Bio 2006
Jazz Vocalist/Bassist Jim Ferguson was born in Jefferson City, Missouri. His father was the music director in a large church in Columbia, South Carolina, so Jims training began like that of many jazz performers at church. Jim began singing in the childrens choir at four years old and also began piano lessons with the church organist. Singing was his main musical focus through high school, but just before graduation, Jim bought his first string bass to play with the church youth choir.
In 1969 Jim enrolled at the University of South Carolina to study voice. Graduate assistant George Naff started Jim playing walking bass lines. He received further tutelage from trumpeter Johnny Helms and guitarist Terry Rosen, veterans of the Woody Herman and Sammy Davis orchestras, respectively.
Songwriter/pianist Loonis McGlohon hired Jim around 1978 to play bass for NPRs, The American Popular Singer, with Eileen Farrell. Jim performed with Joe Williams, Marlene VerPlanck, Maxine Sullivan, David Allyn, and Julius LaRosa, as well as Bonnie Herman and Gene Puerling of The Singers Unlimited, and pianist, Marian McPartland.
In 1979 Jim began bass lessons with Michael Moore in New York City. Then Chuck Israels introduced Jim to Red Mitchell who had just returned to the United States after twelve years in Sweden. Jim spent many subsequent nights in an unofficial graduate school with Red at Bradleys in Greenwich Village.
Jim went back to South Carolina in 1980 and completed his undergraduate degree and a Master of Music degree with an emphasis in Jazz Performance. At that time a young saxophonist named Chris Potter began sitting in with local jazz groups. He already played well, though he was still very young.
After graduation Jim moved to Nashville, Tennessee. In addition to his successful work in Nashvilles commercial music industry, Jim has performed and/or recorded with a variety of jazz artists. These include Clark Terry, Red Rodney, Nat Adderly, Conti Candoli, Richard Sudhalter, Jimmy McPartland, Randy Brecker, Tim Hagans, Jimmy Heath, Tommy Newsom, Lew Tabackin, Arnie Lawrence, Chris Potter, Bob Sheppard, Eric Alexander, Ira Sullivan, Benny Goodman, Eddie Daniels, Nick Brignola, Kirk Whalum, Jeff Coffin, Bill Watrous, Urbie Green, Bucky Pizzarelli and John Pizzarelli, Jr., Charlie Byrd, Mundell Lowe, Jack Pearson, Kenny Burrell, Lenny Breau, Cal Collins, Jimmy Raney, Martin Taylor, Gene Bertoncini, Attila Zoller, Lorne Lofsky, Howard Alden, Rufus Reid, Johnny Frigo, Stephane Grappelli, Teddy Wilson, Phineas Newborn, Jr., Jay McShann, Derek Smith, Ross Tompkins, Steve Allen, Marian McPartland, Don Thompson, Kenny Werner, Jim Mcneeley, Ben Aranov, Ray Kennedy, Ed Soph, Roger Humphries, Harold Jones, Joe Cocuzzo, Bernard Purdie, Louie Bellson, Barbara Lea, Rosemary Clooney, Jackie Cain and Roy Kral, The HiLos, Mose Allison, Al Jarreau, Bob Dorough, Joe Williams and Teresa Brewer.
In 1996 Jim asked Chris Potter, pianist Pat Coil, and drummer Jim White to work with him on his first CD project, Not Just Another Pretty Bass (AL 73160). In 1997 jazz artist Bill Kirchner brought Jims project to the attention of Anne de Jong and Challenge Records in Holland. Not Just Another Pretty Bass was released on June 1, 1999. Chris Potter, Jim White, and pianist Stefan Karlsson joined Jim in April of 2000 to record Deep Summer Music (AL 73201), Jims second CD for Challenge/A-Records released October 17, 2000. Jim is currently finishing a duo recording with legendary guitarist Mundell Lowe for release later this year.
Jim has been interviewed by Bob Edwards on NPRs Morning Edition. He has been the featured guest on Marian McPartlands Piano Jazz. Jim has also been included on NPRs Jazz Profiles with Nancy Wilson in an episode on singing instrumentalists.
Jim chooses songs with strong melodies and interesting lyrics, believing that when a melody has a lyric associated with it, improvisation on that melody is accessible to a wider audience. Jazz improvisation is an equal element of his recordings, not merely accompaniment for his vocals.
(Revised June 2006)
