Jim Mullen
| Jim Mullen | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | 26 November 1945 |
| Genres | Jazz, jazz-rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Guitar |
| Associated acts |
Pete Brown & Piblokto! Brian Auger's Oblivion Express Kokomo Average White Band Morrissey–Mullen The AllStars The Jim Mullen Organ Trio Citrus Sun |
Jim Mullen (born 26 November 1945) is a Glasgow-born jazz guitarist with a distinctive style, like Wes Montgomery before him, picking with the thumb rather than a plectrum.[1]
Biography
Jim Mullen was guitarist with Pete Brown & Piblokto! for two albums in 1970. He then played with Brian Auger's Oblivion Express,[2] appearing on the band's first three albums together with future Average White Band drummer Robbie McIntosh, Mullen then joined Kokomo and later toured with the Average White Band.
It was while both musicians were touring the United States with AWB in the mid-70s that Mullen met tenor saxophone player Dick Morrissey, and throughout the 1980s, he found critical notice as joint leader of the British jazz funk band Morrissey–Mullen.[2] Record producer Richard Niles, who produced the band's sixth album, It's About Time, later produced three solo albums for Mullen.[3]
Mullen has also played and recorded with, among others, Mose Allison, Hamish Stuart, Joanna Eden, Tam White, Claire Martin, Mike Carr, Jimmy Witherspoon, Dave O'Higgins and Georgie Fame, Sinan Alimanović, David Tughan and Frank Holder. Mullen has recorded as part of The AllStars, a collective of session musicians on their Paul McCartney-produced album All About the Music, alongside special guests Jocelyn Brown, Hamish Stuart and Angelo Starr. In 2014, he featured prominently on the Citrus Sun album, 'People of Tomorrow', produced by Incognito co-founder, Jean-Paul 'Bluey' Maunick.
Mullen has won many British music awards including "Best Guitar" in the British Telecom Jazz Awards (1994, 1996 and 2000).
Discography
- As leader/co-leader
- 1980: Live' at Ronnie Scott's - with Mike Carr and Harold Smith
- 1990: Into The 90's
- 1993: Good Times and The Blues - with Dick Morrissey and Mike Carr
- 1993: Soundbites
- 1997: Big Blues - with Jimmy Witherspoon
- 2000: Burns
- 2001: We Go Back
- 2001: ...but beautiful - Jim Mullen Helmut Nieberle Sextett, bobtale records
- 2002: jimjam - with Hamish Stuart
- 2003: Rule of Thumb - with Laurence Cottle
- 2003: Live in Glasgow - with Gary Husband, Mick Hutton and Gareth Williams
- 2007: All About the Music - The AllStars
- 2007: Smokescreen - The Jim Mullen Organ Trio featuring Stan Sulzmann
- 2009: Make Believe - The Jim Mullen Organ Trio
- 2012: String Theory - The Jim Mullen Quartet
- 2014: Catch My Drift - The Jim Mullen Organ Trio
- As sideman
- 1970 Things May Come and Things May Go but the Art School Dance Goes on Forever - Pete Brown & Piblokto! (Harvest SHVL 768)
- 1970 Thousands on a Raft - Pete Brown & Piblokto! (Harvest SHVL 782)
- 1977: Benny and Us – Average White Band[4]
- 1977:The Atlantic Family Live in Montreaux
- 2001: Cartoon Capers
- 2002: The Mose Chronicles: Live in London, Vol. 2 - Mose Allison (Blue Note)
- 2002: He Never Mentioned Love - Claire Martin
- 2005: Builders' Brew - David Tughan (OT Records)
- 2014: People of Tomorrow - Citrus Sun (Dome Records)
References
- ↑ Gramophone Review of Rule of Thumb
- 1 2 Ankeny, Jason. "Jim Mullen: Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 2010-03-21.
- ↑ Richard Niles official web site
- ↑ Additional Musicians AWB official website. Retrieved 9 August 2013.