Jim Vick: Home
Welcome to the website of performing songwriter and guitarist Jim Vick, born in the USA but now living on the southern Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, just outside of the popular ecotourism and surfing town of Puerto Viejo de Talamanca. Jim grew up and began his music career in upstate New York, relocating in the early 80’s to Madison, Wisconsin, followed by a move to Boston, and eventually settling for 13 years in Seattle. Jim currently performs regularly on the south Caribbean coast as a solo artist and in his acoustic duo with percussionist Carter Van Hauken, and improvisational trio shows with Argentinian sitarist/guitarist Santos. His frequent collaborations with other Costa Rica based calypso, Latin jazz, and reggae artists and visiting international musicians have continued to expand the world music influences heard in his recordings and performances, even as he he has ventured further into the jazz/blues and solo acoustic leanings of his earlier years.
Jim’s CD, SURFING THE WEB OF LIFE, has enjoyed critical acclaim and surprising downloading interest on the internet for a first time electronic release, with a few of the cuts receiving a lot of attention. “The Norm” and “A Thousand Waves” both achieved top 10 status in the jazz charts at American Idol Underground (the internet indie spinoff of the notorious network tv show,) and “Our Lady” and “The Norm” both made top 10 status in the indiemusic.com charts. Independent critic Kenny Hart writes in The Singing Songwriter and IndieMusic.com, "Without question, Surfing the Web of Life earns the distinction of ‘Ear Candy’ and“goes far beyond the definition of 'album', attaining a status something closer to a socio-political manifesto set to an eclectic blend of folky jazz with a solid dose of world rhythms.” Chris Armogida of GidaFolk Internet Radio adds that "The stylish packaging of the CD is as cool as the music and makes reading the lyrics all the more fun while listening to this great album. There’s so much content both lyrically and musically that the listener will be refreshed with the opportunity to keep getting more and more out of it as time goes on.”
Featuring Jim's vocalist daughter Elisa Vick, along with his longtime musical collaborators Rob Moitoza and Dan Ochipinti, along with guest appearances by Brazillian jazz/pop great Paula Maya and jazz pianist Richard Middleton, SURFING and its individual songs are also available at CD Baby, iTunes, efolk.com, and other download sites.
BACK IN THE U.S. - July 1, 2008
I am back in the States now on a whirlwind trip that will take me to Seattle a little later this week. Looking forward immensely to reuniting with my daughter Elisa for a few days and hopefully seeing most of my Puget Sound friends. I'll be joining my good friend Brad Warren for a performance on Sunday 7/6 to kick off a week of Seattle area shows. Elisa will join me for a coffeehouse show that afternoon - the first of a string of dates I'll be doing that week with the fine jazz trombonist/vocalist Marc Smason. And my longtime band mate, bassist Rob Moitoza will join us for evening shows on Monday and Tuesday. It will be a great pleasure to collaborate with these fine musicians again and introduce a slew of new material to my NW friends. Marc and I had a blast playing together during his visit to Costa Rica last year, and it will be a joy to be jammin' with Rob again and celebrate his receiving the Washington Blues Society's award for best bass player yet again this year. And singing with Elisa again is always sublime! Hope you can join us, Seattle friends - the dates and venue info are all on the Calendar page.
MORE NEW MUSIC - May 29, 2008
There are some new tunes for you to check out now on the MUSIC page: REMAIN UNKNOWN, another cut from the solo CD in progress, and 2 instrumentals from the soundtrack project. MANZANILLO MORNING is an acoustic guitar piece and DOWN AT THE LOCO is calypso-style tune featuring some of my musical co-conspirators in Costa Rica, including Carter V on congas (but I played all the guitars on all this stuff.) Hope you enjoy. My visit to the States is quickly approaching, and I have 3 dates booked in Seattle so far, including a 4th of July show at the Columbia City Beatwalk and a gig at Hendrix Electric Lounge on the 8th. (Hope to see you there, Seattle friends!)
NEW MUSIC - January 7, 2008
Happy to say that the first of the new music is now up for you to check out on the LISTEN page!
As promised, you will find there the first of a couple live cuts of my acoustic world fusion trio with accomplished Argentine sitarist Santos and percussionist Carter V, recorded at the Arte Vive Festival in late September. This one I'm calling Paz Azul, referring to our collective wish for steps toward peace in our troubled world as the new year takes shape. There is also a just mixed cut, Good Care (a song I first introduced at my last Seattle performance a couple years ago) which is destined for the upcoming acoustic album I'm working on. The lyrics are there too (click on the song title to see them.) Hope you enjoy - and by all means, your feedback is always welcome and appreciated!