Percussion with Jim R.

Jim Roberts Bio Jim Roberts is a cross-cultural percussionist and producer who welds together American rock/funk/jazz styles with the world music of the African Diaspora and beyond. As an artist his music is diverse and sonically complex and rich. He has recorded with Grammy award winning artist’s Victor Wooten (What Did He Say, Yin Yang, Cookbook, Ancient Hand) and Future Man (The Seamless Script). In 1999, he released Two Traditions, a cross pollination of old time fiddle music and three percussionists featuring the renown Ithaca group, The Horse Flies. In 2000 he co-produced Highway 90, the acclaimed debut album by New Orleans artist Shane Theriot, (Neville Brothers, Hall and Oats). He has performed at Merlefest, The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, The Grass Roots Festival, The Leaf Festival, the Augusta Heritage Festival and on the Grand Ol’ Opry in Nashville, TN. In 1996, Jim moved to Nashville, TN and began performing with the Wooten Brothers Band at 3rd and Lindsey. He toured and did session work. In 2000, Jim graduated as an engineer/producer from the School of Audio Engineering (SAE) and opened Kalimba Studio which he operated till 2006. He released Cape Town’s Waka Waka featuring South African singer Paul Petersen and Memphis Horns founder, Wayne Jackson. He also recorded numerous independent projects and demos. In 2006, he returned to North Carolina and joined the percussion faculty of Elon University. Now in his 11th year, Jim has taught percussion, drum set, 2 classes on the music of the 60’s and 70’s and founded and directed the Elon World Percussion Ensemble from 2008 to present.