Jim Abel's Music Hall
We are ugly, but we have the music. - Leonard Cohen
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Hey There
I'm Jim Abel. That's my picture you're looking at. I write songs and I sing them. Funny songs, sad songs, political songs, love songs. My songs are what people call contemporary folk, but you won't find me on the Oh, Brother! soundtrack or down at the Opry. In fact, I think I like the Alternative label. Works for me.
Don't Miss All of the New Singles Not Available on Any CD!
Did I mention that they're free?
My Roots
I started listening to Woody when he was still alive, and his heirs are still on my play list, including Bob Dylan, Steve Goodman, Janis Ian, John McCutcheon and, first of all, Tom Paxton. But I've also been listening to the American Songbook since I was a kid, and a lot of my musical ideas come from Broadway. People like George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Noel Coward, Hoagy Carmichael and Rodgers and Hammerstein are high on my list of the greats. I am also an unrepentant hippie, so I owe my debts to Country Joe, the Airplane, Janis Joplin and that gang. Oh yeah, let me not forget Cream, Dr. John and dozens of other blues players, including Tom Waits. Get the idea?
Nothing much going on right now
I am talking some time off.
I will be writing and rehearsing, however.
I hope to be back with new material
in the Spring.
You're Probably Wondering What I Sound Like
I write a lot of songs these days. I play for different audiences and I like to mix it up a bit. I also try to have something new that is appropriate to the occasion. But I can give you a taste. See the funny musical instrument below? Click on it. With any luck, you will have a chance to hear a song AND you will even be able to download the mp3 to your very own computer. Once you have it there, feel free to transfer it to your iPod, if you've got one and can figure out how to do that. Pass it along to your friends. Thing is: it's free!
Thunder now has its own page. To get the full scoop, click right here.
Thunderis available online at cdbaby.com/cd/jimabel
Download tracks from www.digstation.com/jimabel, Amazon and 
Hooray for a free press!
I have been lucky to get a lot of attention in the press and on television lately.
It is all very flattering and some of it is even quite a bit of fun.
Listen to me and other local artists do original songs, free!
There are actually some people out there willing to go on record saying they like Thunder ! True connoisseurs of the finer things in life. I love them all.
All songs, words and music, plus the entire website © 2013 and various dates by Jim Abel