International Archives For The Jazz Organ (IAJO) - The Jazz Organ Scene USA

Jim Pugh

In his career Jim Pugh has performed with Johnny Taylor, Little Milton and Otis Rush, recorded with Etta James, Van Morrison, Robert Cray and B.B. King and has produced over a dozen CDs, including Robert Cray, Tommy Castro and The Gospel Hummingbirds. A member of the Robert Cray Band for over 20 years, his songs have been performed by his former boss as well as Tower Of Power and Guitar Shorty. Pugh has played on over 20 Grammy-nominated recordings, five of them winners.

"Some call it 'soul jaz' or 'BBQ blues'," says Pugh of the music he started playing at Dottie Ivorys Stardust Lounge in San Francisco in 1973. Former fan dancer, Dottie Ivory was a great singer whos rendition of Dinah Washingtons "What A Difference A Day Makes" was the highlight of her nightly set.

He was just 19 years old and new in town and the Stardust Lounge a corner bar with a tiny bandstand and even smaller dance floor could be a rough place. "Some nights Dottie would sing with a pool cue in her hand," Pugh recalls. "That kind of place."

But Jimmy McCracklin and Charles Brown would come in and the youngster got to play behind Joe Louis Walker and Fillmore Slim and Mel Brown. House organist Louis Madison (former Famous Flame) helped Pugh along. "Id watch him play and get him to show me stuff, and when he had a gig somewhere else Id take his place for the night. After awhile, theyd let me play the whole week," he says.

Hes come a long way from Dotties, writing songs like "The One in the Middle," which was named song of the year by LIVING BLUES MAGAZINE, performing on David Letterman, Jay Leno and Conan OBrian and working with Etta James, Chris Isaak and Robert Cray. Leaving the Robert Cray Band, Pugh continues to write, play and rack up accolades.

Recently hes founded the non-profit LITTLE VILLAGE FOUNDATION to record and promote deserving but underappreciated talents.

From The Waterfront Blues Festival

Night Vision Alligator Records ALCD 4812 recorded 1993 in Richmond, CA/USA	Charlie Baty, guitar Tim Devine, tenor sax, baritone sax Rick Estrin, harmonica, vocals Jeff Lewis, trumpet Jim Pugh, organ, piano Brad Lee Sexton, bass Dobie Strange, drums Joe Louis Walker, guitar
Big Guitar Blue Bot BDR101 recorded 1995	Alex Baum, bass Gaylord Birch, drums Bowen Brown, drums Steve Evans, bass Steve Lucky, piano Anthony Paule, guitar, vocals Jim Pugh, organ, piano Paul Revelli, drums
Move On Rounder Records CD 3143 recorded in Burns, TN; Memphis, TN; Nashville, TN and Sausalito, CA/USA	Tracy Nelson, piano, vocals Wayne Jackson, horn Andrew Love, horn Larry Chaney, guitar, drums Mike Henderson, guitar Al Kooper, guitar Gary Nicholson, guitar Andrew McMahon, piano Jim Pugh, organ, piano Reese Wynans, organ, piano Byron House, bass Michael Rhodes, bass John Gardner, drums Bob Mater, drums Delbert McClinton, vocals Maria Muldaur, vocals Alice Newman, vocals Bonnie Raitt, vocals Rebecca Evans Russell, vocals Phoebe Snow, vocals
Can't Keep A Good Man Down Blind Pig Records BPCD 5041 recorded in San Francisco, CA/USA	Tommy Castro, guitar Keith Crossan, tenor sax Jim Pugh, Hammond organ, piano Commander Cody, piano Randy McDonald, bass Shad Harris, drums
Shadow Of The Blues Alligator Records ALCD 4862 recorded in Sacramento, CA/USA	Charlie Baty, guitar June Core, drums, maracas, percussion Rick Estrin, guitar, harmonica, vocals Jim Pugh, organ, piano Ronnie James Weber, bass
Ebony & Irony Evangeline Records GEL 4017 recorded in Nashville, TN/USA	Tracy Nelson, vocals Terry Hanck, sax Wayne Jackson, horn Andrew Love, horn George Bradfute, guitar Bob Britt, guitar Mike Henderson, guitar Marcia Ball, piano Jim Pugh, organ, piano Reese Wynans, organ, piano Steve Conn, accordion Andrea Zahn, fiddle Michael Rhodes, bass Byron House, bass Brian Fullen, drums John Gardner, drums John Mock, penny whistle
Cold Hard Cash Burnside Records BCD-0043-2 recorded April through October 2000 in Burbank, CA/USA	Scott Ellison, guitar, vocals Alan Mirikitani, tenor sax, baritone sax Jim Pugh, organ Boyd LeFan, bass guitar Lee Spath, drums
Bad Case Of The Blues Burnside Records Burnside 50 recorded in Tulsa, OK and Los Angeles, CA/USA	Scott Ellison, guitar, vocals Kurt Lybarger, sax Alan Mirikitani, tenor sax Michael Thompson, trombone Don Colopy, trumpet Mike Turner, trumpet, guitar Habanero Horns, horn Home Front Horns, horn Larry Bell, Hammond organ Jim Pugh, Hammond organ Dick Sims, Hammond B-3 organ Spencer Sutton, piano, organ Steve LeGassick, keyboards Terry Lupton, keyboard Jimmy Markham, harmonica Armando Compean, bass Jim Strader, bass Tommy Waggoner, bass Larry York, bass Jim Ziegler, bass Bill Belknap, drums Richard Heck, drums Steve Monreal, drums Lee Spath, drums Jim Karstein, percussion
Soul Shaker Blind Pig Records BPCD 5094 recorded 2004 in Minneapolis, MN /USA	Tommy Castro, guitar, vocals Keith Crossan, sax, flute Russell Branch, baritone sax Kevin Bowe, guitar, organ, bass Steve Spirn, guitar Jim Pugh, Hammond organ, vocals Randy McDonald, bass Chris Sandoval, drums, percussion Bryan Hanna, percussion Armando Morales, congas
The Devil You Know Alligator Records ALCD 4958 recorded in Falls Church, VA; Hollywood, CA; San Rafael, CA; Northampton, MA; Kansas City, MO; Sausalito, CA; Studio City, CA/USA	Tommy Castro, guitar, vocals Tab Benoit, guitar, vocals Joe Bonamassa, guitar Mark Karan, guitar Mike Finnigan, organ Jimmy Pugh, organ Marcia Ball, piano, vocals Mike Duke, piano, vocals James Pace, keyboards, vocals Bonnie Hayes, Wurlitzer piano Magic Dick, harmonica Randy McDonald, bass, vocals Byron Cage, drums, vocals Vicki Randle, percussion Tasha Taylor, vocals Samantha Fish, vocals
A Woman Rules The World Little Village Foundation LVF 1021 recorded in San Jose, CA/USA	Whitney Shay, vocals Gordon Beadle, sax John Halblieb, trumpet Igor Prado, guitar Kid Andersen, guitar, sitar Jimmy Pugh, piano, organ Aki Kumar, harmonica Kedar Roy, bass Robert Alexander Pettersen, drums Derrick Martin, percussion
Contemporary Alligator Records ALCD 4996 recorded in San Jose, CA/USA	Rick Estrin, harmonica, vocals Jim Pugh, organ, piano Lorenzo Farrell, organ, piano Kid Andersen, guitar, synthesizer, bass, percussion Quantae Johnson, bass Alex Pettersen, drums Derrick D'Mar Martin, drums, percussion
Found! One Soul Singer Little Village Foundation LVF1037	Sonny Green, vocals Aaron Lington, tenor sax, baritone sax Gordon "Sax" Beadle, sax Terry Hanck, sax Mike Rinta, trombone Jeff Lewis, trumpet Kid Anderson, guitar Jim Pugh, Hammond B-3 organ Chris Burns, clavinet, piano Mariachi Mestizo, violin Endre Tarczy, bass D'Mar, drums Ronnie Smith, drums

contact:	jimpugh@pastelmotif.com
homepage:	www.pastelmotif.com
	Click on the logo to see Jim's tour dates.

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