Jim Campilongo

Jim Campilongo is a U.S. guitarist/composer from South San Francisco, currently residing in New York City. Most of his original music is instrumental, although he has featured the singers Norah Jones and Martha Wainwright on his last two releases, and he is a member of The Little Willies, which also includes Jones. Campilongo plays a Fender Custom Shop Campilongo Signature Fender Telecaster.

Early life
Jim Campilongo was born in San Francisco, CA on July 8, 1958. At 9 years of age Campilongo discovered The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix through his two sisters. He became very interested in improvisation saying in one interview, "I knew I liked improvisation and long musical journeys...so I used to buy albums based exclusively on how long the tracks were.... That’s how I discovered John Coltrane Live in Japan, John McLaughlin Devotion, a couple of different Cream albums."

Early career
Campilongo’s career began in the mid 1970s when he studied guitar in his native San Francisco with Bunnie Gregoire, who taught the pre-teen to embrace everything from George Van Eps to John Denver. Campilongo's first instrument was purchased with Green Stamps. During high school he regularly jammed with drummer pal Ken Owen and at 17 began performing with area bands. One of Campilongo's greatest influences at the time was Roy Buchanan whom he saw at least 20 or 30 times in the Bay area.

Career
Campilongo started his recording career in San Francisco in 1996 with Jim Campilongo and the 10 Gallon Cats. After several years of performing with the Cats Campilongo left to pursue a new direction with his music and reached a new creative pinnacle with 1998’s Table For One.

In 2002, Campilongo left San Francisco and moved to New York, where he formed his Electric Trio, which toured Europe and Scandinavia and recorded the acclaimed album American Hips on Blue Hen Records. In 2003 Campilongo formed the group The Little Willies with Norah Jones, Richard Julian, Lee Alexander, and Dan Rieser. He has performed, live and in the studio, with artists such as Cake, Bright Eyes, JJ Cale, Norah Jones, Teddy Thompson, Al Anderson, Gillian Welch/David Rawlings, Peter Rowan, Jo Williamson, Sunny Ozell, Marilyn Carino and Julia Darling.

The wide range of artists that Jim Campilongo has performed with speak to the rich musical style that he has developed. Almost any musical genre or sub-genre can describe his playing style. TimeOut NY's Steve Smith wrote, "His prodigious talent is always evident as the band burns through tunes crammed with rock, jazz and country flourishes." In 2007 he released Heaven Is Creepy which was his best received to date.

His latest album is the 2010 release Orange. Produced by New York based Anton Fier of Golden Palominos and recorded in Brooklyn, Orange features Campilongo with acoustic bassist Stephan Crump and drummer/percussionist Tony Mason.

Campilongo maintains a residency at The Living Room on the Lower East Side in New York City where he plays nearly every Monday night. Notable guest artists that have joined him on stage at The Living Room include; Charlie Hunter, Steve Cardenas, Norah Jones, Adam Levy, Martha Wainwright, Chris Cheek, Leah Siegel, and Nels Cline.

Jim Campilongo's original music can be heard on national commercials including National Grid, Volkswagen, SBC, Michelin and Jack Daniel's. Campilongo is also a published guitar teacher and contributing editor for Guitar Player Magazine.

In January 2011, Jim Campilongo was nominated for The 10th Annual Independent Music Awards under the Instrumental Song category for "Awful Pretty, Pretty Awful".

Albums

 * 2010 Orange, Jim Campilongo
 * 2006 Heaven is Creepy, Jim Campilongo Electric Trio
 * 2003 American Hips, Jim Campilongo Electric Trio
 * 2000 Live At The DuNord, Jim Campilongo Band
 * 2000 Heavy, Jim Campilongo & the 10 Gallon Cats
 * 1998 Table For One, Jim Campilongo Band
 * 1997 Loose, Jim Campilongo & the 10 Gallon Cats
 * 1996 Jim Campilongo & the 10 Gallon Cats, Jim Campilongo & the 10 Gallon Cats

Other Projects

 * The Little Willies, "For The Good Times" – Milking Bull Records/EMI (2012)
 * Rosita Kess "Northern Sky" Dauphine Records (2011)
 * Sun Rise "Sun Rise" Jim Campilongo Band on "This Old Man" Starbucks Coffee Company (2011)
 * Nick Casey "Can't Reason Through Love" Guitar on "Bandages" (2011)
 * Jo Williamson "Be The Man" Joscream (2011)
 * Norah Jones "Featuring Norah Jones" Little Willies guitar on "Love Me" Blue Note (2010)
 * Howard Fishman "The World will Be Different" guitar on "Summer Rain" on Autumn Monkey Farm Records (2010)
 * Marika Hughes "The Simplest Thing" (Sideman and Writer) "Pepper" DD Records (2010)
 * Martha Wainwright "I Know You're Married.." Rounder (2008)
 * Two Foot Yard "Borrowed Arms" Yard Work (2008)
 * Teddy Thompson "Upfront and Down Low" Verve Records(2007)
 * Sean Walsh "American Music" Eyeball Records (2007)
 * Brandi Shearer, "Close to Dark" – Amoeba Records (2007) (Sideman and Co-Writer "Swampland" )
 * Chiara Civello "The Space Between" Universal Music Europe 2007 Co-Writer "L Train"
 * The Little Willies, "The Little Willies" – Milking Bull Records/EMI (2006)
 * Sasha Dobson "Modern Romance" Secret Sun (2006) As Writer "Cold To Colder"
 * Mudville, "Iris Nova" – (2006)
 * April Cope, "Petals Fall" – Limelight Disc (2006)
 * Richard Julian, "Manhattan" – Blue Note (2006)
 * Wild Animus (Audiobook) – Too Far (2006)
 * "Feber 2 New York" New York Compilation — Amigo Music (2005)
 * Steve Yerkey, "metaneonatureboy" – Echo Records (2005)
 * David Gleason, "Just Fall To Pieces" – Well Worn Records (2005)
 * Julian Summerhill, "The Hologram Cowboys Lay Down With Their Horses" – 2005
 * Michael Shelly, "Goodbye Cheater" – confidentialrecordings 2005
 * Mudville, "The Glory Of Man Is Not In Vogue" – (2004)
 * Sonya Greta, "Vigilante Arcade" – (2003)
 * Ann Dyer, "When I Close My Eyes" – Sunnyside 2001 As Writer "Sarah"
 * Joe Goldmark, "Strong Like Bull but Sensitive Like Squirrel" – Hmg Records (2001)
 * Kurt Stevenson and Kate Maher — Pentecostal Bouffant Record, "Songs for Camp and Tabernacle" – 2001
 * "Fortune Cookies" – Various Artists Fortune Records (2000)
 * "Full Tan" – Vol. 1 Various Artists Fonit Cetra Records (1999)
 * Joe Goldmark, "All Hat No Cattle" – Hmg Records (1999)
 * "Stranger Than Fiction" – Various Artists Oglio Records (1999)
 * Cake, "Prolonging the Magic" – Capricorn (1998)
 * San Francisco Song Cycle, Vol. 1 Various Artists Olde West (1998)
 * Jim Greer, "Rover Songs" – Fortune Records (1998)
 * "Treasures Left Behind: Remembering Kate Wolf" – Various Artists — Red House (1998)
 * Joe Goldmark, "Steelin' the Beatles" – Lo-ball Records (1997)
 * Preacher Boy and The Natural Blues, "Gutters and Pews" – Blind Pig (1996)
 * Preacher Boy and The Natural Blues, "Preacher Boy & The Natural Blues" – Blind Pig (1995)
 * Stephen Yerkey, "Confidence, Man" – Heyday (1995)
 * Looters, "Imago Mundi" – Monster Music (1992)
 * Wilson Gil And The Willful Sinners, "Gunstore, Liquourstore Project" – (1992)
 * Komotion International Various Artists (1989)
 * Click Dark, "President's Breakfast" – (1988)
 * Katt, "Katt" – Nutone (1987)
 * Po Go Bo, "Po Go Bo" – Nutone (1987)
 * The Know, "The Know" – Nutone (1987)