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1,323 | Jimmy Madison on Jazz, GRAMMYs, and a Life Well Played
Jimmy Madison is an American jazz drummer whose extraordinary career spans more than six decades. A child prodigy from Cincinnati, he began performing professionally at just 12 years old—long before he could legally enter the clubs where he played.
Throughout his career, Jimmy has performed and recorded with some of the greatest names in jazz, funk, and popular music, including Quincy Jones, Lionel Hampton, James Brown, Chet Baker, Tony Bennett, Nina Simone, Stan Getz, and The Duke Ellington Orchestra. His work has also graced stages with renowned ensembles such as The Boston Symphony, The Royal Philharmonic, and The Los Angeles Philharmonic.
In 2019, Jimmy earned a GRAMMY Award for his collaboration with Joyce DiDonato. Proudly calling himself a “sideman,” he continues to be celebrated for his precision, creativity, and deep musical soul.
Beyond music, Jimmy is an avid adventurer, having spent years mountaineering in the Himalayas, Alps, Cascades, and Rocky Mountains. His memoir, Drummer Boy—My Life Playing for the Greats of Jazz and Funk (With a Little Mountaineering on the Side), chronicles both his musical journey and his love for life’s highest peaks.
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Drummer/Climber/Author
Jimmy Madison is an American jazz drummer with a career spanning over six decades. He recently released his book, “Drummer Boy—My Life Playing for the Great of Jazz and Funk (With a Little Mountaineering on the Side).
Born in Cincinnati, he was considered a child prodigy and started playing the drums professionally at age 12, long before he could legally drink in the venues where he performed.
J Jimmy played for a Who’s Who of modern musical icons including Quincy Jones, Lionel Hampton, James Brown, Chet Baker, Tony Bennett, Ray Baretto, George Benson, David Berger, Ron Carter, Al Cohn, Art Farmer, Joe Farrell, Stan Getz, Bobby Hackett, Richie Havens, Jon Hendricks, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Lee Konitz, Hubert Laws, John Lewis, Shirley MacLaine, Marion McPartland, Gerry Mulligan, Anita O’Day, Maceo Parker, Toots Thielemans, Nina Simone, and ensembles including The Boston Symphony, The Duke Ellington Orchestra, the French National Orchestra, The Royal Philharmonic, The Joffrey Ballet, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He won a GRAMMY in 2019 for his work with Joyce DiDonato. Madison says, “Sideman is a title I will always be proud to wear.”
In addition to being a world-class drummer, Jimmy got into rock-climbing and mountaineering in his 20s. Though climbing is behind him, he had many high altitude adventures in the Himalayas, Alps, Cascades, and Rocky Mountains.
