[ Buyer ]
Steve Kimock
 Steve Kimock is perhaps the quintessential Bay Area guitarist, playing in a
variety of jazz-rock ensembles from the instrumental
Zero to the post-Grateful Dead configurations of the Other
Ones and Phil Lesh & Friends. Born in
Lancaster,
PA, where he played music with family
members, Kimock migrated to the Bay Area in the mid-'70s to play with the
Goodman Brothers.
Kimock began to play around the area in a variety of outfits, including the
Underdogs (with flutist Martin Fierro). He soon began to refine his signature
style -- laid-back, carefree, fat, and extremely melodious. In terms of vibe, Kimock
has often been compared to the late Jerry Garcia (who once proclaimed Kimock to
be his favorite unknown guitarist). Kimock’s long association with the Grateful
Dead family began in 1979, when he joined Keith and Donna Jean Godchaux's
short-lived Heart of Gold Band (which disbanded soon after Keith Godchaux died
in an automobile accident). In the Heart of Gold Band, Kimock crossed paths
with drummer Greg Anton.
In 1984, the pair co-founded Zero, an instrumental unit comprised of the
pair, along with Fierro, Bobby Vega on electric bass, Pete Sears on keyboards,
and former Quicksilver Messenger Service member John Cippolina on guitar. At
the behest of Dead lyricist Robert Hunter, the group added vocalist Judge
Murphy in 1991. Though the group became a Bay Area institution, recording a
half-dozen albums of hippie-ish fusion, they never quite caught on nationally.
Throughout his tenure in Zero, Kimock continued to perform with various
musicians as Steve Kimock & Friends, with which he released a self-titled
album.
When Zero disbanded in the late '90s, Kimock continued on with KVHW, a
quartet comprised of himself, Zero bassist Vega, drummer Alan Hertz, and former
Frank Zappa sideman Ray White. Around this time, Kimock began to gig regularly
with post-Dead configurations, such as the Other Ones (featuring most of the
surviving members of the band) in the summers of 1998 and 2000, as well as some
of bassist Phil Lesh’s projects, through 1999. After a falling out with Lesh, Kimock
continued on with KVHW, where he refined his work on electric guitar, as well
as lap and pedal steel.
After the departure of White, KVHW morphed into the Steve Kimock Band, which
featured Kimock and Vega along with a rotating crew of guitarists and drummers.
Eventually, the lineup solidified with drummer Rodney Holmes and guitarist Mitch
Stein. Vega left the band in 2001 and was replaced by Alphonso Johnson
(coincidentally Lesh's replacement in the 2001 edition of the Other Ones). In
2001, they issued Live in
Colorado.
In 2002, they released the double set East Meets West.
The past few years have not seen any slowing down by Kimock.
He has fronted his own band, Steve kimock and
Friends with a rotating cast of amazing players and in 2007 was tapped to
replace Mark Karan in Bob Weir’s Ratdog while Mark recovered from his cancer
battle.
Steve also revived Zero for a
brief run in 2007 with hopes of continuing periodical dates with the band, that
project ended with the death of Martin Fierro in 2008.
2008 finds Kimock with a variety of projects
again, the summer of ’08 will be spent with Mickey Hart’s band along with
George Porter Jr and in the fall of 2008 a Steve Kimock and Friend run is
planned with Bobby Lee Rodgers of the southern fried jamband The Codetalkers.
The fun has just begun for Steve Kimock as he rolls on as one of the most
respected names in the guitar world.
Come see him play, it is something you will not forget.
For
Bookings Contact
Hugh
Southard-Owner/Agent
Blue Mountain Artists, LLC
704-525-1559
hugh@bluemountainartists.com
www.bluemountainartists.com
|
