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Judi Neal, Jimso, Larry Gag, Dennis Patnode, and Jim Taylor are a delightful new group on the New England acoustic music scene; blending  a rainbow of upbeat folk, country, 60’s rock, 40’s jazz, reggae, and originals.  Their music is playful, energizing, and inspiring.  Known for their beautiful vocal harmonies, they also get your feet to tapping with their groovin’ guitar rhythms.  And now and then they’ve been known to call the angels in with some of their more ethereal songs.

The band has played at coffeehouses, bars, and benefits in Connecticut and Massachusetts, and the band members hail from all over Connecticut.   Judi and Jimso perform as a duo, and the band can also perform as a trio, with four members, or with all five members, depending on the venue and event.

Judi Neal:  Vocals, rhythm guitar, bass, percussion, songwriter
Jimso:  Vocals, rhythm guitar, percussion, songwriter
Larry Gag, Vocals, lead guitar, resonator guitar, flute, songwriter
Dennis Patnode, Vocals, bass, rhythm guitar
Jim Taylor, Vocals, percussion, guitar, songwriter

Judi Neal – Bio

Judi has been playing music ever since her mother handed her a ukelele at the age of 8.  Growing up in Hawaii was fertile ground for musical creativity since it was common for everyone to sing and play an instrument.  She picked up guitar at 14, just when folk music was coming into its prime, and was heavily influenced by such artists as Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Bob Dylan, The Kingston Trio, Peter Paul and Mary, and Joni Mitchell.

While in college, Judi performed music as a way of helping to pay tuition bills and living costs.  Later she formed an all-woman country band called Coyote that played clubs and fairs around Connecticut.  More recently she has been playing solo on the singer-songwriter circuit. She is founder of the Branford Folk Music Society, and has opened many times for Bill Staines, who is also on her first CD.  One of her bands opened for Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks.
           
She wrote her first song at the age of 15 and has been crafting songs ever since.  Most of her songs are love songs, although some songs are more inspirational in nature.  Her first CD is titled “The Journey” and features special guest artists Bill Staines and Stacy Phillips.  She has also produced a guided meditation tape on spirituality in the workplace with original ambient music.  Her current band, the J.J. Diamond Band, plays frequently in Connecticut, New York, and Massachusetts.  She is currently working on her second CD of original material. Judi is passionate about music and the power it has to touch and heal people.  She says, “Music is a shortcut to the Soul.”

Jimso

“Jimso” is the nickname used by his German-American grandfather.  Four decades later he learned it means “Uncle Jim” in Chinese. His parents filled his childhood with music of classical, World War II and Broadway composers.

His training began in church choirs, around 4-H campfires, school wind ensembles and two years of piano lessons.  To satisfy the need for portable accompaniment, he began playing guitar as a high school sophomore.  A dozen years working as a sound, lighting and stage technician provided an understanding of performance production.

Jimso’s repertoire includes traditional jazz and swing written between the two World Wars, folk, blues, pop/rock and country from the 1960’s onward, and reggae from the 1970’s.  He continues to grow musically with thoughtful contemporary songs by Norah Jones and Bjork.  After three decades of observation, he has currently returned to songwriting, and so includes some of his own original material in his performances. Jimso seeks to share with his audience his perception of musical expression being the breath of life.  He says, “As we keep songs alive by singing, they do the same for us.”

Larry Gag

Larry has been in love with the electric guitar since he was thirteen years old.
His first instrument was a Japanese copy of a strat, which he traded in towards the real thing in 1967.  This is still his favorite guitar to perform with today.

He began learning to play with his junior high and high school garage bands.   He was lucky enough to enjoy many evenings at the Fillmore East studying Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page and Alvin Lee.   “Back in high school, Billy Graham of the Fillmore, did a great job education us white boys about the true blues players who inspired these English blues-based power bands.  Albert King, BB, a very young Buddy Guy, or Bobby Bland would frequently open for Hendrix, Zeppelin or Cream.”

In the sixties, Larry also feel in love with the tightly organized Paul Butterfield, BB King, and John Mayall blues bands.  As a freshman at the University of Connecticut in 1969 he organized a blues, rock, horn band.   A local boy (our current Jimso) was the lead singer of this band.   Larry, again, had the privilege of backing up Jimso’s beautiful voice a few years later in the countryrock/blues/reggae band called Mountain Fever.  Larry has played lead guitar in a variety of other bands over the years in various professional as well as fund raising formats.   

In 2004, Larry had the opportunity to sit in at a gig of a long lost friend.   Jimso and Judi Neal were performing as a duo called Acoustic Rainbow at that time.   “I was blown away by their vocal abilities, harmonies, and original and cover material.” Things just clicked, and Larry was invited on board.  He quickly encouraged the acoustic duo to add a bass player and drummer.  In addition to his lead guitar work, Judi and Jimso have encouraged him to rediscover and develop his vocal and song writing abilities.  He also backs them up on flute and acoustic slide. 

Taj, Carlos, Keb Mo’, Ray Charles and Buddy Guy remain today as some of his most loved inspirations. Larry describes his motivation for performing as “the search for that elusive groove: those times when each band member and the entire audience are all high on the music in that same wonderful place.”

Jim Taylor

Jim Taylor was introduced to the drums by an uncle; the late Leo Dion, who played for the Silver Rhythm Band, circa 1940. Jim brought some of Leo’s sounds with him when he joined J.J. Diamond in August 2006. However, he switches from drums to the guitar of several of the band’s songs. On guitar, Jim and bass and conga player Will Laramie frequent Hartford area folk venues.  Jim writes original songs with a political bent. He attended the Hartford Conservatory and studied percussion and composition.  Jim says, “Music is not something restricted to celebrities, stars, and famous musicians but is a source of enjoyment to regular everyday people.  If you love to play music, never let the dream die.”

Dennis Patnode

Dennis has been playing bass since high school, and has been in numerous New England bands including the Terraplanes, T-Tones, and most recently the Matthew Hudenbenko Project (MHP).  MHP was recognized as the best new rock band in Connecticut in 2005, and in 2006 played major rock clubs such as the Webster and Toad’s Place.  In June 2005 they opened for Foreigner, and have opened for a number of other popular rock bands.

He joined the J.J. Diamond Band in September 2006.  Dennis loves blues and rock music, but also has a great sensibility about backing up slower ballads and folk-style songs.  He occasionally adds vocal harmonies. 

The J.J. Diamond Band was originally "Acoustic Rainbow,"  a duo with Judi Neal and Jimso Beck.