Organ & Keys:
Jim Stair
Jim was born into a musical family. His grandfather, a professional jazz drummer during the 20’s and 30’s, played with some of the great band leaders and musicians including Tommy & Jimmy Dorsey, Guy Lombardo, and Paul Whiteman. His mother, a very accomplished classical pianist, colluded with Grandpa to start Jim on piano lessons not long after he learned to walk. Jim dutifully worked his way through Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, etc. until it all came crashing down the evening of February 9th, 1964 when the Beatles first appeared on the Ed Sullivan show. After that, piano just wasn’t cool and Jim focused his attention on acquiring and leaning to play electric guitar. His early band experiences throughout high school and college were as a guitarist.
Along the way, however, he became more and more intrigued by the sounds and virtuosity of the keyboardists coming to prominence in the late 60’s and early 70’ rock and jazz fusion scenes. When Jim graduated college and joined the professional world as an Electrical Engineer in Boston, he switched gears musically and returned to the keyboard. Finally earning a salary, he invested in classical piano training to rebuild his technique and reading skills while studying jazz theory with teachers from Berklee and New England Conservatory. Anxious to plug into the vibrant Boston live music scene, Jim purchased his Hammond B3 organ, and Rhodes electric piano and was soon gigging on a steady basis with classic rock (contemporary at the time), blues, funk, and fusion bands.
After 12 years in Boston, Jim pulled up stakes and joined Apple Computer in California as an engineering manager. Later, professional opportunity took Jim to Austin, TX where he hooked up with country artist Darby Ledbetter while also playing with an originals funk rock band. Eventually Jim landed in Las Vegas as an Engineering executive with a large gaming manufacturer and played keyboards for a Pink Floyd tribute band until retiring in early March 2020 when he settled in Asheville.