Jim West

Biography

James West (born December 18, 1953), also known as Kimo, is an American-Canadian guitarist best known for working with "Weird Al" Yankovic.

Biography

West was born in Toronto, Ontario on December 18, 1953, and grew up in Tampa, Florida. At age 12, he started playing guitar. By age 16, he was playing professionally in various Florida rock bands, including at least one with later bandmate Steve Jay.
In the early 1980s, he came to Los Angeles, where Jay introduced him to "Weird Al" Yankovic. He auditioned for Yankovic after being introduced by Steve Jay and the two have worked together ever since. West can be heard and seen on all of Yankovic's videos, albums, and concerts since 1983.
West is also a composer for film and television and produced a number of CDs for independent artists. He has released fourteen solo slack-key guitar albums. He performs regularly at concerts and festivals.
In 2018, he received his first Grammy nomination a Moku Maluhia: Peaceful Island in the category of Best New Age Album. In 2020 his album, More Guitar Stories received another Grammy nomination for Best New Age Album and subsequently won that category.
He has a private studio in Los Angeles, but spends several months a year in Hana, Hawaii. He retains his Canadian citizenship.

With "Weird Al" Yankovic

In 3-D
Dare to Be Stupid
Polka Party!
Even Worse
UHF - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack and Other Stuff
Off the Deep End
Alapalooza
Bad Hair Day
Running with Scissors
Poodle Hat
Straight Outta Lynwood
Alpocalypse
Mandatory Fun

Co-leader albums

With Greg Leisz, Hotel Honolulu – The Hawaiian Tribute to the Eagles (CHM, 2007)
With Ken Emerson, Slackers In Paradise (Westernmost, 2016)

Solo albums

1999 – Coconut Hat
2004 – Nurturing the Garden – commission for the National Tropical Botanical Garden on Kaua'i
2005 – Slack Key West
2006 – The Hawaiian Tribute To Sublime: Livin's EZ
2007 – Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar-Kimo Style
2008 – Kimo's Hawaiian Slack Key Christmas
2012 – Na Lani O Maui: Maui Skies
2013 – Ki Ho'alu Christmastime
2015 – Guitar Stories: Slack Key & Beyond
2018 – Moku Maluhia: Peaceful Island
2020 – More Guitar Stories
2021 – Ka Honua Maluhia: Peaceful World

Producer

"Eia Mai Ka La" by Kapo Ku
Lily Wilson by Lily Wilson
Jose Can U See? by Bill Dana
The Enchanted Forest
Broken by Cynthia Clawson
The Koolanesian Heart by Norm Compton
Stepping Out by Diana Krall