Jim Best

About Me

As a child I sang in church choirs and school choruses. In my teenage years I loved jazz and folk music. I couldn't imagine actually playing jazz it seemed like magic. But folk music was more approachable, so I got a nylon-string guitar and took lessons. Later I studied classical and jazz piano, harmony, theory and composition and took voice lessons.

I started writing songs in the 1970s. At first I collaborated with Malcolm Reid,with him writing the words and me the music. Over the years I have mostly depended on writers to supply the lyrics to my songs. Lately I have been writing more of my own words.

Two my songs were selected in the 2005 UK Songwriting Contest one as a Finalist and the other as a Semi-Finalist. I have licensing agreements for film, tv and video use of four of my songs.

Thanks to my friend Ustad Babu Rahman I played at a number of venues in Bangladesh, including a popular music festival at Dhaka University. For a year and a half I played piano in a jazz quartet called Midnight Sounds. When I lived in Taiwan I had a regular gig at the Tree Cafe in Taipei County. Since I retired I have been playing at open mics in Montreal. I jam every Friday night with a bunch of friends and fellow musicians.

My Collaborators

Malcolm Reid: Words for Bon Desir,Without a Parachute, I'm Crossing Over, The Only One, Mommy & Dad, Lonely City, The Time Has Come

Angela Kim: Words for I am a Woman, What is Love?, You're My Lover, One Star, The Gift of Love, Secrets & Dreams

Amanda Strawn: Vocal on I am a Woman

Julie Hamel: Words and vocals for Jonah, Sunny Day,City Creatures

Michael Rockbrand: Words for Pour the Wine; vocals on Pour the Wine and The Gift of Love

Judy Mermelstein: Words for Without You, Changing My Mind

Trisha Pope: Vocals on Without You, I'm Crossing Over, Changing My Mind, Secrets & Dreams, The Only One

True Daley: Vocals on You're My Lover

David Gladstone: Guitar on Without a Parachute

Eran Houja: Vocal on One Star

Kyra Shaughnessy: Vocal on Someone's Going to Leave us Tonight

Maribel Gomez: Lead and harmony vocals on Melissa

Michelle Amancia: Backup vocal on Melissa