About Jim


All about swingin' and pushin' the big band

Behind the big band set

About Jim

Hello and Welcome!

I am  Jim E. Anderson.  But you can call me Jimmy.  All my friends do.  Here is where you can learn a bit about who I am and what I do.

I am a full-time Musician, Drummer, Music Teacher, and Mentor.  I am also a singer and a songwriter.  My specialty is offering Private Individualized Drum Lessons.   I have been teaching since 1996. My mission is to achieve the best results and learning experience for each of my students.

I hold an AA degree in Liberal Arts from the College of Marin and a BA degree in Business Administration from Sonoma State University.  I am also a husband, father, and grandfather!

My memberships

I am a proud member of the following organizations:

  • The Percussive Arts Society (PAS)
  • The National Association of Rudimental Drummers (NARD)
  • The National Association for Music Education (MENC)
  • The California Alliance for Jazz
  • The Jazz Education Network
  • The Vic Firth Education Team
  • Hudson Teacher Integration Program
  • The Professional Drum Teachers Guild

Music is the mediator between the spiritual and the sensual life.  – Ludwig van Beethoven

My professional performing credits

My professional musical experience includes tours, TV, and recordings with:

  • The Pointer Sisters
  • Maria Muldaur
  • The Cockrell-Santos Band (A&M Records “New Beginnings” 1978)
  • Elvin Bishop
  • The Tom Johnston Band (original and founding member of the Doobie Brothers)
  • The Texas Chainsaw Band
  • Hearts on Fire (a Bammie Award winning Country band)
  • Peter Rowan
  • Norton Buffalo
  • Roy Rogers (the blues guy)
  • Alex Call (songwriter extraordinaire)
  • Johnny Colla (from Huey Lewis & the News) and the Lucky Devils
  • Bill Kirchen (rockabilly guitarist and Grammy nominee)

Recordings

I performed with several bands local to California before we moved to North Dakota:

  • WaterFall Jazz Project
    • Established in 1998 the WaterFall Jazz Project was a vocal jazz, blues, and R&B quartet that I lead.  I sing, play drums, and write and arrange music for the group.
  • The Blues Box Bayou Band
    •  I learned about Cajun and Zydeco music from Pete and the gang.  This band has a large dedicated fan base that loves to dance.
  • The Columbia College Big Band
    • The Columbia College Big Band play a variety of big-band-style arrangements from the 30’s throughout the 90’s.  The band often features guest artists from the Bay Area and Los Angeles as well as international level performers from New York and elsewhere.  Monthly Columbia Jazz Series Concerts are held at the College Dogwood Theater and in nearby communities.
  • Crazy Ivan
  • Jill and the Giants
  • Chains Required
  • The Soul Mates
  • The Club Monkeys

I am currently performing with these North Dakota BisMan bands:

 

My Biography

My earliest musical performance experiences were in elementary school bands, choirs and Christmas Caroling with my church.  I began playing drums in the fifth grade.  I continued playing and singing throughout high school.  At Cabrillo College in Aptos, California I was a regularly featured solo performer in the award-winning Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Lile O. Cruse.  I studied jazz drumming with George Marsh in San Francisco.   I started performing in local Santa Cruz bands including Fafner, Gem’n’I, and Chameleon playing drums, guitar, and singing.  In addition, I started writing songs and arrangements for myself and other bands.  I left school to go on tour with the Pointer Sisters.  My many musical influences include Louis Armstrong, Levon Helm and Don Henley (both singing drummers) as well as Ludwig van Beethoven and The Beatles. 

After touring for 10 years I became a “Mr. Mom” and spent some wonderful time staying home raising my first child.  Returning to college when my oldest kids were infants I studied business management, accounting, and computer science and completed an AA degree in Liberal Arts from College of Marin and a BS in Business Administration from Sonoma State University.  After graduation, I worked for a computer component wholesaler, as a Buyer and was promoted to Purchasing Manager.  In 1991 I became involved in my family’s business expansion and moved back to my hometown.

My Family

I have been married to my wife Alice (follow her on Facebook) for 17 years.  Between us, we have three daughters, one son, one granddaughter and two grandsons.  We moved from Sonora California to Mandan North Dakota in June of 2017 to be closer to our youngest daughter, her husband, and grandson.  Sonora is in the Mother Lode foothills area of the Central Sierra Nevada not far from Yosemite National Park.  In my spare time, I enjoy cooking, fine wine, good movies (especially science fiction), gardening, and reading.

My Contact Information

You can contact me via my Contact Page or follow me on Facebook.

My Web System

My blog is built on WordPress (self-hosted).  I use the Vantage WordPress Theme.  Many of the photographs on the site are by Alice Anderson.  I register my domain names with NameCheap.  They are affordable and have a friendly and intuitive website without forcing extra options on the buyer.  For blog and website hosting I highly recommend BlueHost.  BlueHost has an excellent easy-to-use interface.  It is reliable, inexpensive and has excellent 24-7 customer support.