Guitar / Vocals: Jim Diamond Drums: Beth Diamond Bass Guitar: Jackie Hughes Organ / Piano / Vocals: Jon (Reese) Pleasant Saxophone: Brian (Boss) Hogg Additional players: Cincinnati Horns (Art Ruangtip: Trombone, Jason Emerson: Trumpet) All songs written and arranged by: Jim Diamond except where noted. Horn Arrangements: Brian Hogg and Art Ruangtip Art Design on Re-release: Jason Harbison Executive Producers: Rufus E. Bischoff, Beth and Jim Diamond Recorded at: Grapevine Studios – Nashville, TN (May 16-17, 1997) Engineered and mixed and mastered by: Chris Columby and Jim Boyington Re-release duplication: Crystal Clear CD’s – www.crystalclearcds.com Thanks to Chris Rose – President of Eminence Speakers for providing me with the best speakers on the planet! I continue to use them in ALL of my amps. This is the story of how it began after we left Cincinnati, OH. As soon as we were married (9.13.96), we moved into our new home that same weekend. And shortly after that we began looking for a bass player to begin our new band, in our new hometown of Franklin, KY. We found an ad; “Bass player looking for a band” placed by Jackie Hughes. Let me back up a bit to before we were married. While on vacation, on our way back from the beach (Myrtle Beach, NC); we had played in the Piedmont Blues Societies competition in Greensboro, NC. in 1995 on a whim; with a bass player whom we met that happened to be female. It went so well I thought that it would be cool if we could have an all-female band. So when we saw the ad; “call Jackie” we were hoping that “Jackie” was a gal!?? Wrong! We rang Hughes up, had him come and audition and offered him the gig! He was the only bass player that we auditioned. Then, we began rehearsing 4 days a week, learning new material, and songs that I was writing. Next, we found Jon (Reese) Pleasant playing with a local band (Funk-dat) in Bowling Green, KY., auditioned him, offered him the gig, auditioned no other players for his spot either, and continued rehearsing 4 days a week. Jon knew Hogg, so we coerced Hogg into joining the band, and we were off to the races! Also, no other saxophonists were auditioned! Jackie, Jon and Brian were the ONLY players we auditioned for their respective positions! Man, gotta be fate! We were meant to play with each other . . . . Groove Syndicate magic! So, we converted an upstairs bedroom / bonus room into our rehearsal space completely lined with egg cartons for sound proofing. We had all the necessary gear for rehearsals; guitar amps, a small PA, and Beth’s other drum kit. We were ready to rock. . During one our first full blown rehearsals, we had a knock at the door . . . it was the local Franklin PD! They thought we were having a party?!! And, the stereo was too loud!?? Someone in the neighborhood must’ve complained!?? But, that was the last time the PD ever showed up at 309 Franklin Avenue! Many of the tracks for ANGEL CHILD were penned in Franklin; Mine all Mine, Bad Luck and Trouble, Love Tap, Tiger’s Blues, Texas Blues, and Time for Us. The title track ANGEL CHILD was written for Beth while she was out of town when we lived in Oakley, OH. It was first recorded on the cassette EP (I’m Tryin’) with Steve Barton (Middletown, OH) in 1995. We never produced that EP, yet some of the tracks made their way to our other projects. The King of the Blues was written the day Stevie Ray Vaughan died; the morning I heard the news. And Seein’ Black was one of my first songs written years earlier. Fall ’97 and ‘98 we were on fire! We released this CD, we won the Kentuckianna Blues Society’s “BEST UNSIGNED BLUES BAND” competition in Louisville, KY (1998). This win gave us an automatic berth in the world famous IBC (International Blues Competition) in Memphis, TN. in 1999. Also in 1998 we were selected out of thousands of acts to play at the CROSSROADS FESTIVAL in Memphis, TN. Additionally, we were selected out of thousands of acts to perform at the very prestigious NEA XTRAVAGANZA in Nashville, TN (1998). Our CD release party was held at Lucille’s (Greg and Patty Mebbs) in Northern Kentucky where Beth used to host an open blues jam, it was the place that we first met. We had incredible support from friends and family and we put on one helluva show! We were playing everywhere; all the best blues joints up and down I75 and I71. Many, many people opened their homes up to us while we were on the road! Special thanks goes out to Fritz and Jean who housed us more than all others combined. This CD (ANGEL CHILD) was recorded, mixed, and mastered in twenty-five hours. That is quite a feat! All tracks were recorded in one take except for adding horns and vocals . . . essentially, it is a live recording. We were exceptionally well rehearsed for a band that had only been together for four months! In fact, during the recording of Seein’ Black, Beth lost her headphones in the middle of the song, they fell off her head and landed on the floor. Yet somehow she managed to keep the entire song in her head and play with the band!?? Wow! She could hear nothing. I can’t tell you how hard that is to do!?? Darn near impossible! Still amazes me . . . Beth and Jackie were in the kitchen / living room area, Jon and I were in the control room, my amps were in a bathroom, Hogg was in a closed off bedroom with no windows, and unable to see the rest of the band!? We were recorded on a 24 track - 2” Otari machine. This is how it all began back in 1997. This was the first giant step forward to becoming an award winning International blues act. This recording changed all of our lives forever. Special thanks to Rufus Bischoff for his unwavering support and contribution as an executive producer. We can never thank him enough. Without his contribution this recording would not have happened. We have received many accolades and great reviews about this recording. It was instrumental for opening many doors that where otherwise closed. This re-release is dedicated to the memory of our dear friend and great Groove Syndicate bass player (1996 – 2001) Jackie (Zach) Hughes who died too young (4.10.2011). Thanks for the memories brother, and playing; we miss you every day. This recording is best experienced the way Zach liked to play . . . LOUDLY! R.I.P Brother! Above all, thanks to Beth for hanging in there with me! 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. Together with his band; The Groove Syndicate they became 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 90% 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. . 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 (May 2017) 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 . . . 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.