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JIMMY BOWSKILL
Where to begin…Juno nominee,
two time Canadian Indie Award winner, Maple Blues award winner and Galaxie Rising Star Award winner. He has two highly-acclaimed
albums under his belt, another in the works, and has brought his music to stages around the world. An impressive list of accomplishments,
even for a life-long music career, but for Jimmy Bowskill, all this, and more, was accomplished before the age of 18. We are
pleased to feature the very talented, Jimmy Bowskill.
CB: Hi Jimmy. Thanks for taking some time to speak with us. Among your influences is Robert Johnson.
Why is his music a source of inspiration for you?
JB: Robert Johnson is a
major influence to me because of the soul in his singing and playing. Those recordings are some of the most powerful music
out there because of that. They really are haunting, and mesmerizing. His songwriting was also very ahead of its time.
CB: Who are some of your other influences?
JB: Some of my other influences
are ZZ Top, Peter Green, Louis Jordan, Charlie Parker, the Sadies, the Stanley Brothers, Buddy Guy to name a few. I listen
to a lot of different styles of music that influences my own style.
CB: You have performed all over the world at major festivals, which ones stand out for you as extra-special?
JB: I think the most memorable
one would be the festival in Koktebel in the Ukraine. The stage was set up right beside the Black Sea. In the middle of our
set, it started to storm and pour rain. Not one person left. They just kept dancing in the rain. And on top of that, there
was lightning over the sea that was really incredible. I’d never seen anything like that before, and it all happened
while we were playing. The mayor of the town told me the day before we left, that if it storms like that while you’re
playing you will have success throughout your life. It was a very amazing night.
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| Jimmy in the Ukraine |
CB: You’ve also appeared on many national and regional television programs. Tell us about
those experiences and which of these appearances stand out for you?
JB: Well, Television is
always an interesting thing to do. It’s a lot more structured and strict than one of my regular live shows, but always
a neat experience. We have had a lot of help from almost every T.V. station in Canada, but none has helped us more than CBC.
They have for sure done a lot for us. We’ve performed at the Easter Seals Telethon now for three years in a row, and
it always feels really great to be a kid helping other kids. It is always fun to do that.
CB: Do you work with a booking agent or manager to oversee your schedule?
JB: My parents handle all
of the booking and management side of things. And for our shows in Europe, we work with Igor Sazanov. It is great because
my parents have always supported my sister and I in everything we’ve done, and now they’ve taken on management,
which is not an easy job. Not only are they now professional managers, but my dad is a professional concert promoter as well.
So he handles all of our promo and shows that we put on ourselves.
CB: Does your debut CD “Old Soul”, represent your current sound?
JB: Old Soul is more of
a point in time. All things progress with time. My sound now is completely different from both records. Old Soul was more
of a traditional blues album. Now I have more of a rock sound that is influenced by traditional blues. I also recorded Old
Soul when I was 11, so my voice has changed a lot since then.
CB: How does your
follow-up CD, “Soap Bars & Dog Ears”, compare to “Old Soul”?
JB: Soap Bars
is a lot heavier and rock influenced than Old Soul. We were just getting used to the heavier feel, so it is still a bit traditional
but experimental as well. I would have to say that it is quite a bit more diverse as well. We are definitely exploring a lot
more than on Old Soul.
CB: “Soap Bars & Dog Ears” received a Canadian JUNO Award nomination. How has the
nomination impacted on your career?
JB: The Juno nomination
has impacted our career greatly. We have had many more opportunities from that and a lot of recognition all over Canada. It
took us to the next level I guess. It was really an honor to receive that nomination and to be recognized in the industry.
CB: You have opened for and shared the stage with music legends such as Dickey Betts, ZZ Top, and
Jeff Healey to name a few. If you could sit in and play with any artist, who would it be and why? JB: If I could sit in with any artist, it would probably have to be Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top.
He has been one of my biggest influences and to meet him and find out that he is an amazing person too made him more of a
hero to me.
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| Jimmy jamming with legend Dickey Betts |
CB: I’ve read that you are a multi-instrumentalist who in addition to playing guitar, plays
harmonica, bass, banjo and piano. Do you incorporate any of these instruments into your recordings or live performances?
JB: I use my knowledge of
other instruments all the time. For example: a while ago, my friend asked me to come up with a song for his television commercial,
so I decided to make him a demo. On this demo I played Guitar, bass, drums and trumpet. So it really comes in handy for recording.
If I’m doing demos for my own album, I can play all the instruments myself and not have to use midi instruments. I can
also back up my friends and help them record. So it really comes in handy. I mainly stick to guitar for live shows though.
CB: What is your favourite live guitar and amp set-up?
JB: My favorite guitar and
amp set up right now would have to be my cherryburst Les Paul standard through my Vox ac-30. I really love the midrange of
the Les Paul and the way the Vox compliments it. I actually picked up a limited edition Vox called the Brian May signature.
So what’s unique about this amp is that it’s hand wired, and it only has one volume knob. No tone knobs or effects
or anything - just a volume knob. And it surprisingly sounds better than most ac-30s I’ve heard - with any guitar, too.
The Les Paul has been my main guitar for about two years now, and no matter what guitar I play, I always go back to that one.
CB: Jimmy, many notable artists, people like Colin James and Hubert Sumlin have sung your praises.
How does it feel to have artists praise your work?
JB: It is really an honor
because these are people that I look up to. It feels really great to know that they have heard and like my music, because
I have loved theirs before I even started playing. It’s a really cool thing.
CB: The media has placed a lot of attention on your age. What role do you think your age has had
on your quick rise to success?
JB: Well, I don’t
think there are too many artists my age that are as diverse as I am, and not many young people start with the blues. By blues
I mean early piedmont style guitar, bluegrass and old country. I guess people just realize that I know my roots, and they
appreciate that because not many people my age have gone very far into their music’s past and found inspiration from
that too.
CB: Such success often comes with the old show business trend with “hangers on” suddenly
appearing and wanting to be part of an artists’ career after it has gained momentum. Have you experienced anything like
this? How do ensure that you surround yourself with genuine people who truly support your career?
JB: At this point I decide
whom I would like to work with. So there haven’t really been too many examples of people like that. But my career is
still very young. I’m sure I will experience that as I pursue my goals in the future.
CB: What’s next for you? What can we expect from the next Jimmy Bowskill release?
JB: You can expect a very
diverse, but soulful album. All the songs so far are original. So you will be hearing just the band. Plain and simple are
key words to this album.
Plain and simple. The way the blues are meant to be. We look very forward to hearing your new album,
Jimmy. Thanks for taking the time. Find out more about this fine blues musician here: www.jimmybowskill.com
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| Jimmy sharing his blues in Japan |
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