Jim Drew

Jim's Soulful Acoustic Rock is a window into the mind of a story teller. Through carefully chiseled songs on life he connects artfully with his audiences. Insights seen through the eyes of a true song-smith can be a powerful thing. Jim loves creating great moments for his audiences. An ever-changing flow of energetic, thoughtful, humorous, and sometimes private ponderings, laughing and seeking hope with his audience. A memorable evening for all. He is seasoned vocalist with some cool acoustic guitar touches as well, starting to play and sing since age 4. His musicianship compliments the songs, rather than taking over. They entwine each other, and then the audience. Some History: Jim has performed thousands of concerts, mainly in the US, but also in Canada, and Europe. (Spain, England, Germany) Side note: Jim's first guitar was given to him at the age of 4, and he plays that guitar for one special song in many of his shows. (Check out "This Old Guitar" for the story behind that) A little older, and you will find Jim and his younger brother, Pete, forming their first band. Jim was 12. They played together well into high school for whatever events they were asked to do or could find. Schools, youth groups, local jams, festivals. Wherever young players might be welcomed. Jim also experienced classical music in high school. He enjoyed the challenge of choirs and art songs. Still falling back to his first love of rock and the singer/songwriter material of the day. Basically, when there was a moment to spare, Jim was in the music room. In college, Jim tried an immersing realm of classical and formal training for his voice, and then orchestration, (even thinking at one point of going on for his masters in conducting). But he couldn't leave his beloved songwriting behind, so he continued to write in whatever spare time he could find. Still, all the classical training has under-girded Jim's knowledge and ability to think outside of the box, both in the studio and on the stage, adding depth to what he now calls "Soulful Acoustic Rock." Additional Experience: - 37 years as a studio musician - Arranger, Producer, Audio Engineer - Studio owner. - Respect for his mixing and arrangements from Nashville, NYC, LA and Beyond. All this work just adds to his arsenal of knowledge and artistry, giving Jim a wide set of perspectives from many cultures and textures. The Road Jim has always enjoyed Playing in many diverse venues. Each bringing it's own dynamics to how an audience experiences a show. This includes performing at some special events for local and national festivals, camps, military bases, concert halls, auditoriums. churches, bars, clubs and even some cafes. Authenticity and sincerity, along with talent, skill and passion, go a long way! Note: Jim has performed special shows for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, Compassion International, The American Heart Association and the American Cancer Society. This is not just a nice add-on that looks good on a resume. These are things that are personal to Jim, as well as his band mates. Jim has always cared for children and continues his annual investment of time for a week or more at a camp in NY, so the idea of children being exploited and abused is repulsive to him. He feels strongly about taking steps to protect them. Discography: Manumission - Jim Drew & Humble Soul '2017 Perspective Shift - Solo project with Guest Musicians '2015 If Guitars Could Speak Plainly - Jim Drew '13 Escape Velocity – Jim Drew & Humble Soul '07 If Guitars Could Speak – Jim Drew '07 Live At CrossBridge - 1 of 3 lead singers w/GForce '05 Someone’s Mona Lisa - Solo project with Guest Musicians '04 Sometimes I… - Jim Drew '02 Let The Rocks Cry Out - W/ Crossbridge worship band (Jim's originals) ‘98 Toys In The River - Solo with Guest Musicians ‘94 In A Wavering World - Solo with Guest Musicians ‘92 Blind Man’s Beat - Jim Drew ‘90 Guests on some of these projects have included some world class players/musicians like Tony Hooper and Phil Keaggy on guitars, Emedin Rivera on percussion and the list goes on... Several projects are already being sketched out for the next few years. Pursuing what seems like an invasive light and loving the audiences along the way is the adventure. Come join Jim on his next stop of the journey.

Scottsville, NY