Jimmy Carpenter Just Got Started

August 23, 2024

Jimmy Carpenter

Just Got Started

Gulf Coast Records

Jimmy Carpenter was born in Greensboro, North Carolina. He lived in New Orleans for many years where his credits included playing with Walter “Wolfman” Washington. Carpenter relocated again moving to Las Vegas in September of 2015. He began fronting his own quartet at the world-famous Sand Dollar Lounge. Carpenter’s high energy shows are a mixture of originals and cover songs with a soul, r&b, blues and rock-n-roll vibe. Carpenter is President of The Las Vegas Blues Society with 500 members, and also the talent buyer and Musical Director of The Big Blues Bender, an annual Las Vegas event. Carpenter and The Bender were given a Keepin the Blues Alive Award for the event. Additionally Carpenter is also a Grammy Award winner for a New Orleans funeral dirge that he wrote, and a Blues Music Award winner for best “Instrumentalist-Horn in both 2021, and 2022. Carpenter’s last album was 2022’s “The Louisiana Record” also on Gulf Coast.

This new album “Just Got Started” was produced, engineered, mixed and mastered by “Kid” Andersen at his Greaseland Studios in San Jose, California. The Executive Producer is Mike Zito. Opening with “(Feels Like) I Just Got Started” written by Carpenter and Andersen, Carpenter sings “feels like I just got started, where does the time go, I just can’t stop now…it feels good to just be alive”. Carpenter, saxophone and vocals; is accompanied by guitarist Andersen, keyboardist Jim Pugh, bassist Jerry Jemmott, and drummer/percussionist Derrick “D’Mar” Martin.

“My Babe” was written by Willie Dixon and recorded by Little Walter in 1960. Endre Tarczy is on piano while Carpenter sings “she don’t stand no cheatin'”, additional horns include Mike Galisatus, trumpet; and Jack Sanford, baritone sax, while Andersen takes a great guitar solo. “I Only Gamble With My Heart” was written by Carpenter while he croons “when my friends come to Vegas, they want to lay their money down, but I only gamble with my heart…the odds are stacked against ya’ right from the start”. “Jimmy Shimmy” is an instrumental with Jemmott on bass, and Jim Pugh on the Hammond B-3 organ.

“Shining Star” includes Bobby Vega, bass; Kid Anderson, organ; and The Sons of The Soul Revivors, Dwayne, Walter and James on backing vocals “you are my shining star, I want to be with you til’ my dying day”. On “Night People” from Allen Toussaint, Carpenter chimes “hanging out looking at each other…waitin’ for something to happen”; Kid is on the Fender Rhodes, while Lisa “Little Baby” Andersen sings the harmony vocal. “Live Again” is another Carpenter original “I think you know what a rare thing it is to do, to share everything with you”. “Soul Theme” is an instumental from King Curtis with Jim Pugh on the Hammond B-3.

“Keep On Stepping”, “One thing I have learned if you want to get your thing, you have to keep on stepping…get out and make your case and keep on stepping”; “D’Mar” plays some fabulous percussion while Carpenter’s sax keeps wailin’. “Working Man” is from Mike Bloomfield & Nick Gravenites and first recorded by Otis Rush, once again with the full horn section. “Leap Of Faith” is from Glen Clark and Gary Nicholson and first recorded by Delbert McClinton, as Carpenter chants “sometimes all it takes is a leap of faith”. The closer “Midnight Blue” is a second instrumental from King Curtis with some lowdown blues piano from Pugh, and more fine playing from the seasoned Carpenter.

Jimmy Carpenter states “the musicianship really brings it home…I am so grateful for Kid’s steady hand and unparalleled guitar…and Jerry Jemmott, Derrick D’Mar Martin, Jim Pugh, Bobby Vega, and Lisa Andersen for taking really good care of me and my songs…and of course Mike Zito and everyone at Gold Coast for this opportunity, as Carpenter re-iterates “I Just Got Started”.

Richard Ludmerer

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