Jim Savitt

New York City native Jim Savitt is a critically acclaimed guitarist & producer whose improvisation and compositions have been described as "fluid & melodic with a flare for phrasing".  Jim's debut CD entitled "Hear & Now" received high international acclaim and has been played around the globe.  This disc, featuring sax superstar & Special EFX member David Mann, established Jim’s artistic presence.

Stylistically, Savitt’s musical influences stem from both traditional and contemporary jazz, with a touch of acid/groove & world music sounds. He plays electric, acoustic & MIDI guitar synthesizer, applying his melodic styling equally to all of these instruments.  Jim is also a skilled producer, recording engineer and MIDI programmer.   

Jim has performed in numerous venues ranging from clubs and festivals to trade show events at large convention centers.  He was interviewed and performed live to an audience of  4.5 million nationwide listeners on the WOR Radio Network's Joey Reynolds Show.  In addition, he has performed internationally including Egypt, Postugal, Denmark,  the UK, the Jamaica Ocho Rios/Kingston Jazz Festival as well as at the Musik Messe and IFA Frankfurt & Berlin, Germany.  Jim was a headline performer at the WJZA 103.5 FM concert series in Columbus, OH, has been played on VH1 Radio, had a Top 5 Single on Music Choice nationwide and he was the Artist of the Week on WAVE 94.7FM.   "Hear & Now" was also voted as one of the "Best Releases of 2002" by Smooth Jazz Canada.  

Jim also wrote and produced the debut chill out CD by Manhattan Project called "Chillin' Nights" which has received airplay and a mention in R&R Magazine.  He also produced & performed on the critically acclaimed New Age CD Leaving Footprints.

In addition to these projects, Jim works very closely with the Afro-pop star Nkossi Konda who is also the CEO of Afrikool Music ProductionsHe recorded nylon, MIDI & electric guitar parts on Nkossi's  release Africapella and performs globally with his live band  This collaboration also resulted in a unique instrumental album entitled 21st Century Story Tellers which features Jim's melodic nylon string acoustic guitar set against Nkossi's world music productions.   Jim is also a partner in Afrikool.   Savitt and Konda have jointly organized and participated in various benefit concerts & events to fight global malnutrition and water crisis problems around the world.

Savitt worked with co-producers Nkossi Konda & Rick Garson  on World Voice, a powerful and poignant spoken word project that features celebrities and musicians reading passages from the writings of the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II.  World Voices contains an all-star roster including well know figures such as:  Britney Spears, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Kirk Franklin, Monica, Tim Mc Graw, 98 Degrees, Brooke Shields, Vince Gil, Deepac Chopra, Amy Brenneman, Joe Perry & Steve Tyler of Aerosmith, Edouard James Olmos, Matthew Modine, Danny Glover, N'Sync, Ice-T, Faith Hill... And many more.  Jim is  a co-writer on the soundtrack and plays guitar & MIDI guitar synthesizer on the project.

In 2007 Jim released "Second Light", the eagerly anticipated follow up to the critically acclaimed "Hear & Now" CD.  This new disc contains all new instrumental compositions and is completely recorded, mixed and produced by the artist.  The clean tones of Jim's electric guitar are featured throughout the set and guests include Ted Cruz on keys and Randy Villars & Lanny Ward on sax.  Over the past decade, he has been active performing and recording both in the New York area as well as gigs in Europe. 

With 20 years of experience in musical theory and performance, and an expertise in computer technology, Savitt constantly seeks out new venues to express his musicality.    His compositions were regularly featured by The Endless Advantage, a music service provider, have been licensed by the Play Network in the U.S. and by Mosaic Records in Australia.  He was commissioned to compose music for Any Channel, an interactive entertainment company developing a multi-player video game. Mixing sound effects and a pulse-pounding theme, Savitt's score has been incorporated into their alien infested combat-action game.

Jim’s first instrument was the trumpet, which he started playing when he was 10 years old, and he won the prestigious Louis Armstrong Jazz Award in high school.  He studied at the Berklee School of Music and has a bachelor of science degree from Stevens Institute of Technology, where for two years he was the musical director of their 17 piece jazz band.