Jim Wilson

Melodic acoustic-pianist Jim Wilson, whose first two recordings climbed high on the charts in Billboard magazine, is back with Sanctuary.

Wilson is once again joined on the mostly-instrumental album by a bevy of top musicians, special guests, close friends and recording artists in their own right, including Chris Botti, Lili Haydn, Marilyn Martin, Davey Johnstone and others.

Wilson's first album, Northern Seascape (he co-wrote the title tune with Dan Fogelberg), was released on Angel-EMI Records. It bridged the gap between jazz, new age and contemporary classical music with hints of Celtic, folk and pop incorporated into the mix. It quickly became a chart-climber and best seller.

Jim continued to expand his ambitious eclectic musical blend on Cape Of Good Hope, this time released on the quickly burgeoning Hillsboro label (distributed by EMI). Jim’s colleagues and friends again lent their talents to this project, including Dan Fogelberg, Stephen Bishop, Casey Stratton and David Sanborn. Cape of Good Hope reached number eight in Billboard magazine. It featured many songs presented in the hour-long public television special, Jim Wilson & Friends: Cape of Good Hope (and Other Musical Portraits), filmed in Amarillo, Texas, when Jim returned to his hometown to explore his roots and perform a special concert in the city's historic downtown district. The special features musical performances, interviews with Jim and his band, and "video art" sequences usually projected on-stage during his concerts. This special was aired on PBS affiliates throughout the country and received rave reviews.

Jim followed the success of the first three albums with a Christmas project in 2002 called My First Christmas With You. Again his friends and colleagues supported him in this breathtaking, heartfelt project. Stephen Bishop and Dan Fogelberg contributed vocals and Jim performed his first vocals, singing a duet on the title track with Marilyn Martin. Saxophonist Everette Harp was featured on a beautiful rendition of Joni Mitchell’s “River,” which received considerable radio play.

Although the public knows Jim Wilson as a rapidly emerging pianist and composer, the music industry knows he has even more talents. He is the co-developer of the revolutionary computer MIDI-adaptor for the acoustic piano, which, for the first time, allows this age-old instrument to interact with computers and synthesizers. In addition, when Jim first left Texas and ventured to Los Angeles, he built a top-flight reputation as "the piano tuner for the stars." Between tuning pianos and teaching uses of the MIDI-piano, he worked closely for several years with the upper echelon of pop musicians such as Paul McCartney, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Jackson Browne, Burt Bacharach, Carole King and many, many more. Whenever Jim played his own music for them while sitting at their pianos, they became fans, offered glowing endorsements and encouraged him to pursue his own musical dreams.

This led to an official endorsement by Yamaha Pianos, who provides instruments for his performances across the country. There is an extraordinarily unique element that adds an engaging dimension to Jim’s concerts and receives consistent praise from those in attendance. Jim has produced a dozen "performance videos" (evocative montages coordinated with the music) that are projected behind him as he plays piano. Each song has a distinctive visual theme with images that reflect the emotion and energy of each composition. The audience is able to “see” the music as well as hear and feel it. The video artistry contains breathtaking images including the dramatic Irish Cliffs of Mohr, the majesty of the California Redwoods, landmark architecture from around the world, as well as touching photos that capture the innocence of children at play. The videos range from grandeur to whimsy and create a complete concert experience. A dramatic effect is also added when Jim includes a string ensemble in his performances.

Jim has also composed music for the CBS-TV series Frank's Place. CNN's Showbiz Today television show devoted a segment to Jim's music and included interviews with renowned producers David Foster and George Duke praising Wilson's talents. He's also had two top-40 singles and made a highly successful guest appearance on the QVC shopping network.

Not bad for a boy who grew up in Texas cow country. Although born in Greenville, South Carolina, Jim moved to Amarillo when he was six and lived there until he was twenty. When he was seven, he picked up a guitar at a friend's house and the older man gave it to Jim. "From then on I had this incredible passion for music and learning to play it," he remembers. "I started learning some James Taylor riffs. That style has stayed with me even after I switched to piano playing when I was nineteen. But around nine or ten I started composing songs. About then my charismatic cousin from California came to visit. H