Jim Garber is a multi-instrumentalist who plays fiddle, bass, mandolin and guitar. He works as a graphic and Web designer in the pastoral refuge of Westchester County, New York. He can be found at home with his wife, two daughters and Charlie, his operatic schnauzer. Jim has played over the years with the New York Mandolin Orchestra, the Wonderbeans (an old time string band) and various other old-time groups. In 1989, he played mandolin as part of a plectral ensemble at a concert in Carnegie Hall.
Jim can be heard on The Wonderbeans - Bean Sprouts (2001) and on Harry Bolick's Tunesmith (1988) and All the time in the World (2007). He has studied mandolin with Carlo Aonzo, Jethro Burns and Tiny Moore and ukulele, guitar and banjo with Roy Smeck.
I wrote Loon's Delight on a vacation on a beautiful lake in Maine. The other musicians were Mark Murphy on bass and Ambrose Verdibello on guitar. I am playing an early 1960's Gibson solidbody electric EM200 mandolin thru a '64 Fender Vibrolux reverb amp.
Sogna di Bimba is a soulful Italian mazurka with the same personnel as above. On that one I am playing a 1924 Gibson F4 mandolin.
I wrote Tree of Life in 1988 in honor of my sister and brother-in-law's wedding. It appeared on a compilation put out by a collective of folks on the Comando list. I am playing a 1983 Flatiron A5-2 mandolin. Peter Brazier plays guitar on this one.
All three of these were recorded by Ray Alden .