Jim White
Encyclopedia
Michael Davis Pratt known professionally as Jim White, is a Southern American singer-songwriter
and guitarist
. White's music can be loosely described as alternative country
, but veers off in different, sometimes experimental directions with occasional nods to Tom Waits
and the literary narratives of Flannery O'Connor
, Cormac McCarthy
, and Harry Crews
.
, Florida
to a Pentecostal
family, and was influenced in his childhood by gospel music
. According to various sources, he has been a comedian, a fashion model, a boxer, a preacher, a professional surfer, and a New York cab driver. Before embarking on a music career, White attended film school at New York University
. Soon after finishing his lengthy thesis at the university, White entered a self-described "deep hole of sickness and depression and poverty." However, during a party organized by film school friends, White began to perform, and began writing material for an album soon afterward.
White's live shows, particularly when touring solo, can be characterized as off-beat, blending his playlist with open discussion with the audience, anecdotal storytelling derived from his own life experiences, all of which is typically humorous and insightful. He has stated during shows that ultimately he wishes to return to the academic field, particularly as a professor, rather than continue as a professional, touring musician. Much of this is due to his family life, which he has stated takes priority in his life and is the reason he does not like touring very much. His sister, Katherine Pratt, teaches at Loyola Law School
.
White's albums often feature collaborations. On Wrong-Eyed Jesus, folk singer Victoria Williams
sings on the track "Angel-Land"; British electronica trio Morcheeba
produced and played on three tracks on No Such Place. Aimee Mann
, Barenaked Ladies
, and jazz guitarist Bill Frisell
appear on Drill a Hole in That Substrate and Tell Me What You See
, which was produced by Joe Henry
, Tucker Martine
, and Jim White himself. In an interview with David Byrne, White describes the making of the album. In 2006, Jim White collaborated with Johnny Dowd
and Willie B and formed a group called Hellwood; in 2006, the band toured throughout Europe to promote the album Chainsaw of Life. More recently, Jim White served as producer and songwriter on a collaboration alongside Tucker Martine
and blues singer Linda Delgado, on a project entitled Mama Lucky. Mama Lucky's first release 'Permanent Stranger' was released February 2009. White is currently producing a song, entitled "Simon Says," on Thugs and China Dolls, the forthcoming record of Savannah-based singer-songwriter Dare Dukes.
Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus
is a 2004 BBC
documentary, directed by Andrew Douglas, in which Jim White describes his idea of the rural South. The film features performances by like-minded musicians such as The Handsome Family
, David Eugene Edwards of 16 Horsepower
and Johnny Dowd
.
"Winter at SECCA" Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art, Winston-Salem, NC
Also participated in inaugural "Crossroads" series, performing with The South Memphis String Band, Feb. 19, 2011
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
and guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
. White's music can be loosely described as alternative country
Alternative country
Alternative country is a loosely defined sub-genre of country music, which includes acts that differ significantly in style from mainstream or pop country music...
, but veers off in different, sometimes experimental directions with occasional nods to Tom Waits
Tom Waits
Thomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...
and the literary narratives of Flannery O'Connor
Flannery O'Connor
Mary Flannery O'Connor was an American novelist, short-story writer and essayist. An important voice in American literature, O'Connor wrote two novels and 32 short stories, as well as a number of reviews and commentaries...
, Cormac McCarthy
Cormac McCarthy
Cormac McCarthy is an American novelist and playwright. He has written ten novels, spanning the Southern Gothic, Western, and modernist genres. He received the Pulitzer Prize and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Fiction for The Road...
, and Harry Crews
Harry Crews
Harry Crews is an American novelist, playwright, short story writer and essayist. He was born in Bacon County, Georgia in 1935 and served in the Marines during the Korean War. He attended the University of Florida on the GI Bill, but dropped out to travel...
.
Early life
White was born in PensacolaPensacola, Florida
Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
to a Pentecostal
Pentecostalism
Pentecostalism is a diverse and complex movement within Christianity that places special emphasis on a direct personal experience of God through the baptism in the Holy Spirit, has an eschatological focus, and is an experiential religion. The term Pentecostal is derived from Pentecost, the Greek...
family, and was influenced in his childhood by gospel music
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
. According to various sources, he has been a comedian, a fashion model, a boxer, a preacher, a professional surfer, and a New York cab driver. Before embarking on a music career, White attended film school at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
. Soon after finishing his lengthy thesis at the university, White entered a self-described "deep hole of sickness and depression and poverty." However, during a party organized by film school friends, White began to perform, and began writing material for an album soon afterward.
Musical career and performances
Loyola Law School
Loyola Law School is the law school of Loyola Marymount University, a private Catholic university in the Jesuit and Marymount traditions, in Los Angeles, California. Loyola was established in 1920. Like Loyola University Chicago School of Law and Loyola University New Orleans College of Law , it...
.
White's albums often feature collaborations. On Wrong-Eyed Jesus, folk singer Victoria Williams
Victoria Williams
Victoria Williams is an American singer-songwriter and musician, originally from Shreveport, Louisiana, although she has resided in Southern California throughout her musical career. She is noted for her descriptive songwriting talent, which she has used to immerse the listener of her songs into a...
sings on the track "Angel-Land"; British electronica trio Morcheeba
Morcheeba
Morcheeba are a British band, mixing influences from trip hop, rock, R&B, and pop.They have produced 7 albums since 1995, two of which reached the UK top ten.-Biography:...
produced and played on three tracks on No Such Place. Aimee Mann
Aimee Mann
Aimee Mann is an American rock singer-songwriter, guitarist and bassist.-Early life:Aimee Mann grew up in Bon Air, Virginia, graduated from Open High School in 1978 and attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston, but dropped out to sing with her first punk rock band, the Young Snakes...
, Barenaked Ladies
Barenaked Ladies
Barenaked Ladies is a Canadian alternative rock band. The band is currently composed of Jim Creeggan, Kevin Hearn, Ed Robertson, and Tyler Stewart. Barenaked Ladies formed in 1988 in Scarborough, Ontario, then a suburban municipality outside the City of Toronto...
, and jazz guitarist Bill Frisell
Bill Frisell
William Richard "Bill" Frisell is an American guitarist and composer.One of the leading guitarists in jazz since the late 1980s, Frisell's eclectic music touches on progressive folk, classical music, country music, noise and more...
appear on Drill a Hole in That Substrate and Tell Me What You See
Drill a Hole in That Substrate and Tell Me What You See
Drill a Hole in That Substrate and Tell Me What You See is an album by Jim White, released in 2004. Co-vocals on "Static on the Radio" are by Aimee Mann.-Track listing:#"Static on the Radio" – 6:31#"Bluebird" – 5:29...
, which was produced by Joe Henry
Joe Henry
Joseph Lee "Joe" Henry is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Henry's musical style spans several genres, including alt. country, rock, jazz and folk.- Early years :...
, Tucker Martine
Tucker Martine
Tucker Martine is an American, Grammy nominated record producer, musician and composer who has worked with artists such as My Morning Jacket, Mudhoney, Bill Frisell, The Decemberists, Sufjan Stevens, R.E.M., Laura Veirs, Spoon, and Tift Merritt...
, and Jim White himself. In an interview with David Byrne, White describes the making of the album. In 2006, Jim White collaborated with Johnny Dowd
Johnny Dowd
Johnny Dowd is an American alternative country musician from Ithaca, New York. Typical of his style are experimental, noisy breaks in his songs and strong gothic elements in the lyrics as well as in the music...
and Willie B and formed a group called Hellwood; in 2006, the band toured throughout Europe to promote the album Chainsaw of Life. More recently, Jim White served as producer and songwriter on a collaboration alongside Tucker Martine
Tucker Martine
Tucker Martine is an American, Grammy nominated record producer, musician and composer who has worked with artists such as My Morning Jacket, Mudhoney, Bill Frisell, The Decemberists, Sufjan Stevens, R.E.M., Laura Veirs, Spoon, and Tift Merritt...
and blues singer Linda Delgado, on a project entitled Mama Lucky. Mama Lucky's first release 'Permanent Stranger' was released February 2009. White is currently producing a song, entitled "Simon Says," on Thugs and China Dolls, the forthcoming record of Savannah-based singer-songwriter Dare Dukes.
Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus
Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus
Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus is a documentary film starring Jim White. The film is about the American South. Commissioned by the BBC, it documents the intersection of country music and Christianity in the United States. It was inspired by White's similarly titled album The Mysterious Tale of...
is a 2004 BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
documentary, directed by Andrew Douglas, in which Jim White describes his idea of the rural South. The film features performances by like-minded musicians such as The Handsome Family
The Handsome Family
The Handsome Family is an alternative country band, formed in Chicago, Illinois.-History:The band was formed in 1993 by husband-and-wife duo Brett Sparks and Rennie Sparks and drummer Mike Werner, although the band would later revolve around Rennie, who writes the lyrics, and Brett, who writes...
, David Eugene Edwards of 16 Horsepower
16 Horsepower
16 Horsepower was an American alternative country music group based in Denver, Colorado. Their music often invoked religious imagery dealing with conflict, redemption, punishment, and guilt through David Eugene Edwards's lyrics and the heavy use of traditional bluegrass, gospel, and Appalachian...
and Johnny Dowd
Johnny Dowd
Johnny Dowd is an American alternative country musician from Ithaca, New York. Typical of his style are experimental, noisy breaks in his songs and strong gothic elements in the lyrics as well as in the music...
.
Albums
- 1997: Wrong-Eyed Jesus (The Mysterious Tale of How I Shouted)
- 2001: No Such Place
- 2004: Drill a Hole in That Substrate and Tell Me What You SeeDrill a Hole in That Substrate and Tell Me What You SeeDrill a Hole in That Substrate and Tell Me What You See is an album by Jim White, released in 2004. Co-vocals on "Static on the Radio" are by Aimee Mann.-Track listing:#"Static on the Radio" – 6:31#"Bluebird" – 5:29...
- 2005: Jim White Presents Music from Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus
- 2007–08: Transnormal SkiperooTransnormal SkiperooTransnormal Skiperoo is a 2007 album by Jim White. It was produced by Joe Pernice and Michael Deming, recorded with the band Olabelle and also features tracks with Tucker Martine and Laura Veirs, local Georgia legend Don Chambers and Goat, bluegrass duo Jeff & Vida and percussionist Mauro...
- 2011: Where It Hits You
Collaborations
- 2006: Hellwood (Jim White, Johnny DowdJohnny DowdJohnny Dowd is an American alternative country musician from Ithaca, New York. Typical of his style are experimental, noisy breaks in his songs and strong gothic elements in the lyrics as well as in the music...
, Willie B) Chainsaw of Life - 2009: Mama Lucky (Jim White, Tucker MartineTucker MartineTucker Martine is an American, Grammy nominated record producer, musician and composer who has worked with artists such as My Morning Jacket, Mudhoney, Bill Frisell, The Decemberists, Sufjan Stevens, R.E.M., Laura Veirs, Spoon, and Tift Merritt...
, Linda Delgado) Permanent Stranger - 2004: Tanakh (Jesse Poe) "Villa Claustrophobia"
- 2006: Tanakh "Ardent Fevers"
- 2010: Sounds of the Americans (Jim White, Dan Nettles)
- 2011: Dare Dukes, Thugs and China Dolls (produced the song "Simon Says")
- 2011: Producer, Belgian Alt Country band (StantonStanton- United Kingdom :Populated places* Stanton, Derbyshire* Stanton, Gloucestershire* Stanton, Monmouthshire* Stanton, Northumberland* Stanton, Staffordshire* Stanton, Suffolk* New Stanton, Derbyshire* Stanton by Bridge, Derbyshire* Stanton by Dale, Derbyshire...
)
Visual Art Exhibits
"Deep Fried Ephemera", The Douglas Hyde Gallery, Dublin, Ireland 4 July - 18 August 2009"Winter at SECCA" Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art, Winston-Salem, NC
Also participated in inaugural "Crossroads" series, performing with The South Memphis String Band, Feb. 19, 2011
Books
"Superwhite! / Wild-Eyed Tree," The Douglas Hyde Gallery, 2009. In conjunction with art exhibit. "Includes autobiographical text, Superwhite (Another True Story), and previously unreleased lyrics by Jim White. Also included are images of the exhibition and photographs by Jim White."Theater
Musical Score to "The Americans", a Sam Shepard play (with Dan Nettles), Juilliard School of Music NYC, 11 February 2010External links
- Official website
- Jim White on the Luaka BopLuaka BopLuaka Bop is a world music-oriented record label established by David Byrne, former guitarist, singer-songwriter and producer of the art rock/new wave band Talking Heads. It has been a wholly independent label since leaving V2 in 2006. Previous distribution relationships included Warner and Virgin...
website