campilongo's greatest influences at the time was Roy Buchanan whom he saw at least 20 or 30 times in the Bay area.[3]
Campilongo started his recording career in San Francisco in 1996 with Jim Campilongo and the 10 Gallon Cats.[4] After several years of performing with the Cats Campilongo left to pursue a new direction with his music and reached a new creative pinnacle with 1998’s Table For One.
In 2002, Campilongo left San Francisco and moved to New York, where he formed his Electric Trio, which toured Europe and Scandinavia and recorded the acclaimed album American Hips on Blue Hen Records.[4] In 2003 Campilongo formed the group The Little Willies with Norah Jones, Richard Julian, Lee Alexander, and Dan Rieser. He has performed, live and in the studio, with artists such as Cake, Bright Eyes, JJ Cale, Norah Jones, Teddy Thompson, Al Anderson, Gillian Welch/David Rawlings, Peter Rowan, Jo Williamson, Sunny Ozell, Marilyn Carino and Julia Darling.
The wide range of artists that Jim Campilongo has performed with speak to the rich musical style that he has developed. Almost any musical genre or sub-genre can describe his playing style. TimeOut NY's Steve Smith wrote, "His prodigious talent is always evident as the band burns through tunes crammed with rock, jazz and country flourishes."[5] In 2007 he released Heaven Is Creepy which was his best received to date.[6]
His latest album is the 2010 release Orange. Produced by New York based Anton Fier of Golden Palominos and recorded in Brooklyn, Orange features Campilongo with acoustic bassist Stephan Crump and drummer/percussionist Tony Mason.
Campilongo maintains a residency at The Living Room on the Lower East Side in New York City where he plays nearly every Monday night. Notable guest artists that have joined him on stage at The Living Room include; Charlie Hunter, Steve Cardenas, Norah Jones, Adam Levy, Martha Wainwright, Chris Cheek, Leah Siegel, and Nels Cline.
Jim Campilongo's original music can be heard on national commercials including National Grid, Volkswagen, SBC, Michelin and Jack Daniel's. Campilongo is also a published guitar teacher and contributing editor for Guitar Player Magazine.
In January 2011, Jim Campilongo was nominated for The 10th Annual Independent Music Awards under the Instrumental Song category for "Awful Pretty, Pretty Awful".[7]