Jim Galante The Unknown Jazz Giant

Hi friends, this is a quick story about a friend of mine who passed away a few years ago. His name was Jim Galante and he was one of the most talented piano players I have ever seen. It all started back in 1995 when I was playing guitar at Guitar Center in Sherman Oaks California and this guy Pat O'Connor saw me playing jazz and then followed me down the street and said "Hey man, you have a great style on guitar what's your name." I said, "My name is Lawson" and we started talking more and became friends.

Pat became like my music mentor but his guitar playing was horrible and so I would to try and teach him guitar chords and stuff and he would have me listen to all these amazing CD's of guitarists I had never heard of before. That's when I started learning different styles like Bossa, BeBop, and World, but these were new and challenging to me.

After a year, Pat would come over to my house and have dinner with me, Mom and my brother Blythe, and he noticed we had this baby grand piano in the living room and so he told my Mom about Jim Galante. Mom was lonely since Dad had passed away only 3 years earlier so she said bring him over.

So one day Jim drives up in a Mitsubishi Galant which was funny, and he came in and went straight to the piano. Man he just mesmerized us, and so Mom said "Lawson go grab your guitar." I came out with my Real Book and picked out an easy tune and Jim and I started playing together but I let him do all the solos.

We ended up becoming great friends and Jim, Pat, and I would hang out over at Jim's house on the weekends and listen to his jazz collection over his old stereo, and then Jim and I would jam while Pat would tap his foot and clap his hands after a few drinks. Time started to race forward after I started getting sales jobs to support Mom and my mentally challenged brother, but Jim would invite me every year up to Mount Saint Mary for their Thanksgiving dinner. We stopped seeing each other very much as life pulled us in different directions, but he never stopped playing with professional musicians something I could only dream of.

He then released his first album with Sam Most the famous jazz flute player and called his album "Hail Bopp". After the release of the CD he called me and came straight over to my house and gave me a copy and had me listen to it. He said" Lawson what do you think I really want your honest opinion man" I told him it was incredible which it was and still is, but he was so humble.

Although Jim never got the recognition he deserved his person lives on in my mind and his charm and passion for jazz lives on in my soul. After he passed away I was unaware for about a year until I called Pat O'Connor and said "Hey Pat have you heard from Jim" The phone went silent for several seconds until he told me the sad news that Jim had suffered a heart attack and passed away at home alone.

I can no longer reach Pat O'Connor anymore and so I would like to end this story and say, "Life may seem like a long time but really it is very short. Be sure to cherish your loved ones and friends for you never know if it will be the last time you see them"

Below is a track that was allowed to be posted to my youtube channel from Jim Galante - Hail Bopp