Dreams and Dues ... And Fallin' in Love Again

The gray in his hair and mustache belie the impish quality that is the hallmark of one of the hardest working musicians on the island.

If you have ever heard live music on Maui, chances are you've heard Jimmy C.

You may not have noticed him, though, Jimmy Coulter, also known as Jimmy Christopher, was the guy in the back, working the drums for groups playing rock, country, jazz, pop standards.

In the words of one of his early idols (The Beatles), "It's been a long and winding road" from Philidelphia to Peahi for Jimmy C.

The realization of a dream - a CD featuring himself on vocals - charts at lot of the road.

The CD is called "Fallin' In Love Again." The art work was designed by the inspiration to finally do the dream Liz Ashley.

It's an eclectic work. In a time when marketing plays an ever-large role in what artists create Jimmy C enjoys the fact the music "isn't in one groove." It is, in fact, all over the musical landscape, "a marketing nightmare." It is the type of CD you can pop in the player and let it run, supplying solid sound and moving rhythm for just about anything you want to do - a little like having your own personal radio show.

Which is appropriate.

Jimmy C began life in Philadelphia, parked in a playpen in front of the television. Five older siblings created musical backgrounds with their phonographs and transistor radios.

Tap dancing lessons gave way to a solitary bongo drum ("My mom bought it for me, probably to save her pots and pans,") and eventually to a drum kit from Mexico. Sitting in his place in Peahi, a baseball throw from Five Corners, Jimmy smiled at the memory of making weekly visits to the Wurlitzer Music Store to make payments. At home, he'd plop records on the family stereo, crank up the volume and play along. "I blew out two or three stereos," he remembers with a grin.

High school was a time of classes in between playing parties while he dreamed two dreams - one was being on the radio (it was 1960s and in those days, disc jockeys were bonafide personalities, stars in their own right) and the other was singing in front of a big band.

Jimmy became the drummer for a band that achieved a certain amount of regional fame as it traveled from gig to gig in a 1953 Buick ambulance emblazoned with the band's name, "The Effects," with the lettering done in the same style used by The Beatles.

The four piece Effects scored an agent, a manager, a roadie. They even made an 8-mm movie predating today's music videos. They played fraternity parties, New Jersey bars, and bigger venues.

The Vietnam War broke up the band when two of the members of The Effects went from mod suits to uniforms. Jimmy C went to school to become a disc jockey and hung out as much as could at area radio stations.

The beat went on. "We didn't notice anything as long as people were dancing."

There were a succession of bands. He drifted into jazz fusion. Went to California. Back to Philadelphia. Got a chance to come to Hawaii in 1977 to play the Neal Blaisdell Center arena (also known as The Clam) with Elvin Bishop. Planned to stay only three days. Got sidetracked to Maui with the band and took up residence in a house in Omaopio.

Played some gigs at the Kula Lodge, Blue Mix, Whale's Tail. All the time, Maui was working its magic on the drummer who had been entranced by the Beach Boys.

There came a day when Jimmy decided to check his mail. That involved going to Paia where he had a post offic box. He walked all the way from Omaopio to Paia and back It was during the long walk "that I decided I was going to stay."

To pay the rent, he worked as a security guard, a maintenance guy. He picked carnations and found himself doing landscaping at Seabury Hall. The daytime job let him realize one of his dreams - working as a disc jockey at a couple of radio stations. Since he overlapped the jobs, one of his bosses suggested using two different names (hence, Coulter and Christopher).

A teacher at Seabury, Joe Broccoli, got Jimmy back on the bandstand. That was in 1982 or 1983. "The next thing I knew, I was into the wedding, bar, polo match, bar, Seabury parties, bar, benefits, hotel, bar thing. I've played every community center there is."

He played behind Keola Beamer, Steve Sargenti. Joel Katz, Steve Grimes, Phil Rivera and others. It was all music to Jimmy as he sequed into the Jimmy Mac conglomerate of Kool Kats, Blazing Saddles, Mac's Maniacs.

Some 15 to 20 nights a month, Jimmy drives his car with the license plate saying "DRUMS" to this hotel or that hall. He's deep into a part of the entertainment business few Maui residents ever experience - convention gigs.

"It's great work," he says. "It's a fun thing

But ...

There was that dream of singing in front of the band.

Almost a year ago to the day, "I decided to do a CD ... the planets fell into place ... Joel (Katz) opened his studio."

The dream was possible. His friends were ready to help out. Steve Sargenti contributed nine of the 13 tunes. Sidemen on the CD include some of Maui 5 best - Rob Loney, Franklin Russell, Joel Katz, Rudy Baria, Andy Nielson, Scott Sato, Pat Dieter, Bentley Kalaway, Kathy Sargenti, Jim Elliott, Lisa Owen.

The CD arrived early this month. The music ranges from - a homage to Bobby Darien (an early hero) with "Mack The Knife" to tunes done in country, quasi-Cajun, jazz and rock styles.

Jimmy C in in front of the band, singing his heart out. You see it has to do with a dream, lots of dues-paying, and a love of music that transcends style.

You can sample the sound by checking in with Jimmy's web site. Or better yet pick up a copy of Fallin' In Love Again" by Jimmy C.

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