ALBUM NOTES

Jimmi Mayes played & toured with blues legends like Little Walter, Jimmy Reed, Pinetop Perkins, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, and Robert Junior Lockwood. He backed Marvin Gaye and became the bandleader for Joey Dee & the Starliters during the time Joey Dee had the monster hit the “Peppermint Twist”.  Jimmi performed with Martha Reeves and The Vandellas.  He became good friends with Jimi Hendrix and eventually he was asked to record with Jimmi Hendrix.  He is on four of Hendrix’s albums.  Jimmi Mayes has lived and is living a story that had to be told. The Amazing Jimmi Mayes “Sideman to The Stars” was published by University Press of Mississippi in 2014. The book goes into detail about Jimmi Mayes unforgettable life story.  He has also released an extensive catalogue of   music. His recent releases are Still Carrying the Flame released in 2015 by the Original Legends of the Blues featuring Jimmi on three of the tracts. In 2012 All My Best by Jimmi Mayes was released on Wolf Records and in 2004 Messin’ with the Kid was released on Depo Records, Chicago.

Jimmi Mayes is from Jackson, MS.  He was performing with the top professionals before he was twenty-one years old. Jimmi was inducted into the Chicago Blues Hall of Fame in 2016.  The Shuffle is his trademark style on the drums. As you listen to My Whole Life’s A Shuffle you will be reminded with each song of some aspect of Jimmi Mayes life as he has performed   nationally and internationally.  

Recording this album in the B.B. King Recording studio at MVSU was somewhat special for everyone involved in the project and recording the songs was fun! In the studio each song stimulated lots of storytelling about life on the road.  It was hard for the musicians to quit talking and get back to recording after each break. The songs are timely, fun, thought provoking and danceable. Ron and I with Mississippi Delta Records thank Jimmi Mayes and everyone who has been part of this project. We look forward to many more songs and performances from Jimmi Mayes. As one of the songs says there “Ain’t No Quitting in The Mix”.  There Ain’t No Quitting for Jimmi Mayes.  Carol Marble, Mississippi Delta Blues, Inc.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I want to dedicate this album to my mother Carrie Mayes

I want to thank my managers Carol and Ron Marble for having confidence in me and in my vision for this project.  I told Carol that I did not want to be the “laid back” Jimmi, that I wanted to attack on the vocals in doing this album. They helped me to attack!  I want to thank Kern Pratt for working on this with me from the beginning.  First on his acoustic guitar as we worked on the arrangements; and then     continuing all the way through the studio work. I thank Dr. Alphonso Sanders for his    patience and his insight about the songs and his work on the songs as a musician. Jimmi Lee, Jr. is a “young genius” both as an engineer and a musician. Thanks Mickey Rogers my brother and a dream of a guitar player. I had to have some “Mickey Rogers Guitar” on the album. James Evans “Socialize” is your song.   And thank God for giving me the strength to Shuffle on all the songs. Jimmi Mayes