Introduction
Since starting piano lessons at the age of 4 and playing his first professional gig at 13, James Simpson has recorded and performed with some of the world's greatest singers and musicians to include Natalie Cole, Anita Baker, Erykah Badu, Gwen McCrae, Billy Ocean, Nneka, Nelly Furtado, Roy Hargrove, Lizz Wright and The Temptations as well as being a reputable artist himself and founder of the internationally renowned Pleasure Unlimited Orchestra (Barry White Show).
Next to his work as a multi-instrumentalist (drummer, organist, keyboardist and vocalist), he has been active behind the scenes as a producer, director, composer, arranger and businessman with various groups from Gospel to Soul to Hip Hop to Rock. All of this amounts to over 30 years of diverse experience in the entertainment business.
To book one of James Simpson's current groups for your festival/venue, request a customized program for your event or if you are interested in an artistic collaboration, live or in the studio:
Collaborations
selection
Abdu Salim
Acoustic Alchemy
Albey Donely
Alex Bugnon
Allen Blairman
Anita Baker
Billy Allen
Billy Ocean
Brannen Temple
Christian Eckert
Charles Shaw
Dr. James Polk
Damion Marley
Dany Martinez
David Benoit
David "Fat Head" Newman
David Haynes
Dwight Robson
Edward Wade
Edwin Livingston
Ebo Shakoor
Ephraim Owens
Eric Gable
Fingerprint
George Braith
George McCrae
Gwen McCrae
Hiram Bullock
J.J. Johnson
James Williams
Jason Wright & The Wright Thing
John "Jab'o" Starks
John Ussery
Juan "Chucho" Valdez
Karl Denson
Karl Frierson
Keith Anderson
Kerry Wilkins
Kim Waters
Kip Blackshire
Kirk Whalum
Knut Rössler
Kyle Turner
Larry Willis
Les Fisher
Liz McComb
Lizz Wright
Michael Ward
Mitch Watkins
Najee
NAS
Natalie Cole
Nelly Furtado
Nneka
Nicole Metzger
Pam O'Neal
Pam Williams
Pancho Sanchez
Paul Jackson, Jr.
Pax Wallace
Peter Klinger
Phil Dricoll Orchestra
Regina Carter
Reggie Washington
Roger Troutman
Ronnie Laws
Roy Hargrove
Shelly Carol
Shirley Murdock
SOS Band
Stefan Raab
The Temptations
Thomas Hughes
Toni Harrid
Toni Spearman
Trevor Richards
Vanda Guzman
Waymon Tisdale
Wesley G.
Willie Jones, III
Zapp
Places
selection
COUNTRIES
Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Canada
France
Germany
Hungary
Indonesia
Ireland
Italy
Luxembourg
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Spain
Switzerland
Turkey
United Kingdom
United States of America
THEATRES/CLUBS
Alcatraz Club | Budapest (HU)
Alte Feuerwache | Mannheim (DE)
Auditorio Municipal | Almeria ES)
Boite | Barcelona (ES)
Cabaret Voltaire | Edinburgh (GB)
Capitol | Mannheim (DE)
Catfish Station | Atlanta (US)
Catfish Station | Austin (US)
Cave 54 | Heidelberg (DE)
Cave 61 | Heilbronn (DE)
Cody's | Houston (US)
Cosmolite | Oslo (NO)
Cotillion Ballroom | Birmingham (US)
Down Under | Hanau (DE)
Elephant Room | Austin (US)
Gateshead | Newcastle (GB)
Gigi's Jazz | Dallas (US)
Gran Teatro De Cordoba (ES)
Jamboree Jazz Club | Barcelona (ES)
Jazz Café | London (GB)
Jazzhaus Heidelberg (DE)
Jazzkeller Frankfurt (DE)
Klapsmühl' am Rathaus (DE)
Knitting Factory | New York (US)
La Scène Bastille | Paris (FR)
Mercury | Austin (US)
Midtown Live | Austin (US)
Midtown Live | Houston (US)
Muddy's Club Weinheim (DE)
Muddy Waters | Dallas (US)
Nationaltheater Mannheim (DE)
New Morning | Paris (FR)
Nuevo Teatro Circo | Cartagena (ES)
Palo Palo | Hannover (DE)
Philharmonie Essen (DE)
Pink | Zermatt (CH)
Porsche 911 Club | Gstaad (CH)
Soho | Mannheim (DE)
Sunset Jazz Club | Girona (ES)
Teatro Cervantes | Malaga (ES)
The Jazz Bar | Edinburgh (GB)
FESTIVALS
Aalener Jazz Festival (DE)
Benson and Hedges Jazz Festival (US)
Cactus Jazz Festival (US)
Catalina Island Jazz Festival (US)
Edinburgh Jazz Festival (GB)
ERP Remember Cascais (PT)
Fetters Jazz Festival (GB)
Hildabrand Jazz Festival (CA)
Jazz En Tete (FR)
Java Jazz Festival (ID)
Leverkusen Jazz Festival (DE)
KerpenErleben (DE)
Lollapalooza Festival (US)
Händels Open (D)
Manerbio Jazz Festival (IT)
Montreal Jazz Festival (CA)
Musikerlebnis (DE)
New Port Jazz Festival (US)
North Sea Jazz Festival (NL)
Sofia Jazz Festival (BG)
South by Southwest SXSW (US)
Zilka Jazz Festival (US)
OTHER
Austin Music Awards (US)
German Gospel Awards (DE)
Jimmy Vaughn's 50th Birthday (US)
Radio Regenbogen Awards (DE)
Discography
1988 James Simpson
Living in Reality (RnB / Pop)
1989 James Simpson
Beginning of a Dream (RnB / Hip Hop)
1992 Mannheim Community Mass Choir
Live (Gospel)
1993 Le Lee
The Lovely Lady Singer (RnB / Hip Hop)
1995 Kyle Turner
Sincerely Yours (Jazz)
1998 John Ussery
Gettin' Lucky (Blues)
1999 The Simms Foundation
Compilation with Hot Buttered Rhythm
2000 Blackshear
Destiny (RnB)
2001 Hot Buttered Rhythm
Blacksoundspoitation (Acid Jazz)
2002 Stefan Raab feat. Shaggy
Gebt Das Hanf Frei (Hip Hop)
2003 One Son
Poor Man's Testimony (Hip Hop)
2003 Jubilee Jumpers
Jump Session (Swing)
2003 James Simpson
Soul Revival (Soul Jazz)
2004 Blaze
Live in Barcelona 2004 (Jazz / Funk)
2005 Blairman, Schönborn, Simpson
Like Back In The Days (Jazz)
2005 Dwight Robson
Ain't It Good To Know (Gospel)
2005 Reencuentro Vol. #4
Indian's Visions (World Music)
2006 Karl Frierson
Soulprint (Soul/Pop)
2006 Greg McKoy /James Simpson
Never Alone (Gospel)
2007 Kyle Turner
Collection (Smooth Jazz)
2007 Zlatko & The Zodiacs
Springtime In Paris (Blues)
2009 Labana
White! (Latin)
Video & TV Performances
1994 Kyle Turner & Standing Room Only
Austin Music Network (Austin, Texas, USA)
1998 Hot Buttered Rhythm
Morning TV (Toronto, Canada)
1998 Hot Buttered Rhythm
Austin Music Awards (Austin, Texas, USA)
1999 James Simpson Group
Austin Music Network (Austin, Texas, USA)
2001 James Simpson Group
Austin Music Network (Austin, Texas, USA)
2002 Stefan Raab feat. Shaggy
Music Video "Gebt Das Hanf Frei!" shown on MTV Europe, VIVA, Real TV
2003 Roy Hargrove RH Factor
Leverkusener Jazztage on WDR (Leverkusen, Germany)
2004 James Simpson
Documentary "From The Heart" shown at South by Southwest Film Festival (Austin, Texas, USA)
2005 Rev. Dwight Robson & The Voices of Gospel
Gospel Award on RTL (Berlin, Germany)
2006 Gwen McCrae
France Canal 2 (Paris, France)
2009 James Simpson's Gospel Classics
Top Destination TV (Austria)
2010 Nneka
Concert at Summerjam on Rockpalast, WDR (Chorweiler, Germany)
2015 Billy Ocean
Radio Regenbogen Award Show (Rust, Germany)
2015 Lizz Wright
Concert at the Laeiszhalle on SAT.1 Regional (Hamburg, Germany)
2017 Nelly Furtado
Radio Regenbogen Award Show (Rust, Germany)
2018 Leo Will
Undercover Boss – Celebrity Special with Angelo Kelly on RTL (Hannover, Germany)
Biography
1972 born in Ft. Devins, Massachusetts and raised in Ceres, California
1976 starts private piano lessons (classical music)
1976 starts playing drums
1979 starts saxophone lessons
1983 member of "National Guild of Piano Teachers" (USA)
1987 "Best Soloist Award“ for piano and saxophone (Los Angeles, CA)
1988 "Best Soloist Award“ for piano, saxophone and drums (Los Angeles, CA)
1988 "Louis Armstrong Jazz Award“ (Ceres, CA)
1988 foundation of "$olid Rock Production$“ in California
1989 rejection of record deal offered by Profile Records
1990 US Army in Mannheim, Germany
1991 music productions out of barracks room
1992 move to Killeen, Texas
1992 until today: professional musician
1995 opening of "Solid Rock Records“ recording studio
1995 tours and records with Kyle Turner
1998 learns how to play the organ, inspired by the recording of John Ussery's album "Gettin' Lucky"
2001 move to Mannheim, Germany
2002 music video w/ Stefan Raab feat. Shaggy on MTV
2003 European tour with The Temptations
2003 European tour with Roy Hargrove & RH Factor
2004 James Simpson's "Soul Revival" album released
2005 Blairman / Schönborn / Simpson's "Like Back in the Days" album released
2005 plays at German Gospel Awards
2005 European tour with Gwen McCrae
2006 European tour with Funk Masters Jab'o Starks and Clyde Stubblefield
2006 Featured Artist on the Doodlin' Lounge Radio Program
2006 plays at Edinburgh Jazz Festival
2006 James Simpson and Greg McKoy release "Never Alone" Gospel album
2006 European tour James Simpson's Gospel Classics
2007 voted "jazz organist of February 2007" by International Archives of Jazz Organ
2009 founds the Pleasure Unlimited Orchestra
2010 nominated for Artist Allstars Award “Musician of the Year“ with the Barry White Show (Pleasure Unlimited Orchestra)
2012 plays at Java Jazz Festival with the Pleasure Unlimited Orchestra
2015 European tour with Lizz Wright
2015 plays for Billy Ocean at the Radio Regenbogen Award Show
2016 plays at Philharmonie Essen with the Pleasure Unlimited Orchestra
2017 plays for Nelly Furtado at the Radio Regenbogen Award Show
Want to dig deeper into James Simpson's biography? Check out the detailed text version with personal anecdotes:
Photos
James Simpson on the Hammond organ
James Simpson on drums
James Simpson on vocals
James Simpson on keys
James Simpson producing
