picture of jimmy pugh
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 Ivory’s Stardust Lounge in San Francisco in 1973. Former fan dancer, Dottie Ivory was a great singer who’s rendition of Dinah Washington’s "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. "I’d watch him play and get him to show me stuff, and when he had a gig somewhere else I’d take his place for the night. After awhile, they’d let me play the whole week," he says.
 
He’s come a long way from Dottie’s, 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 O’Brian 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 he’s founded the non-profit LITTLE VILLAGE FOUNDATION to record and promote deserving but underappreciated talents.
 
From The Waterfront Blues Festival
contact: jimpugh@pastelmotif.com
homepage: www.pastelmotif.com
on tour Click on the logo to see Jim's tour dates.

 

Discography
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
Deja Blue
House Of Blues 51416 1399 2
recorded in Austin, TX and Sausalito, CA/USA
Angela Strehli, vocals
Mark "Kaz" Kazanoff, sax, harmonica
Jon Blondell, trombone
Gary Slechta, trumpet
Steve James, slide guitar
Derek O'Brien, guitar
Doug Sahm, guitar
Austin DeLone, organ
Riley Osbourne, organ
Jim Pugh, organ, piano
Gene Taylor, piano
Andy Santana, harmonica
Jack Barber, bass
Steve Ehrmann, bass
Burt Winn, bass
June Core, drums
George Rains, drums
Marcia Ball, vocals
Lou Ann Barton, vocals
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
In My Spirit
Bad Daddy Records 659428-0012-21
recorded in Oakland, CA/USA
Craig Horton, guitar, vocals
Greg Riley, tenor sax, baritone sax
Chris Whynaught, tenor sax
Duane Benjamin, trombone
Bob Welsh, guitar, keyboards
Rusty Zinn, guitar
Chris Burns, keyboards
Jim Pugh, organ
John Hanes, drums
I Go Wild!
Evidence ECD 26119-2
recorded April 2001 in Mill Valley, CA/USA
Guitar Shorty, guitar, vocals
Scott Mathews, sax, guitar, keyboards, drums
Terry "Big T" de Rouen, guitar
Alden Clark, keyboards
Jim Pugh, Hammond organ
Howard Deere, bass
Glenn Letsch, bass
Danny Gerass, 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
A Ship Called Love
Telarc CD-83629
Eric Bibb, guitar, vocals
Jonas Sjöblom, flute, tabla, wind chimes
Chuck Anthony, guitar
Figge Boström, guitar
B.J. Cole, guitar, pedal steel
Danny Flowers, guitar
Desmond Foster, guitar, keyboards, bass
Glen Scott, guitar, celeste, Hammond organ, piano, vibes, drums, percussion
Amar Sundy, guitar
Levi B. Saunders, banjo
Paul Waller, dobro
Gordon Cyrus, synthesizer, bass
Janne Petersson, Fender Rhodes
Jim Pugh, organ, keyboards
Gary Compton, harmonica, bass harmonica
Corrina Hewat, harp
Brian Shiels, bass
Kim Yarbrough, bass
Brady Blade, drums, tambourine
Larry Crockett, drums, congas
The Dixie Hummingbirds, vocals
Ruthie Foster, vocals
Ira Tucker, vocals
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
All My Dues Are Paid
Nola Blue Records CDNB010

Frank Bey, vocals
Eric Spaulding, tenor sax
Nancy Wright, tenor sax
Jack Sanford, baritone sax
Ric Feliciano, trombone
John Halbleib, trumpet
Kid Anderson, guitar, baritone guitar, organ, percussion, vocals
Rome Yamilov, guitar
Lorenzo Farrell, Wurlitzer piano, organ
Jim Pugh, organ, Fener Rhodes, Wurlitzer piano, piano
Jeremy Jemmott, bass
Paul Olguin, bass
Derrick 'D'mar' Martin, drums
Alex Pettersen, drums
Paul Revelli, drums
Vicki Randle, percussion
Martin Windstad, percussion
Lisa Leuschner Andersen, vocals
Damage Control
Alligator Records ALCD 5002
recorded in Studio City, CA; San Jose, CA; Nashville, TN; Portland, OR; Maurice, LA/USA
Spotify
Curtis Salgado, harmonica, vocals
Michael Bard, tenor sax
Gary Harris, tenor sax
Tim Bryson, baritone sax
Chris "Kid" Andersen, guitar, bass
Dave Gross, guitar
Alan Hager, guitar
George Marinelli, guitar
Johnny Lee Schell, guitar, bass
Mike Finnigan, organ, piano
Kevin McKendree, organ, piano
Jackie Miclau, piano
Jim Pugh, organ, piano
Jerry Jemmott, bass
Tommy MacDonald, bass
Mark Winchester, bass
Tony Braunagel, drums
Jack Bruno, drums
Kevin Hayes, drums
Wayne Toups, vocals

 
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