Guitar / Vocals: Jim Diamond Drums: Beth Diamond Bass Guitar: Jackie (Zach) Hughes Tenor/Baritone sax: Joe (Big Bones Mississippi) DiGiuseppe Additional players: Mike Townley: Trombone, Rian Wilkinson: Trumpet Brian (Boss) Hogg: Saxophone, Marty Horst: Guitar (tracks 1 & 10) Special Guest: Reese Wynans Organ /Piano / tracks: 2, 4, 5 & 11 All songs written and arranged by: Jim Diamond except where noted. Horn Arrangements: Brian (Boss) Hogg Art Design on Re-release: Jason Harbison Executive Producers: Beth and Jim Diamond Recorded at: Grapevine Studios – Nashville, TN (May 16-17, 1999) Engineered and mixed by: Chris Columby and Jim Boyington Re-Mastered by: Studio DD – Chalybeate, KY (Darren Doyle) Re-release duplication: Crystal Clear CD’s – www.crystalclearcds.com Special Thanks to: Chris Rose – President, Eminence Speakers Corp., for providing me with the best speaker choices on the planet! Still in ALL my amplifiers. This CD was recorded, mixed, and mastered in thirty-five hours! Only 10 more hours than previous CD – Angel Child . . . again, still quite a feat! Like Angel Child, all tracks were recorded in one take except for adding horns, vocals and Reese’s tracks . . . .essentially, a live recording. This CD marked the loss of Jon Pleasant and Brian Hogg (1997 – 1999) as they both went on to other projects. Late in 1998, both Jon and I went to addition for legendary bluesman James Peterson at his home in Louisville, KY. The audition went so well that when James asked me to solo, I did . . . and legendary drummer Early Times, who played with James Brown; jumped up out of his seat and said, “Now that’s what I’m talkin’ ‘bout!” James promptly told him to sit his ass down! So, Peterson had Jon and I do a show with him at Phoenix Hill Tavern (Louisville, KY) to see how we jelled. The gig went great, until I heard Peterson dog talk Early Times in front of the entire audience; saying, “I said give me a back beat mother fu*ker!” I decided right there, that gig wasn’t for me and decided to stay the course with our band. Beth had given me her blessing to go on the road for a year with Peterson (if I wanted to), which was a HUGE deal because we just had great success with our band, coming off a banner year and we were newly married . . . still, I decided it would be better for us to not accept the gig. But, Jon did accept it, and went on the road for a year with Peterson, then joined Signal after that. And, Hogg went on to graduate school in Cincinnati, OH. So, that left; me, Beth and Jackie. We had no leads on players, nor any players in our sights. Then out of the blue, more of that “Groove Syndicate magic” happened. Joe (BIG BONES MISSISSIPPI) DiGiuseppe owned a small tool and die shop in Franklin and played saxophone in a local band. He bought and sold cars from time to time and as luck, or fate would have it (Groove Syndicate magic). . . . Joe found our cassette (which we only had made 50 copies or so) EP - I’M TRYIN’ on the floor of one of the cars that he purchased!? Wow! What were the odds?? He found out that Jackie was playing with us and told Jackie, “I would love to play with a band like that!” Joe and Jackie were both from Franklin and played with each other in the Chuck Lawson band. Since Hogg and Pleasant were leaving, we auditioned Joe for Hogg’s spot. After accepting the gig with us, he did his first show with us when we won the Kentuckianna Blues Society’s 1998 competition (Louisville, KY). He also accompanied us to Memphis as an observer for CROSSROADS ’98. So, in the fall of 1998, Joe DiGiuseppe (1998 – 2001) joined the band! Joe fell right into the roll as a featured player and stayed with us until the fall of 2001. We did not replace Jon with another keyboardist. But fate was going to intervene once again with that old Groove Syndicate magic. With perhaps the biggest, most amazing Groove Syndicate moment ever. . . . We met Reese Wynans at a private party for artists endorsed by EMG pickups and ESP guitars during Summer NAMM 1998; (both of which I had endorsements with) at 3rd and Lindsey - Nashville, TN. Reese was playing with Jack Pearson (monster Nashville guitar legend). It was a great night that saw us sharing the bill with Jack Pearson, Reese Wynans, and The Wooten Brothers! And, Jim Diamond and the Groove Syndicate closing out the show! Wow! Are you kidding??!! We thought we had died and gone to musical gig heaven! After the show Diamond approached Reese about playing on our CD since Jon Pleasant had left the band for another project. Reese was very kind and complimentary and he agreed to take the gig! Wow! We were so excited and flattered. We had arguably the best blues keyboardist on the planet playing on our CD! Working with Reese in the studio was fantastic! Definitely, a high line pro! One session (four songs) and he was done. We are forever indebted to Reese for honoring us with his talents. Thank you, thank you, thank you . . . This effort was a little heavier, a little different than Angel Child, but still unequivocally, Jim Diamond and the Groove Syndicate, from Hogg’s fresh horn lines to Reese’s bad ass organ and piano playing, the band was on fire! Another life changing CD! We had completed all the tracks in the studio and Hogg came down (with Mike and Rian) from Cincinnati to preview the NEW horn parts, especially the parts for the title track; SOMEWHERE SOMEHOW! When we busted into the title track song and the horn parts kicked in, we all lit up like an airport runway! The hair stood up on the back of my neck! Beth and I still talk about that moment! It was something. Thanks to Brian for all his efforts! The next day we cut all the parts to tape. All the songs were written when Joe transitioned, except for Can’t Say Nothin’. That was originally recorded on I’M TRYIN’ in 1995 on the EP – I’M TRYIN’. Beth and I were sitting around, and Beth said, “I want to help write a song!” I asked her for a theme, issue, idea, etc. to write about? She said, “I can’t say nothing, you don’t already know!” And that was it! That became the hook / chorus for CAN’T SAY NOTHIN’. Like the previous lineup, things continued to roll for the band. But, we remained a four piece. Occasionally, Jon did some gigs with us. Also, Bob Ramsey (honorary Groove Syndicate alum) writer, arranger, player extraordinaire played many shows with us. We played many more cool clubs and festivals. We opened for Anson Funderburg, and Tommy Castro, and a host of other great National acts. We also began playing the Slippery Noodle (Indianapolis, IN), Bourbon St Blues Bar (Nashville, TN).. We played the Louisville Blues and Jazz Fest, Strassenfest (Louisville, KY), Hot August Blues Fest (Kentucky Lakes) and the W.C. Handy Blues Festival (Henderson, KY), where KET recorded us for the series Jubilee that aired weekly in the Commonwealth (and is still in syndication nationally). Also, we toured England twice (1999 and 2000), playing Fibbers in London, the Clinton Arms in Retford, Millers Snooker Club in Kirby on Ashfield, The York Community Centre in York (the last walled city), the Ropery in Sunderland, I did an interview with BLUEPRINT (London’s premier blues magazine), continuing to tour the English countryside; from the Thames River to the Pennines (where we were slowed to a stop by a sheep crossing); from London to Hull (off the coast of England where the Vikings landed from the North Sea) . . . . with support from Eddie Duke, who provided all back line gear for the tour. The entire tours booked, managed, and organized by Paul Rydel. Thanks Paul and Eddie! Another recording that changed all of our lives forever. Jackie and Joe would leave the band in 2001. Ending the sixth version of the Groove Syndicate. Like Angel Child, this recording is best experienced; LOUDLY! Continued thanks and high praise to Beth for everything she does. Without her, this doesn’t exist! BIOGRAPHY Born James Oren Boyington at Toronto General Hospital February 19, 1958 (two months premature); Canada native Jim Diamond - Boyington grew up in a musical family. There was always music being played in the house; live or on a record player. He was greatly influenced by his uncle Ken; who was steeped in the musical culture of the day, playing in bands and working as a session player in Toronto. He was larger than life! Jim's own personal musical god! As a very young boy (3-5 years old) his mother remembered him always sitting in front of the TV on Saturday and Sunday watching and listening to the cartoons. She soon realized it wasn't the cartoons he was most interested in, it was the music! He loved the classical music played during the cartoons of the day. That's where is love for music began. He could be found banging away on his Dad's guitar, backward and upside down to the to the music of the day . . . But it wasn't until the summer of 1970 (at 12) when he saw B.B. King and Jimi Hendrix on T.V. (seperate shows) that he new that he wanted to play guitar! His first two records that year where: B.B. King - Paying the Cost to be Boss, and Jimi Hendrix - Are you Experienced. Other guitar heroes soon emerged: Terry Kath, Johnny Winter, Peter Green, T-Bone Walker, Carlos Santana, Eric Clapton, Howlin' Wolf, Freddie King. Later influences were Canadians like Dutch Mason and Randy Bachman along with blues bands; Downchild Blues Band and The Powder Blues band, who had a huge effect on his writing and playing. Soon he was spending the allowance he earned on records, all types of music . . . blues, jazz, country and rock and roll! Although left handed, his father put a right handed guitar in his hands and said, "Son, if you want to play . . . you need to play right handed because there will always be right handed guitars around. So you might as well learn right handed, it's easier than playing upside down and backwards!" Little did the young Jim Diamond know that one of his guitar heroes, Albert King played that exact way! He began playing his fathers guitar, a mid 60's Harmony acoustic. But he yearned for that wild new sound that Jimi Hendrix had! He wanted to go electric! . . . and he was soon borrowing friends guitars and amps to jam with. He bought his first electric guitar from a pawnshop in Toronto on Queens Street at fifteen (1973), a 1959 Les Paul Jr. for $150. One afternoon while jamming, he set his guitar in a chair to take a call from a girl, and his guitar slid of the chair and broke! This was a guitar turning point for him . . . and his first taste of the blues. And he only bought one other Gibson a 1954 ES 225- TDN over the next 30 years. In fact, still today Stratocasters are his guitar of choice. His first band was The Lavender Blue Band. They played their high school, community centers and parties. Two years later he severed a tendon of his left ring finger causing him to put down his guitar. Also, during this time of his life he was a highly touted amatuer hockey player and was drafted in the Major Jr. A Ontario draft 0f 1976 35th out of 264. in a draft that had 3 - 4 thousand other eligible players pursuing a professional hockey career. In the end didn't quite pan out the way everyone thought. So began his dream of music . . Then at age twenty-five, Diamond left Canada with the clothes on his back and moved to Michigan to attend University. While attending school, he began to seek out the passion of his life. He began to attend open jams at local clubs, relearning to play, and to play with just three fingers (THREE FINGER SHUFFFLE - ANGEL CHILD - 1997) In 1989 Diamond moved to Cincinnati, OH where his lifelong love of the blues began to flower. Although handicapped by the use of his third finger, he found his muse and began to really play and begin to write. “The passion of the blues overwhelmed me”, he recalled. The first year he wrote thirty songs, including a rousing tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughan, “The King of the Blues.” (ANGEL CHILD - 1997). By 1990, Diamond had formed The Groove Syndicate and was playing full-time, logging 190 shows his first year. By February 1999, he had played 1,000 shows. Then in 1995, Diamond met his last drummer and his life-long soul mate, his wife Beth. Together, they are the foundation of a formidable team. In 1996, Diamond moved to Franklin, KY., just north of “Music City” (Nashville, TN.), where he recorded his first album “ANGEL CHILD”. The record was recorded after the band had only been together for four months. His sophomore record, “SOMEWHERE SOMEHOW” was released in August 1999 and features Stevie Ray Vaughan standout on keys, Reese Wynans. They (Jim and Beth) went on to play all over the world from Franklin, KY with three different versions of The Groove Syndicate. There have been 12 different versions of the Groove Syndicate since 1989. Beth's first band was in a Greensboro, NC band with The Ladies Auxillary. They competed in the Piedmont Blues Challenge and took third place. After leaving Greensboro, she played in Blues After Dark (Cincinnati, OH) and ran the Northern Kentucky blues jam in Latonia, KY. She has been with the Groove Syndicate since 1995 and has toured England twice, played in Italy, Switzerland, Canada along with many, many Blues Fests, including The Chicago Blues Fest. Together with his band; The Groove Syndicate they are an International blues recording, award winning (Kentuckianna Blues Society champ), top regional act based out of Bowling Green, KY (south central KY). They have been a featured act on KET's Jubilee. Additionally, we have played over 2,000 shows. They have played in Canada, Switzerland, Italy, England, Wales, and the United States. We are an original act performing 85% original material. Their motto is; "Where blues is Swingin', Rockin', Jazzy, and always original!" The key to our success is our diversity in the blues. You never know what's next. Our current lineup (# 12) is: Beth Diamond, Mark Wegener, Mark Wagner, Chris Herndon, and Joe DiGiuseppe. Norman Hewitt; Blues To Bop Switzerland Festival organizer said, "When I saw them at the Chicago Blues Fest I asked them to play at our festival . . on the spot. They were so good, and very well received, we invited them back for a second year! The following year. Only a handful of acts have been invited back two years in a row." Mike Kenney (former owner of Stevie Ray's Blues Bar in Louisville, KY says, "One of THE BEST acts we've had through our doors. Definitely one of Kentucky's top Blues acts!" Very professional, great show! KP of Rock N Read Magazine (Nashville, TN) writes, " They are not your typical blues band . . . like, where you see three or four tunes and you've seen their entire show. With these cats at every turn there is a different theme or style, or a different featured player, that keeps the audience wanting more. They are one of the most engaging, entertaining blues acts on the planet!" We have three CD's: ANGEL CHILD - 1997, SOMEWHERE SOMEHOW - 1999, & LIVE ALIVE - 2003 released to date. On our second CD SOMEWHERE SOMEHOW; we have one of the baddest keyboard players on the planet playing on our CD! Former Stevie Ray Vaughan standout - Reese Wynans! A very, very flattering gesture to say the least! Reese - Effin - Wynans y'all! Wow! And he is Ssssssmokin'! We have recently re-released ANGEL CHILD and SOMEWHERE SOMEHOW! Also, we have finally released, the long awaited LIVE ALIVE! All of our CD's are for sale right here . . . along with other merchandise! We have had the pleasure of playing a lot of fantastic venues and events over the years. Here is a list of some of the highlights . . . SOME NOTABLE APPEARANCES: Chicago Blues Fest Blues to Bop - Lugano Switzerland Blues to Bop - Marcoate Italy Dayton Blues Festival - Dayton, OH WC Handy Blues Festival - Henderson, KY Crossroads Festival - Memphis, TN IBC - Mamphis, TN Winners of Kentuckianna Blues Society Competition Louisville Blues & Jazz Festival - Louisville, KY Louisville Blues Festival - Louisville, KY Strassenfest - Louisville, KY Lebanaon Blues Fest - Lebanon, OH Fibbers - London, England Clinton Arms - Retford, UK Millers Snooker Club - UK Wrexham Rugby Club - Wales Slippery Noodle - Indianapolis, IN Bourbon St. Blues and Boogie - Nashville, TN Stevie Rays - Louisville, TN NEA Extravaganza - Nashville, TN Third and Lindsley - Nashville, TN Rum Boogie - Memphis, TN Hard Rock Cafe - Memphis, TN Mansion Hill Tavern - Newport, KY Donahues - Springfield, OH The Trolley Stop - Dayton, OH The Door - Celina, OH Metropolis Blues Fest - Metropolis, IL Influences Freddie King, Albert King, B.B. King, Ronnie Earl, Johnny Winter, SRV, Albert Collins, Snooks Eaglin, Duke Robilard, Luther Allison, Powder Blues Band, Downchild Blues Band, and many, many more . . . And a couple of my good friends; Wendell Holmes (The Holmes Brothers - Alligator Records - R.I.P), Eddie Shaw, Stacy Mitchhart, and Sonny Mooeman.... who all continue to inspire me even if from afar!! Thanks brothers! Jim's Equipment List Using vintage Fender and Gibson guitars, G & L, Reverend, and some BigTone Custom guitars all played through vintage Traynor and Fender amplifiers. All amplifiers loaded with the world's greatest speakers - EMINENCE SPEAKERS (Eminence, KY). With whom Jim Diamond prouldly endorses. Thanks to Chris Rose for believing in our sound.