GA based multi-instrumentalist J. Wilms is releasing his 3rd album as a singer/songwriter. ‘The Fighter was recorded, mixed, and mastered summer of 2023 by Kyle Spence at RJS in Athens, GA, produced by Wilms & Spence and will be released on 12” LP vinyl, as a digital download via Bandcamp and through streaming platforms from Cart/Horse Records on December 8th. After years as a much in-demand session musician in New York, Wilms stepped away from the grind of the city in 2020 during the beginning of the COVID lockdown and moved back to his hometown of Atlanta. There he returned his focus to stripped-down, honest playing & singing, writing songs that conveyed plainspoken but eloquent stories. J. was joined in Athens, GA’s RJS studios with by Nick Robbins bass & Bo Bedingfield drums, Guest musicians included Julia Haltigan on vocals on “Born to Die,” “I’ll Start Tomorrow,” & “Stopping on a Dime” and David “Smoota” Smith on trombone on “Props”. Jeremy “J” Wilms has had a long and varied career. He received his Bachelor of Music from Georgia State University and his Master of Music from CUNY Queens College, NYC. Jeremy’s jammed with Ornette Coleman at his loft and played Broadway revues at retirement communities in New Jersey (sometimes over the same weekend!) He was briefly in Chico Hamilton’s band playing guitar and played bass on Broadway in the musical Fela!. During the tour for Fela!, Wilms performed with Patti LaBelle and played with Fela Kuti’s son Femi at venues around the world including the Shrine in Lagos. He’s recorded with artists as diverse as Bebel Gilberto, Beyoncé, TV On The Radio, and many others. He has been a guitarist in the orchestra for MacArthur Fellowship winner Taylor Mac’s 24 Decade History Of Popular Music as well as the bassist on ABC Network’s The Gong Show. He was the arranger and musical director for The Heathens and other acts based at the fabled McKittrick Hotel in Manhattan, home of “Sleep No More” immersive show. Wilms arranged strings and brass for songs on Run the Jewels’ RTJ 4 and Tim Fojahn’s I Dreamed a Dream. Jeremy is still busy working as a sideman in both NYC and ATL, scoring for film and other media, and teaching. Wilms also releases instrumental music as Jeremy Wilms and is the leader of the metal/prog band NOMOTO.
I want to thank Jeremy for finding some time to chat. We went through the part of life that brought the songs of “The Fighter” to life. Seed to flower was only a part of that discussion. We get into the who and the path of a few wheres and the challenges of a time of biG change. The reflection I hear on these songs has my face staring back at me in the ponds on the walk. We find out how our friend Smoota becomes a part of J.’s life and he shares a little bit about several key moments in his career – and there are some interesting words shared, especially when talking about the time shared with Mr. Chico Hamilton. We get into a nice discussion about how he is able to play so well in all kinds of sandboxes of sound and how that led him to folks like Smoota, Kendra Morris and Rev. Vince as well as the amazing names mentioned above.
