BioMinneapolis based singer-songwriter Jim Pellinger has performed at colleges, clubs, and festivals from the upper midwest of the United States to Central America. He has played solo and with bands, in large outdoor venues and tiny coffeehouses, to big crowds and small gatherings. He’s stood on stages and tabletops, under the lights and in dimly lit corners, in large cities, small towns, a couple of state fairs, and one beauty pageant. He’s played four hour shows single-handedly, and traded half-hour sets at a weekly house gig at a bar in Guatemala City with “some guy named Luis, who sang songs like ‘My Way’ in Spanish. The pay was 15 quetzales and all the Gallo beer I could drink,” according to Jim.
Along the way Jim has written songs for and appeared on Madison Square Garden TV’s “Yankee Ticket” pregame show, and Fox Sports Net’s Minnesota Twins pregame show. Jim’s music caught the attention of the Twins, and Jim’s song Circle Me Bert was featured by the Twins in a 10,000 CD giveaway to fans attending a game. He has also written the music for a fishing show, and children’s music for an up-coming educational video.
Jim’s latest realease is entitled Into The Blue. It’s rock/pop sprinkled with a bit of folk/country/jazz and garnished with a pinch of reggae on the side and served with a smile on the seriously humorous side of town. With song topics ranging from politics and religion (“god”) to life as a dog (“Roxygrrl”), Into The Blue covers a lot of ground. Life, death, love, politics and religion--it's all in there.
A true independent musician, Jim released Into The Blue on his own label, Door To Door Music, as he did with his previous releases, All Dressed Up And All Stressed Out (1996), Knives & Bleeding (1999). and Hello Hello (2002). Each release features songwriting that bears the mark of a variety of influences such as Lennon & McCartney, Bob Marley, Elvis Costello, Squeeze, even Hank Williams. A fan on Jim’s CDBaby page summed it up this way:
“Jim plays because he loves music. He plays with the same passion whether he is playing for thousands or a few fans. It is clear in every track that Jim is playing for his love of music and not just for all the hoopla. It is for this reason that this CD is a must have.”
