Jim Keltner

James Lee Keltner (born April 27, 1942) is an American drummer and percussionist known primarily for his session work. He was characterized by Bob Dylan biographer Howard Sounes as "the leading session drummer in America".[1]

Jim Keltner
Keltner performing at The Concert for Bangladesh in 1971
Keltner performing at The Concert for Bangladesh in 1971
Background information
Birth nameJames Lee Keltner
Born (1942-04-27) April 27, 1942
Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S.
GenresRock, R&B, jazz
Occupation(s)Musician
Instrument(s)
  • Drums
  • percussion
Years active1965–present
Formerly of

Career

Keltner was inspired to start playing because of an interest in jazz, but the popularity of jazz was declining during the late 1950s and early 1960s, and it was the explosion of pop/rock in the mid-1960s that enabled him to break into recording work in Los Angeles. His first gig as a session musician was recording "She's Just My Style" for the pop group Gary Lewis and the Playboys.[2][3]

Keltner's music career was hardly paying a living, and for several years at the outset he was supported by his wife. Toward the end of the 1960s, he finally began getting regular session work and eventually became one of the busiest drummers in Los Angeles. His earliest credited performances on record were with Gabor Szabo on the 1968 album Bacchanal.[2]

In 1968, Keltner was also working in a music shop in Pasadena just down the street from the old Ice House coffeehouse when he was recruited to play drums in a "psychedelic" vocal group named "MC Squared" along with Michael Crowley, Michael Clough, Linda Carey—all from the folk group The Back Porch Majority)—and session guitarist/bassist Randy Cierley Sterling.[4] They were signed by Mo Ostin and recorded an album for Warner/Reprise originally titled "MC Squared" which has later been re-mastered and re-released in 2012 with the album title "Tantalizing Colors."[5] They appeared live that same year on the Hugh Hefner / Playboy Magazine television show Playboy After Dark playing two songs: an original by MC Squared members Michael Clough and Michael Crowley titled "I Know You" and a version of the Fred Neil song Everybody's Talkin'. Both Playboy After Dark performances with Keltner playing drums can currently be viewed on YouTube.

It was his work with Leon Russell playing on Delaney & Bonnie's Accept No Substitute that attracted the attention of Joe Cocker, who recruited Russell and everyone else he could out of the Delaney & Bonnie band for his Mad Dogs & Englishmen tour. Playing with Joe Cocker led to work in 1970 and 1971, on records by Carly Simon (No Secrets), Barbra Streisand (Barbra Joan Streisand), Booker T. Jones (Booker T. & Priscilla), George Harrison (The Concert for Bangladesh) and John Lennon (Imagine).[2]

Former Beatles

Keltner is well known for his session work on solo recordings by three members of the Beatles, working with George Harrison, John Lennon (including Lennon solo albums, as well as albums released both by the Plastic Ono Band and Yoko Ono), and Ringo Starr.[3]

Keltner played on many key former Beatle solo releases, including Harrison's 1973 album Living in the Material World and Lennon's 1974 album Walls and Bridges. When Ringo Starr recorded his first full-fledged pop album, Ringo, Keltner was featured on several tracks. Following this, Keltner joined George Harrison on his 1974 tour of the United States.[2]

In 1974, Keltner played on the Lennon-produced Harry Nilsson album Pussy Cats alongside Ringo (and Keith Moon) on "Rock Around the Clock". Keltner was featured on the Nilsson albums Son of Schmilsson with Harrison, Starr and Beatles associate Klaus Voormann as well as Duit on Mon Dei with Starr and Voormann.

Keltner's relationship with the former Beatles was such that, in 1973, his name was used to mock Paul McCartney on albums released by Harrison and Starr. Early that year, McCartney, the only Beatle not to have worked with Keltner, included a note on the back cover of his Red Rose Speedway album, encouraging fans to join the "Wings Fun Club" by sending a "stamped addressed envelope" to an address in London. Later that year, both Harrison's Living in the Material World and Starr's Ringo contained a similar note encouraging fans to join the "Jim Keltner Fan Club" by sending a "stamped undressed elephant" to an address in Hollywood.[6][7]

Keltner played the role of the judge in the music video for George Harrison's 1976 Top 30 hit, "This Song".

In 1989, Keltner toured with Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band.[8]

Equipment

Keltner is an endorser of DW drums, hardware and pedals, Ahead drumsticks/gloves/griptape, Paiste Cymbals, Remo drumheads and world percussion and Roland electronics.

Little Village

In 1987, Keltner, along with guitarist Ry Cooder and bassist Nick Lowe, played on John Hiatt's Bring the Family. Four years later the four musicians reunited as the band Little Village, recording an eponymous album.[3]

Traveling Wilburys

Keltner played drums on both albums released by the 1980s supergroup the Traveling Wilburys, playing under the pseudonym "Buster Sidebury".[3]

Ry Cooder

Keltner became Ry Cooder's go-to drummer, recording with him on many of his albums for over 40 years, including the following, as well as playing with him in Little Village.

List of artists

Keltner, as a freelance drummer, has worked with a long list of artists.

1970s

Jim Keltner recorded two albums with his band Attitudes for George Harrison's Dark Horse label. The band also included Danny Kortchmar, David Foster and Paul Stallworth, and recorded Attitudes in 1975 and Good News in 1977.

He is featured on Carly Simon's 1971 album, Anticipation.

He played on various tracks on Randy Newman's albums Sail Away and Little Criminals, including "You Can Leave Your Hat On", "Short People", and "Jolly Coppers On Parade".

He also played drums on the Bee Gees 1973 album Life in a Tin Can.

He played on 5 songs on Jackson Browne’s “For Everyman” album recorded in 1973 including the song “These Days.”

In 1973, he was the session drummer on Bob Dylan's Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid, which includes the hit "Knockin' on Heaven's Door". He described that session as "a monumental session for me because it was such a touching song, it was the first time I actually cried when I was playing".[3][9]

In 1974, he played on most tracks on the Jack Bruce album Out of the Storm.

Other demonstrations of his style and range can be found in "Jealous Guy" on John Lennon's Imagine, the hit single "Dream Weaver" by Gary Wright, and "Watching the River Flow" by Bob Dylan.[3]

Keltner is the drummer on the Steely Dan tune "Josie" (released in 1977). In the DVD "Steely Dan - Classic Albums: Aja", Donald Fagen states that in the bridge of the tune, Keltner overdubbed a 16th note based pattern played on a metal trash can lid.

Keltner is credited as the drummer on the 1979 album by Roy Clark and Gatemouth Brown, Makin' Music.[10]

Keltner appears on Marc Jordan's 1979 album "Blue Desert" on tracks "Twilight" and "Lost in The Hurrah".

1980s

Keltner specialized in R&B, and developed a deceptively simple drumming style that melds a casual, loose feel with extraordinary precision.[3] He is said to have influenced Jeff Porcaro and Danny Seraphine of Chicago.

Keltner played on the Saved and Shot of Love albums by Bob Dylan.

Keltner performed on many classic recordings by J. J. Cale and often worked with bassist Tim Drummond.[3]

He played on most of the tracks on Roy Orbison's swansong Mystery Girl.

He played on four Richard Thompson albums: Daring Adventures (1986), Amnesia (1988), Rumor and Sigh (1991) and you? me? us? (1996).

Keltner played drums on the song "Now We're Getting Somewhere" from the hit album Crowded House (1986).

Also, he was a session drummer for the reunited Pink Floyd on the album A Momentary Lapse of Reason.

1990s

In the mid-1990s, Keltner joined the London Metropolitan Orchestra on its recording of "An American Symphony" on the movie soundtrack for Mr Holland's Opus.

In 1992, he played (together with Booker T. & the M.G.'s) at Bob Dylan's The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration.

In 1993, he toured with Neil Young and Booker T. & the M.G.'s.

He played on Brian Wilson's 1995 album, I Just Wasn't Made for These Times.[11]

He guested on Sheryl Crow's 1996 self-titled album, on the track "The Book".

He played on Gillian Welch's album Revival, on the track "The Only One and Only".

Keltner played on the 1997 Bill Frisell album Gone, Just Like a Train with Viktor Krauss and toured as a member of the trio in support of the album. He also played on the 1999 Frisell album Good Dog, Happy Man and is pictured in the CD leaflet and back cover (Nonesuch 79536-2).

2000s

In 2000, Keltner toured with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young on their "Tour of America".

In 2000 he was the drummer on Neil Young's album Silver & Gold.

In 2000, Keltner collaborated with Charlie Watts, drummer of the Rolling Stones, on an instrumental album entitled The Charlie Watts–Jim Keltner Project. [12] Watts played drums for each track, while Keltner contributed sequenced sounds and percussion. Tracks were named after famous drummers.

In 2002, he briefly joined Bob Dylan's band during the European gigs while its main drummer, George Receli, recuperated from a hand injury. Later in the year, Keltner played in Concert For George, a tribute to George Harrison a year following his death. Wearing a sweatshirt with a Bob Dylan logo, he reprised his role as the Wilburys' drummer, joining Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne for "Handle with Care." During that project and performance, he worked with Paul McCartney along with other percussionists, including Ringo Starr.

In 2003, he toured with Simon & Garfunkel in their Old Friends tour.

In 2004, he was one of the "Hot Licks" on Dan Hicks' Selected Shorts CD.[13]

In 2006, he toured with T-Bone Burnett in The True False Identity tour and was featured on Jerry Lee Lewis's album Last Man Standing. He played on Mavis Staples's album We'll Never Turn Back, produced by Ry Cooder.

He also lent his drumming skills to the tracks on Richard Shapero's full-length album entitled Wild Animus: The Ram, recorded the same year.

In 2007, he appeared with Lucinda Williams on West. The album was listed No. 18 on Rolling Stone's list of the Top 50 Albums of 2007. He also played on Phish keyboardist's self titled debut album Page McConnell, released in 2007.

In 2008, Keltner appeared on Break up the Concrete by The Pretenders, on One Kind Favor by B. B. King and on Oasis's "The Boy with the Blues", a non-album-track from Dig Out Your Soul.

Also in 2008, Keltner participated in the production of the album Psalngs,[14] the debut release of Canadian musician John Lefebvre.

In 2009, Keltner played drums on singer/songwriter Todd Snider's Don Was-produced album, The Excitement Plan.

2010s

In 2010, Keltner produced Jerry Lee Lewis's Mean Old Man duets CD. He played drums on Fistful of Mercy's debut album, As I Call You Down, which one of the band's members, Dhani Harrison, described in an interview as the first project of his that he felt worthy to bring to Keltner, who was an old family friend (Dhani is the son of George Harrison). Keltner also played on The Union by Leon Russell and Elton John, produced by T-Bone Burnett and released on October 10, 2010. He also appeared on the eponymous Eric Clapton album, on 8 of the 14 tracks.

Joseph Arthur's 2011 album, The Graduation Ceremony, features Keltner on drums, reprising a partnership that began with the Fistful of Mercy project.

He has recorded twice with the indie band She & Him, on 2011's A Very She & Him Christmas and 2014's Classics.

He played drums on Michael Buble’s 2011 “Christmas” album. The tracks are “All I Want for Christmas is You,” and “Blue Christmas.”

For the 2012 release, Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan Honoring 50 Years of Amnesty International, Keltner sat in a studio with Outernational covering Dylan's "When the Ship Comes In".

In 2012, he also played drums on John Mayer's "Something Like Olivia", the fifth track of the album Born and Raised.[15]

That same year, he recorded with Italian instrumental band Sacri Cuori on their second record, Rosario.

In 2013, Keltner appears on the track "If I Were Me" from Sound City: Real to Reel with Dave Grohl, Jessy Greene and Rami Jaffee. Also, on "Our Love Is Here To Stay", a classic Gershwin jazz standard recorded by Eric Clapton for his album, Old Sock.

In 2014, Keltner played on Peter Himmelman's album The Boat That Carries Us.

In 2016, Keltner recorded drums for Neil Young's thirty-seventh studio album, Peace Trail. In 2016, Keltner also appeared on the Rolling Stones' CD "Blue & Lonesome", playing percussion on "Hoo Doo Blues."

In 2017, Keltner played drums and percussion as well as co-producing Conor Oberst's Salutations album. Oberst described Keltner's production as "flawless".[16]

In 2018, he played drums and percussion on Boz Scaggs' 19th album, Out of the Blues, and Eric Clapton's Happy Xmas.

In 2019, Keltner played drums along with bassist Mike Watt for guitarist Mike Baggetta's Wall of Flowers album released in March.[17] Keltner played drums on the original soundtrack for the movie "The Irishman". The music was written by Robbie Robertson.

Keltner plays drums on the song "Kanashiki LA Tengoku" (悲しきLA天国) included on Mike Viola's 2020 album The Best of Mike Viola.[18] Manga artist Naoki Urasawa, who wrote the original song,[18] also performs on it and drew a short manga of the experience for his "Musica Nostra" series that features Keltner.

Collaborations

With Ryan Adams

  • Gold (Lost Highway Records, 2001)

With Karen Alexander

  • Voyager (Elektra Records, 1978)

With Peter Allen

With Fiona Apple

With Jann Arden

With Joseph Arthur

With Murray Attaway

With Hoyt Axton

  • Life Machine (A&M Records, 1974)
  • Fearless (A&M Records, 1976)
  • Free Sailin' (MCA Records, 1978)

With Sara Bareilles

With Carole Bayer Sager

With Jessie Baylin

  • Little Spark (Blonde Rat, 2012)

With The Beach Boys

With Bee Gees

With Bob Bennett

With Marc Benno

  • Minnows (A&M Records, 1971)
  • Ambush (A&M Records, 1972)
  • Lost in Austin (A&M Records, 1979)

With Matraca Berg

  • The Speed of Grace (MCA Records, 1994)

With Frank Black

With Hanne Boel

  • Dark Passion (Medley Records, 1990)

With Debby Boone

With Delaney Bramlett

  • Sounds From Home (Zane, 1998)

With Michelle Branch

With Phoebe Bridgers

With Jackson Browne

With Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown

  • Makin' Music (MCA Records, 1978)
  • Long Way Home (Verve Records, 1995)

With Carla Bruni

With Peabo Bryson and Roberta Flack

With Michael Bublé

With Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks

With J. J. Cale

With Irene Cara

With Kim Carnes

With Keith Carradine

  • Lost & Found (Asylum Records, 1979)

With Carlene Carter

With Beth Nielsen Chapman

With Cher

  • Stars (Warner Bros. Records, 1975)

With Toni Childs

With Eric Clapton

With Jimmy Cliff

  • Follow My Mind (Reprise Records, 1975)
  • Give Thankx (Warner Bros. Records, 1978)

With Bruce Cockburn

With Joe Cocker

With Adam Cohen

  • Adam Cohen (Columbia Records, 1998)

With Leonard Cohen

With Marc Cohn

With Jude Cole

With Judy Collins

With Shawn Colvin

With Ry Cooder

With Priscilla Coolidge and Booker T. Jones

  • Booker T. & Priscilla (A&M Records, 1971)
  • Chronicles (A&M Records, 1973)

With Rita Coolidge

With Elvis Costello

With Christina Courtin

  • Christina Courtin (Nonesuch Records, 2009)

With Cracker

With Marshall Crenshaw

With A. J. Croce

With Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

With David Crosby

With Crowded House

With Rodney Crowell

With Sheryl Crow

With Patti Dahlstrom

  • Your Place or Mine (20th Century Records, 1975)

With Ron Davies

  • Silent Song Through the Land (A&M Records, 1970)

With Kiki Dee

  • Stay With Me (Rocket, 1978)

With Diana DeGarmo

With Delaney & Bonnie

With Lana Del Rey

With Michael Des Barres

  • Somebody Up There Likes Me (MCA Records, 1986)

With Dion DiMucci

With Céline Dion

With Craig Doerge

  • Craig Doerge (Columbia Records, 1973)

With Denny Doherty

  • Waiting for a Song (Ember Records, 1974)

With Donovan

With Les Dudek

With Bob Dylan

With Tim Easton

  • Break Your Mother's Heart (New West Records, 2003)

With Yvonne Elliman

  • Night Flight (RSO Records, 1978)
  • Yvonne (RSO Records, 1979)

With Melissa Etheridge

With Terry Evans

  • Blues for Thought (Point Blank Records, 1994)
  • Puttin' In Down (AudioQuest Music, 1995)
  • Walk That Walk (Telark Records, 2000)

With Don Everly

  • Don Everly (Ode Records, 1970)

With Eye to Eye

  • Eye to Eye (Warner Bros. Records, 1982)

With Don Felder

With José Feliciano

  • And the Feeling's Good (RCA Victor, 1974)
  • For My Love... Mother Music (RCA Victor, 1974)

With Neil Finn

With Roberta Flack

With Dan Fogelberg

With Richie Furay

  • Seasons of Change (Myrrh Records, 1982)

With Ted Gärdestad

With Melody Gardot

With Art Garfunkel

With Perfume Genius

With Lowell George

With Indigo Girls

With Lesley Gore

  • Love Me By Name (A&M Records, 1976)

With Marjoe Gortner

  • Bad, but Not Evil (Chelsea Records, 1972)

With Henry Gross

  • Henry Gross (ABC Records, 1972)

With Arlo Guthrie

With Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt

With George Harrison

With Ted Hawkins

With Don Henley

With Joe Henry

With Susanna Hoffs

With Thelma Houston

With John Lee Hooker

With Chris Isaak

With Mick Jagger

With Colin James

With Elton John and Leon Russell

With Tom Johnston

  • Everything You've Heard Is True (Warner Bros. Records, 1979)

With Tonio K.

  • Notes from the Lost Civilization (A&M Records, 1988)

With Barbara Keith

  • Barbara Keith (Reprise Records, 1973)

With Albert King

With B.B. King

With Freddie King

With Diana Krall

With Alison Krauss

With Christine Lakeland

  • Reckoning (Virgin Records, 1993)

With Rickie Lee Jones

With William Lee Golden

  • American Vagabond (MCA Records, 1986)

With Claudia Lennear

  • Phew! (Warner Bros. Records, 1973)

With John Lennon

With Jenny Lewis

With Nick Lowe

With Lonnie Mack

  • Second Sight (Alligator Records, 1986)

With Aimee Mann

With Melissa Manchester

With Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers

With Dave Mason

With John Mayer

With Delbert McClinton

  • One of the Fortunate Few (Rising Tide, 1997)

With Maria McKee

With Pat McLaughlin

  • Pat McLaughlin (Capitol Records, 1988)

With Shannon McNally

With Bette Midler

With Steve Miller Band

With Rhett Miller

With Joni Mitchell

With Keb' Mo'

With Howdy Moon

  • Howdy Moon (A&M Records, 1974)

With Gaby Moreno and Van Dyke Parks

  • ¡Spangled! (Nonesuch Records, 2019)

With Gaby Moreno

  • Alegoría (Metamorfosis, 2022)

With Maria Muldaur

With Willie Nelson

With Aaron Neville

With Ivan Neville

With Randy Newman

With Harry Nilsson

With Conor Oberst

With Danny O'Keefe

  • The Global Blues (Warner Bros. Records, 1979)

With Yoko Ono

With Roy Orbison

With Beth Orton

With Tom Pacheco

  • The Outsider (RCA Victor, 1976)

With Nerina Pallot

  • Fires (Idaho Records, 2005)

With Van Dyke Parks

With Dolly Parton

With Michael Penn

With Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

With Tom Petty

With Sam Phillips

With Pink Floyd

With Michel Polnareff

  • Michel Polnareff (Atlantic Records, 1975)

With David Pomeranz

  • It's in Every One of Us (Arista Records, 1975)

With The Pretenders

With Joshua Radin

  • Underwater (Mom + Pop Music, 2012)

With Bonnie Raitt

With Willis Alan Ramsey

With Martha Reeves

  • Martha Reeves (MCA Records, 1974)

With Johnny Rivers

  • Home Grown (United Artists Records, 1970)
  • Outside Help (Big Tree Records, 1977)
  • Not a Through Street (CBS, 1983)

With Robbie Robertson

With Smokey Robinson

With Janice Robinson

  • The Color Within Me (Columbia Records, 1999)

With Linda Ronstadt

With Leon Russell

With Boz Scaggs

With Patti Scialfa

With Seals and Crofts

With Vonda Shepard

  • The Radical Light (Reprise Records, 1992)

With Shivaree

With Carly Simon

With Jill Sobule

With J. D. Souther

With Splinter

  • The Place I Love (Dark Horse Records, 1974)
  • Harder to Live (Dark Horse Records, 1975)

With Mavis Staples

With Pops Staples

  • Peace to the Neighborhood (Pointblack Records, 1992)
  • Father Father (Pointblack Records, 1994)

With Ringo Starr

With Steely Dan

  • Aja (ABC Records, 1977)

With Rod Stewart

With Curtis Stigers

  • Brighter Days (Columbia Records, 1999)

With Chris Stills

  • 100 Year Thing (Atlantic Records, 1998)

With Syd Straw

  • Surprise (Virgin Records, 1989)

With Barbra Streisand

With Matthew Sweet

With James Taylor

With Livingston Taylor

With Rob Thomas

  • Cradlesong (Atlantic Records, 2009)
  • Someday (Atlantic Records, 2010)

With Richard Thompson

With Tanita Tikaram

With Cal Tjader

  • Cal Tjader Sounds Out Burt Bacharach (Skye Records, 1968)

With Toto

With The Manhattan Transfer

With Valdy

  • Landscapes (Haida, 1973)
  • See How the Years Have Gone By (A&M Records, 1975)

With Frankie Valli

  • Closeup (Private Stock Records, 1975)

With Rosie Vela

  • Zazu (A&M Records, 1986)

With Loudon Wainwright III

With Rufus Wainwright

With Wayne Watson

  • Field of Souls (Warner Alliance, 1995)

With Gillian Welch

With Brian Wilson

With Bill Withers

With Lauren Wood

With Ronnie Wood

With Bill Wyman

With Neil Young

With Warren Zevon

References
  1. Howard Sounes. Down the Highway: The Life of Bob Dylan Doubleday. 2001 p329. ISBN 0-552-99929-6
  2. Bruce Eder. "Jim Keltner – artist biography". AllMusic.com. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
  3. "Jim Keltner". Drummerworld. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
  4. Christy. "MC Squared (MC2) - Psychedelicized".
  5. "Tantalizing Colours: The Reprise Recordings - MC Squared - Credits". AllMusic.
  6. "The Beatles The Jim Keltner Fan Club UK Promo memorabilia". eil.com. Retrieved January 14, 2014.
  7. "The Jim Keltner Fan Club". Blogcritics. August 29, 2010. Retrieved January 14, 2014.
  8. "All Starr Band 1989". victorbaissait.fr.
  9. "Jim Keltner on Knockin' on Heaven's Door". Archived from the original on December 29, 2012. Retrieved December 7, 2009.
  10. Makin' Music (MCAD-22125 ed.). Universal City, CA: MCA Records, Inc. 1979.
  11. Brian Wilson I Just Wasn't Made For These Times, MCA Records, Inc., Universal City, CA, 1995
  12. Jazz, All About (September 2000). "Charlie Watts Jim Keltner Project: Charlie Watts Jim Keltner Project album review @ All About Jazz". All About Jazz. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  13. "Selected Shorts". Archived from the original on May 7, 2017. Retrieved September 27, 2017.
  14. "Psalngs.com". Press.Psalngs.com. Retrieved January 14, 2014.
  15. "John Mayer, 'Born and Raised': Track-By-Track Review". Billboard. May 22, 2012. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
  16. Hargreaves, Keith (April 27, 2017). "Conor Oberst "Salutations" (Nonesuch Records, 2017)".
  17. Maiuri, Ken (March 3, 2019). "Ken Maiuri's Clubland: Guitarist Mike Baggetta records and debuts a new album". Daily Hampshire Gazette. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
  18. "浦沢直樹が"天才POP職人"マイク・ヴァイオラのベスト盤にミュージシャンとして参加" (in Japanese). Natalie. January 22, 2020. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
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