All images of Jim/Jim's albums are used with permission
Everything in bold yellow is a link! Start clicking!
To listen to Kimo's film and TV music, please go to:
Kimo's Film & TV Music
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About Jim
Quotes from Jim himself:
* "When I was about 11, I played air guitar on a fly swatter. I started on a real guitar the next year."
* "I actually don't drink Kool Aid or sodas or the like as it's way too much sugar for me! I used to prefer the lime flavor when I was a kid,though"
* "One of the most "striking" memeories was getting hit in the face by Al's hoe on "Fat",during the last tour."
* "Hawaiian language is fairly easy to pronounce, once you know the rules.However, the language is extremely complex and I'm not a speaker by any means.
I've found that it's essential to understand the meaning of the lyrics when singing in Hawaiian,otherwise you are just singing meaningless syllables.It helps you to remember the lyrics when you know what the next verse is about.Hawaiian songs and their predecessors,the ancient chants, are spoken in metaphors which can be very confusing. This is called "kaona". Many songs mention flowers and beautiful places but actually are talking about sex! I learned this the hard way when, while singing what I thought was a beautiful lyric, all the Hawaiians started laughing."
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When Jim West was twelve years old, he discovered something that would change his life forever: his brother's guitar. As simple as this may sound, this one
event caused Jim West to become one of history's most talented guitarist. At age sixteen, Jim played as a professional. Some years later, his friend, Steve
Jay, encouraged Jim to audition for "Weird Al" Yankovic. Al and Jim have worked together ever since. In 1985, another event happened. On a tour with "Weird
Al" Yankovic, they visited Hana, Maui and it was love at first sight for Jim. He soon learned how to play "slack key guitar" or "ki ho 'alu" as it is called in Hawaii. In 1999 Jim released his first album, "Coconut Hat" and in 2005, "Slack Key West". Both can be found and bought on Amazon.com.
For the complete list of Jim's albums, see the Albums section to the left!
More Stuff About Jim
Place of birth: Toronto, Canada
Father's name: Keith
Mother's name: Letha
High school: King High, Tampa, Florida
College: USF, Tampa Florida
Influences: Jimi Hendrix, Miles Davis, Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, various folkie fingerpickers
Shoe size: 13
Height: 6' 2"
Weight: 175
Favorite place to eat: Any sushi restaurant!
Favorite cereal: Irish "Steel Cut" Oatmeal
Favorite disco song: Disco Inferno
Favorite country song: Take This Job and Shove It
Favorite alternative song: Alternative Polka
Favorite make of guitar: Tom Anderson Guitarworks
Favorite movie: Re-Animator
Favorite Car: Ferrari
Hobbies: Scuba Diving, Hiking, Fishing and playing his guitar.
9 Quick Facts About Jim
1) Jim "Kimo" West produced the music track for "Weird Al" Yankovic's smash hit, "White and Nerdy." This song is currently 2 on iTunes!
2) Jim "Kimo" West is from right here in Tampa! He attended King High School and USF! He was a co-founder of Tampa's first all-original progressive rock band, Mythril! Similarly to Clang some 15-20 years later, Mythril circa 1974-75 was centered around the USF Music Department, and even occasionally featured USF music professors. Mythril developed a huge following performing at USF's "Head Theatre," a weekly on-campus event. Psychedelic images were projected on a huge screen while the band played their otherworldly music.
3) Jim "Kimo" West recently was awarded the "LA Treasure" award by the Los Angeles Dept of Cultural Affairs for his efforts in bringing slack key guitar to a wider audience.
4) Jim West has recorded and toured with "Weird Al Yankovic" for over 20 years, earning 3 Grammys in the process.
5) Jim "Kimo" West was a co-founder and engineer at the legendary Hitmakers Studio here in Tampa.
6) Jim "Kimo" West snuck into the USF Music Department to record an album in the 70's.
7) Jim "Kimo" West has been on The Simpsons!
8) Jim "Kimo" West has won widespread praise for his latest Slack-Key release, "Slack Key West." Richard Bennett of the Mark Knopfler Band says: "Slack Key West, Jim's latest album, is a record that is beautifully performed, written and recorded and shows Jim expanding the role of slack key guitar playing. It's been said often that there are really only two kinds of music; good and bad. Jim West makes good music."
9) Jim "Kimo" West wrote, recorded and toured with Johnny G Lyon in both California and Florida. The two can be heard together on the song "Comb My Hair" from the soundtrack of the 1985 Columbia Pictures hit "Just One of the Guys."
