Jimmy Moliere - biography

Jimmy Moliere was born and raised in Plaquemines Parish, nearby the Gulf of Mexico. The family counted eight children. The main things that Jimmy knew about in his childhood were alligators, fish, oysters, snakes, oil and a lot of fauna and flora. He even didn't know how a music instrument looked like, until the high school band drew his attention. During school holidays, Jimmy stayed with his daddy in New Orleans (his parents were separated). There he learned how to play pool and - more important - how to win some money with it, so he could buy his first instrument, a trumpet. Later on he changed to guitar and soaked up all the live music that he could hear in the crescent city.
 

Jimmy is a self-taught guitar player. Nobody ever showed him how to play his instrument. It was even worse. "Guitar players would turn their back on you when they noticed that you were looking", Jimmy recalls. So he learned himself how to play, just by remembering the patterns, finger settings and positions he could secretly capture from others.
 

When Jimmy was 19, an American friend who served in the air force asked him to play in his band and took him to Japan. During 4 months, Jimmy honed his guitar skills in Japan, The Fillipines and Hong Kong. When he came back he started playing in bands around New Orleans and in about two years he backed up King Floyd (from the monster soul hit 'Groove Me') in a band that also contained his cousin, Herman Ernest, who later became Doctor John's drummer. They played local but also traveled throughout Alabama and Mississippi.
 

Jimmy discovered the traditional blues but also the jazz from Wes Montgomery. Wes would become Jimmy's main influence and Jimmy started to learn all those warm but sophisticated jazz chords. He started to earn recognition, not only from the audience but also from famous musicians. Jimmy Moliere became a renowned session and studio player. He worked on stage and in the studio with Professor Longhair, The Dirty Dozen, Ernie K-Doe, Johnny Adams and many others. He had a band, called The Brotherhood. And sometimes, Antoine Jr., Fats Domino's oldest son, joined them on jam sessions. He played his fathers' songs, so that's the way Jimmy learned all the Fats stuff. In 1980, Fats' guitar player died just before an important gig in Dallas, so Antoine Jr. called Jimmy because he was the only guitar player that could play those songs without rehearsing. From that very first time, Jimmy became the lead guitar player in the Fats Domino Band. For over 25 years, he traveled the whole wide world and played in every important concert hall throughout the planet. Jimmy Moliere is indeed best known as Fats Domino's guitar player, but…
 

On that black 29th august of 2005, hurricane Katrina destroyed Jimmy's house nearby New Orleans. Jimmy, his Belgian wife Sabine and their daughter Aline relocated to Belgium. After finishing the construction of their new home, Jimmy found the time again to study and play his favorite music. He returned to his only true musical love: the traditional, authentic guitar style of Wes Montgomery. Wes left this planet in 1968 but somebody had to keep this legacy goin' on. Somebody had to keep this spirit alive. With the enthusiasm of a youngster, Jimmy started his own jazz quartet. Backed up by dyed-in-the-wool musicians (bass, piano and drums), Jimmy plays a versatile mix of own compositions and alternative versions of classics. From his life long experience as a professional guitar player, he perfectly knows what the people want to hear. Above his unique guitar skills, with those powerful chords as a trademark, he got the rare ability to stick his tunes in people's minds…
 

Jimmy just released his cd 'Thank You' which contains amazing recordings with a full symphonic orchestra but also his actual jazz quartet. He continues to play and perform and is available for clubs, events and festivals world wide.