Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

You might not know who Jimmy McIntosh is … but Ronnie Wood does

Jimmy McIntosh CD cover

Courtesy

The cover of Jimmy McIntosh’s latest CD, “Jimmy McIntosh and …”

Jimmy McIntosh is one of the city’s deceptive musicians. He is soft-spoken, unassuming, not prone to theatrics … yet can make a venue take flight with his artistry on the Fender six-string.

The bespectacled McIntosh, who appears a bit like a new-age Buddy Holly, is currently the first guitarist in “Jersey Boys” at Paris Las Vegas. He also performed in “Mamma Mia!” during its run at Mandalay Bay.

Even more pertinent, at least among Las Vegas musicians, is that McIntosh also is a charter member of The Lon Bronson All-Star Band and the star of one of Bronson’s favorite stories:

Two decades ago, McIntosh tracked one of his heroes, Mick Jagger, before a Rolling Stones show in 1994 at MGM Grand. He finally came face-to-face with The Rolling Stones frontman at the hotel and asked only for a hug (there are differing details between McIntosh and Bronson about how this all happened, but that is the gist of the story).

Apart from his roles with Bronson and “Jersey Boys,” McIntosh has just released a CD, and it is a dandy titled “Jimmy McIntosh and …” A release party is set for 9 p.m. Thursday at Bronson’s usual appearance at Sunset Station’s Club Madrid, and there is no cover. How does this place stay open with no cover?

Those ellipses in McIntosh’s CD title would be followed by Ronnie Wood of the Stones, among others. Wood, who only rarely performs on other artists’ albums, plays on three songs on McIntosh’s latest CD.

“It is a real honor to know Ronnie and amazing that he is playing on this CD,” McIntosh says. “I wouldn’t say it’s like we’re equals, but we are playing together, and it’s a thrill.”

Wood and McIntosh have known each other for years, dating to 1999, when Wood played on McIntosh’s first release, “New Orleans to London,” as Wood became interested in that project through keyboardist Art Neville of The Neville Brothers. McIntosh’s fellow guitar heroes John Scofield and Mike Stern also play on “Jimmy McIntosh and …,” which is best described as a platter of funk, rock, jazz and blues numbers.

One of the songs is a cover of Duke Ellington’s “Sophisticated Lady,” as Ellington was a close friend of McIntosh’s family when he was growing up in Michigan. Ellington encouraged McIntosh, who played French horn as a kid, to expand musically and once told his mother that original compositions would one day be pouring from the young artist.

Ellington one penned for McIntosh’s mom, called “Lavona,” and McIntosh has recorded an update, “Lavona’s Boogie,” on the new release.

“Jimmy McIntosh and …” has been getting strong reviews, and Bronson’s one-word critique is “sick.”

In the domain of The All-Star Band, there is no higher praise, and the guy who usually stands to the side and shreds deserves to be in the spotlight for a change.

Follow John Katsilometes on Twitter at Twitter.com/JohnnyKats. Also, follow “Kats With the Dish” at Twitter.com/KatsWiththeDish.

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