UPCOMING EVENTS
UPCOMING EVENTS
TUNED IN: MEMOIRS OF A PIANO MAN
PRESS RELEASE
JIM WILSON
TUNED IN: MEMOIRS OF A PIANO MAN
Behind the Scenes with Music Legends and Finding the Artist Within
So, there he was, Jim Wilson, a piano tuner from Texas, in Sussex England, sharing a piano bench and playing Lady Madonna with Paul McCartney.
This is just one of the strange-but-true stories that pepper Jim Wilsonâs remarkable autobiography, Tuned In: Memoirs of a Piano Man. It is a page-turner and a life-changer, an entertaining, revealing lesson to us all.
Wilson began tuning pianos to support his music career having moved from Amarillo to Los Angeles. He turned out to be so good at it, his sideline eclipsed his music for years, leading him to tune, rebuild and transform the cherished pianos of pretty well anyone who was anyone in music, Burt Bacharach, Quincy Jones, Barbra Streisand, you name it. And because they loved their pianos, they loved Jim.
His hand in the development of the world’s first MIDI-adapter for acoustic piano led to him sharing adventures, sessions, meals, and laughs with dozens of his childhood heroes, including Elton John, Carole King, and Phil Collins. His front row seat provided him with a rare and fascinating view into their creative processes.
His friend and skiing partner Dan Fogelberg was the man who put him back on the path to playing and recording. Fogelberg was just one of the guest artists who feature on Jim Wilsonâs own recordings, along with David Sanborn, J.D. Souther, Chris Botti, and Stanley Clarke. As Burt Bacharach said of Jimâs music, it makes âa classy, artistic statementâ. Carole King called her friendâs work âa magical carpet ride of melodic beautyâ.
The public agrees. With over 75 million streams, two PBS specials, hitting number 2 in the Billboard instrumental charts twice and topping the charts on Amazon and iTunes, Jim Wilson was honored as a âLifetime Memberâ of the Recording Academy. Heâs composed for CBS-TV series âFrankâs Placeâ and was featured on CNNâs âShowbiz Todayâ.
The kid with chronic stage fright, beat his demons and toured as a solo artist, with his own six-piece band, culminating in a sell-out, televised homecoming spectacular back in Amarillo.
Tuned In: Memoirs of a Piano Man is more than just a great read. At times hilarious, outrageous, and heartbreaking, itâs a lesson to us all to never give up, never to let your fears get the better of you and to aim high.
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Tuned In: Memoirs of a Piano Man is scheduled for release on April 2, 2024.
(Available for pre-order through all digital retailers on January 17, 2024)
Smith Publicity
Andrea Kiliany Thatcher (She/Her), Publicity Manager,
andrea.thatcher@smithpublicity ⢠856-489-8654 x1027
Remembrance Released
Pianist-composer Jim Wilson embarks on an evocative journey of âRemembranceâ
His tenth collection of soul-stirring cinematic portraits now available.
SHERMAN OAKS Along lifeâs journey, we may be lucky enough to meet someone who inspires us, has a lasting impact and transforms how we love and live our own life. Pianist Jim Wilson recently said goodbye to his inspirational figure when his aunt passed away at age 97. He wrote âThe Girl From Eastland Countyâ for Aunt Billie Jo for his forthcoming tenth album, âRemembrance: A Collection of Cinematic Portraits,â but the presence of the woman who embodied unconditional love is felt throughout the redolent session of poignant piano poetry that drops September 28 from Willow Bay Music. Remembering another dear confidante, Andrew Gold, Wilson offers a sprightly instrumental remake of the late singer-songwriterâs worldwide hit âThank You For Being A Friend,â which was remixed for radio airplay by the trackâs guitarist Chris Standring.
On âRemembrance,â Wilson pours his seemingly endless fount of sweeping melodies and grandiose harmonies to craft vivid sonicscapes rendered with heart and emotion. Inherently expressive and sentimental, his exquisite piano strikes resonant notes that penetrate deep to the core. The color and scope applied to Wilsonâs canvases vary, sometimes favoring a full palate of lavish orchestrations such as on opener âShadow Falls,â the title track, âUnder A Highlands Moonâ and âDenouementâ; other times choosing dreamlike ambient hues (âTangerine Moonâ and âDiogenes Lanternâ); or opting to leave his reverential pencil sketches sparsely adorned (âIn The Stillnessâ and âHome is Where the Heart Isâ). Whether the accompaniment be minimal and atmospheric or illumined by noteworthy musicians including keyboardist Brad Cole (Phil Collins), drummer Charlie Morgan (Elton John), Irish flutist Eric Rigler (âTitanicâ soundtrack) and noted session players Troy Dexter (guitar) and Neil Stubenhaus (bass), Wilsonâs aim is to connect and lead his listeners on an affecting path of discovery.
âIâve always been told that my music has a visual quality to it, but I wanted to take it to a new level with this record, creating a collection of âcinematic portraitsâ that take the listener on an emotional journey. âRemembranceâ has a reverent, contemplative feel that serves as centerpiece for the rest of the album. What matters most is that this music enriches the lives of those who hear it,â said Wilson, who concluded by addressing the role his aunt still plays in his life. âI strive to be more like her in every aspect of my life.â
Wilson grew up in Amarillo, Texas, but he has long been based in the Los Angeles area. Three of his albums have hit the Billboard Top 20 â âNorthern Seascape,â âCape of Good Hopeâ and âA Place In My Heartâ â and two of his concerts have been made into PBS specials, including âA Place In My Heart.â His work as an innovator pioneered and revolutionized MIDI adaptors for piano by allowing it to interact with computers and synthesizers. He taught Paul McCartney, Elton John, Jackson Browne, Burt Bacharach, Carole King and many others how to use the MIDI-piano. As a composer for work of visual mediums, Wilson wrote music for the CBS television series âFrankâs Place.â In addition to solo performances, he has long served as keyboardist and music director for singer-songwriter Stephen Bishop, with whom he is presently touring and opening for.
Wilsonâs âRemembranceâ contains the following songs:
- âShadow Fallsâ
- âRemembranceâ
- âThe Girl From Eastland Countyâ
- âIn the Stillnessâ
- âTangerine Moonâ
- âHome is Where the Heart Isâ
- âDiogenes Lanternâ
- âUnder a Highlands Moonâ
- âThank You For Being A Friendâ
- âDenouementâ
Press Release By: Great Scott Productions / rick@greatscottpr.com