Jimmy Lomba
James Lomba
New Bedford, U.S.A, 1912 – New Bedford, U.S.A, 1999
Instrumentalist (saxophone)
Son of immigrants from Brava, Jimmy Lomba became interested in music early on, particularly jazz. With money earned working in a clothing factory, at the age of 19 he bought his first saxophone. He studied music with different teachers and in the beginning of his career played in the cafeteria of a factory, and later in school events.
In the 1950s he moved to San Francisco where he joined different bands.
At different times in his career, he accompanied famous artists, such as Dinah Washington, Smokey Robinson, Solomon Burke, Samy Davis Jr. and The Temptations.
He also worked with artists who were icons of mid-20th century American cinema, such as Bob Hope and Ginger Rogers.
Jimmy Lomba was a great interpreter of Duke Ellington’s compositions, and his playing style is considered sophisticated and combines old-time influences with contemporary jazz, according to an article in the Standard Times. Apart from his career as an instrumentalist, he was also a music teacher, an activity he dedicated himself to from the end of the 1970s.