It’s not easy being a pioneer, but Jim Skafish came out of the gate swinging. In the late-70s, the Chicago musician became the first American signed to Miles Copeland’s hugely influential IRS records. His band’s first LP, 1980’s self-titled Skafish, failed to catch fire, owing to delays and poor production. Three years later, Conversations, was met with its own pushback, as it marked a major sonic departure. Skafish, a classically trained pianist whose current work is more easily classified as jazz, is long overdue for a reexamination and a pioneering force in musical, political and non-conforming.
","author_name":"Brian Heater"}