Jim Balfour
Categories: Musicians: Other, Musicians: Vocalist, Songwriters/Composers
Genres: Blues, Global Influences
Contact
Jim Balfour
100 Lindsay Drive
Saskatoon, SK, S7H 4B4
Phone: Show phone number
Email: Show email address
Web: www.jimbalfour.com/
Description
Jim is a prairie living reggae and blues songwriter and performer who is currently working in the studio with a new batch of original songs. Jim’s previous album releases were recorded in Jamaica and Canada, ‘Breathe’ (2017) and ‘In Jamaica’ (2015) (Number 2 at CFBX Kamloops).
Jim’s connection with blues and reggae music goes to the roots of their expression for justice and equality, and Bob Marley’s songs have been an inspiration for many years. He is a long-time social worker and educator who has worked with thousands of individuals and numerous communities who experience poverty, racism and gender inequality. He spearheaded three years of ‘Musicians for Peace’ shows on the International Day of Peace (September 21), and spent many years with the city’s race relations committee.
Jim’s recent video song ‘Wild West’ came from a recognition that electing and supporting Donald Trump is a symptom of many underlying issues, the number one being the gross disparity between incomes. Jim says “My favourite line in the song is ‘Own Your History’, and by this I mean for any individual, or even a society as a whole, to first make an unequivocal acceptance of responsibility for misdeeds.” It is from there that efforts can be made to repair the damage. Instead, what usually occurs, is the victim(s) is blamed, therefore the struggles continue.
[Jim Balfour in Parascope]
Jim has been the front man for reggae bands ‘Natural Mistik’ and ‘Jim Balfour and the Outer Rings’, and blues bands ‘Full Moon Blues’ and ‘Ernest Ernies’ Pan Fried Blues’ performing for many years at the Saskatchewan Jazz Festival and many other venues. Since 2009, he has been a guest artist performing at a number of venues in Negril, Jamaica, often introduced as ‘White Bob’! Jim is also an accomplished percussionist and has provided support to headliners such as BC Read, Oral Fuentes, Earl Pereira, and Tim Vaughn.
The next steps: Jim is a steadfast believer that music and the arts are the best things that humanity produces, and his new songs reflect life’s loves, losses, and human relationships.
Following the studio recordings, and hopefully with a post-COVID return to ‘normal’, he plans to form a band from the studio and perform original, and other reggae and blues material. Jim says ‘I love to write and share music at a time when very few people buy music, so it amounts to an expensive hobby, but with, I love music and having a musical connection with people’.
Back
