Jim Page
Encyclopedia
Jim Page born in 1949, is a folk singer-songwriter
and social activist.
in 1949 and moved to Seattle in 1971.
in support of buskers. He is one of the organizers of Buskerfest in Seattle. He frequently appears with Artis the Spoonman
. He tours internationally, yet he still plays at Pike Place Market
as a street performer.
Page began playing guitar at age 15.
In 1974, his protest song
and testimony
convinced the Seattle City Council
to drop the requirement that street performers have a permit to perform.
Nagasaki Russian Roulette", an anti-nuclear weapons song covered by Christy Moore
, "On the Street Again", "Time Enough for Questions When the Killing's Done", about the eternal quest for a 'man of honor', "Cultus Bay Serenade", "Miles and Miles", about the modernization of the San Francisco Bay Area
, "Anna Mae
", "An Old Pair of Red Shoes", and "Gasworks Park".
He has also questioned US involvement in the Iraq war
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
and social activist.
Early life
Page was born in Palo Alto, CaliforniaPalo Alto, California
Palo Alto is a California charter city located in the northwest corner of Santa Clara County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, United States. The city shares its borders with East Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Stanford, Portola Valley, and Menlo Park. It is...
in 1949 and moved to Seattle in 1971.
Music career and activism
He is known for his political songs and for his activismActivism
Activism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such as boycotts or preferentially patronizing...
in support of buskers. He is one of the organizers of Buskerfest in Seattle. He frequently appears with Artis the Spoonman
Artis the Spoonman
Artis the Spoonman is an American street performer from Seattle, Washington, who uses spoons as a musical instrument....
. He tours internationally, yet he still plays at Pike Place Market
Pike Place Market
Pike Place Market is a public market overlooking the Elliott Bay waterfront in Seattle, Washington, United States. The Market opened August 17, 1907, and is one of the oldest continually operated public farmers' markets in the United States. It is a place of business for many small farmers,...
as a street performer.
Page began playing guitar at age 15.
In 1974, his protest song
Protest song
A protest song is a song which is associated with a movement for social change and hence part of the broader category of topical songs . It may be folk, classical, or commercial in genre...
and testimony
Testimony
In law and in religion, testimony is a solemn attestation as to the truth of a matter. All testimonies should be well thought out and truthful. It was the custom in Ancient Rome for the men to place their right hand on a Bible when taking an oath...
convinced the Seattle City Council
Seattle City Council
The Seattle City Council is committed to ensuring that Seattle, Washington, is safe, livable and sustainable. Nine Councilmembers are elected to four-year terms in nonpartisan elections and represent the entire city, elected by all Seattle voters....
to drop the requirement that street performers have a permit to perform.
Notable work
Page is well-known in coffee houses and folk clubs in Seattle and in the British Isles, where he toured for several years. His best known songs include "Fireside", his first song, written in 1967, "HiroshimaNagasaki Russian Roulette", an anti-nuclear weapons song covered by Christy Moore
Christy Moore
Christopher Andrew "Christy" Moore is a popular Irish folk singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is well known as one of the founding members of Planxty and Moving Hearts...
, "On the Street Again", "Time Enough for Questions When the Killing's Done", about the eternal quest for a 'man of honor', "Cultus Bay Serenade", "Miles and Miles", about the modernization of the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
, "Anna Mae
Anna Mae Aquash
Anna Mae Aquash was a Mi'kmaq activist from Nova Scotia, Canada who became the highest-ranking woman in the American Indian Movement in the United States during the mid-1970s.Aquash...
", "An Old Pair of Red Shoes", and "Gasworks Park".
He has also questioned US involvement in the Iraq war
Discography
- A Shot of the Usual - Whid-Isle Records, LP, 1975
- On the Street Again - Whid-Isle Records, LP, 1976
- Hot Times - Whid-Isle Records, LP, 1979
- In the Act - First American Records, LP, 1980
- This Movie Is For Real - Nacksving, LP, 1982
- Visions In My View - Flying FishFlying Fish RecordsFlying Fish Records was a Chicago-based eclectic blues and country record label. It was founded in 1974 by Bruce Kaplan, former president of the University of Chicago's Folklore Society....
, LP, 1986 - More Than Anything Else In The World, 1993
- Jim Page & ArtisArtis the SpoonmanArtis the Spoonman is an American street performer from Seattle, Washington, who uses spoons as a musical instrument....
: On TheStreetSidewalk Again, cassetteCompact CassetteThe Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel...
, 1994 - Whose World Is This, 1997
- Heroes and Survivors, 1997
- Gettin Squeezed, 1999
- Music From Big Red, 2001
- Collateral Damage, 2002
- Human Interesting - A Temporary Retrospective, 2002
- Seattle Songs, 2004
- Head Full of Pictures, 2006
- Jim Page & ArtisArtis the SpoonmanArtis the Spoonman is an American street performer from Seattle, Washington, who uses spoons as a musical instrument....
: After All This Time, 2007 - I See What You Mean - Jim Page in Nashville, 2007