Jim Meneses, Drums / Percussion / Midi Marimba

Jim Meneses (1957, Philadelphia, USA) is a percussionist / composer.
Since 1980 he has been active in the field of new music, and has worked in both the US and in Europe during this time. He has toured and recorded with a number of international ensembles as composer and performer. He is also known as an improvisor, and has worked with many of the established players in Europe and in the US.

Jim Meneses has consistently been involved with projects which push the boundaries between rock and pop music and the avantgarde. His recent activity includes work with the following ensembles: ALLOS (AUS/NL/USA), ATTILA (F/I/USA), Blast (NL/USA), Fajt / Meneses (CR/USA), KIXX (D/CH/USA), and Palinckx (NL/USA). All have recent CD releases. These groups combine a mix of composition, improvisation, and the use of rock music as an element in their varied musical approaches.

Jim Meneses is a versatile player, who is at home in a number of different musical situations. His background in rock music is combined with a sensitivity to improvisation and sound production. From his earliest recordings with the Philadelphia hard core band The Stick Men to his recent work with Toshi Makihara, Steve Horwitz Mousetrap, Positive Nuns and composer Ernst Bechert. Meneses finds the appropriate balance between his role as time keeper and that of sound creator.

Jim Meneses has performed in many of the major festivals of new music in the USA and in Europe, including New Music America (USA), Tampere Jazz Happening (SF), Groningen Jazz Marathon (NL), Mulhouse (F), Angelica (I), Victoriaville (CDN), Taktlos (CH), Grenoble (F), Moers (D), Banlieues Bleues (F), Ulrichsberg Kaleidophon (A) and others.

He has toured in Europe extensively since 1985, and has worked (before and after the political changes) in Eastern European countries such as Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, Russia and Lithuania.

Jim Meneses has received commissions from Meet the Composer, fellowships and grants from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, and has taken part in residencies at the Yellow Springs Institute and at Real Art Ways (USA). He has twice attended the Hermit Foundation Sound Symposiums in Plasy, Czech Republic (Transparent Messenger 1994 and Meridian Crossings 1995).

Highlights of the last years include: performances with Palinckx at the Victoriaville, Taktlos and Angelica festivals, the premiere of Nein Cow, a new work for percussion, at the Manifesta II Exhibition in Luxembourg, Solo Performance at the Venice Biennale in 1995, and his Montags-Musik-Program at Podewil in Berlin, a ten year retrospective of his work in Europe, titled The Importance of Return Tickets.

Recent Events include Music from Philadelphia at the Prague Alternativa Festival 1999, the Steve Horwitz Mousetrap plays Music of Sun Ra Tour of the Netherlands February 2001, Fuzzybunny + Toshi Makihara / Jim Meneses Duo Tour of France November 2001, and music for the theatre-pieces Moscow-Petuchki in Basel, Sportstück by Elfriede Jelinek in Mannheim, Die Familie Schroffenstein in Krefeld and Dantons Tod in Bremen in collaboration with composer Ernst Bechert..

Jim Meneses has a long standing association with the Paiste company as a sponsor for their instruments, cymbals and gongs.

A more detailed Chronology