There’s a reason legendary blues Diva Etta James calls Jimmy Z her “Hootchie Cootchie Man” and Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics calls him “the best harmonica player in the world.” Jimmy attracts attention. He caught the attention of Rod Stewart, Tom Petty, the Eurythmics, Jaguares  – all of whom he recorded and toured with. He also caught the attention of Dr. Dre, Eric Burdon, Carol King, Barry White, Ziggy Marley, Yes, Bon Jovi, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Slash's Snakepit, Macy Gray, John Mayer, Pink, Gladys Knight, Les McCann and countless others who sought out Jimmy Z’s blazing harmonica and soulful saxophone to spice up their recordings.

From a smoky 20-seat bar in Sacramento to the 300,000 person sold out Rock in Rio concert with Rod Stewart in Brazil, Jimmy has toured the world blowing crowds away with his electrifying stage presence. Performing in 1988 with the Eurythmics for the Nelson Mandela Concert at Wembley Stadium and televised to 1 billion people worldwide, Jimmy’s harmonica solo on Must Have Been an Angel brought the world to its knees.

In 1988, Jimmy’s first solo instrumental album was for Miles Copeland, then owner of IRS Records, called Anytime…Anyplace! In 1991, legendary rap producer Dr. Dre produced Jimmy Z’s next album Muzical Madness, featuring Jimmy on lead vocals. In addition, Jimmy Z and Dr. Dre co-wrote all the songs.

Jimmy Z has appeared and acted in the movies Georgia, The Doors, Wild at Heart, and The Shrink Is In, as well as concert films with Rod Stewart, Tom Petty, the Eurythmics and Jaguares. He has scored numerous videos and films as well.

He’s also played live with DJs all over the world, including Afrika Bambaata (Paris concert, 1986).

Since the year 2000, he has toured extensively with Etta James as well as the Mexican rock band Jaguares, while also fronting his own blues rock band, ZTribe. The ZTribe CD, Caught Inside is a true indication of Jimmy’s amazing abilities with the harmonica, saxophone and vocals.

In 2001, Jimmy independently released the sizzling blues CD, Caught Inside. It is a true indication of his amazing abilities with the harmonica, saxophone and vocals.

In 2004, he released The Heart and Soul of a Jaguar - Corazon Y Alma de un Jaguar. It is a true blending of the Mexican side of Rock en Espanol, provided by Jimmy’s hermanos  - some of the great musicians of Jaguares, along with their American counterparts from the world of blues and R&B.

In 2006, Jimmy joined blues and jazz luminaries Zac Harmon, Munyungo Jackson, Gregg Writght and Rich DelGrosso in NeoBlues, a fresh look and listen at African-American music in the 21st Century.

Currently, Jimmy is in the process of writing Confessions of a Glorified Sideman, chronicling his over 30 years in the music business. It includes many anecdotes and adventures from being on the road with some of the most famous (and infamous) musical celebrities.

In addition, he has recently been recording music for stock libraries and soundtracks for radio & TV commercials as well as producing new music in his home studio. He wrote and recorded The Big Easy’s Gone Cold as a commentary on the Katrina disaster and other songs, including the heartfelt Wouldn’t’ Have it Any Other Way.

Jimmy is currently touring with the legendary Etta James.

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For bookings in Europe and rest of the world outside America and Japan, contact Quentin Geerinckx

My current project, The Heart and Soul of a Jaguar - Corazon Y Alma de un Jaguar (CD and live performance), is straight from my heart and harkens back to all my musical roots. It is also something I’ve wanted to do for many years.

This unique platform allows me to merge the Mexican side of Rock en Espanol with American blues and R&B. The band consists of myself on harmonica and saxophone, my hermanos/amigos from Jaguares – Vampiro on guitar and Leo Munoz on percussion – along with many of my long-time American compadres, who are not only some of the best studio musicians in LA, but have also played in many top blues/R & B bands. Their credits are far more extensive than I can list here, but they are – Johnny Griparic from Slash (bass), Teddy Zigzag from Guns'N Roses (piano & B3 organ), Chuck Kavooras from Alex Ligertwood of Santana (guitar) and Tom Walsh from Joe Cocker and Tina Turner(drums).

We have created instrumental versions of some Jaguares’ hits – La Celula Que Explota, Te Lo Pido Por Favor and No Dejes Que…using harmonica, sax and guitar to play the leads. We also include some originals that combine English and Spanish lyrics with our blend of cross-border soulful sounds.

The results are astounding. This international group of top-notch musicians plays music that unite sounds and styles from both sides of the border that can be appreciated throughout the world.

Jimmy Z