Jim "Kimo" West
Biographical Info

"It is so refreshing to hear some original compositions that are unique, well crafted and sincere and from the heart... Varied and rich! I love all the tunes and have a hard time picking favorites."
Kapono Beamer, Hawaiian music legend


"Jim West’s new recording continues his Slack Key explorations in his unique and beautiful style, and in various tunings, including two of his own invention, further accentuating his own sound"
-- George Winston. pianist/ guitarist

Best known as being long-time guitarist for the world's most famous musical parodist,"Weird Al" Yankovic, Jim "Kimo" West is a talented and uniquely gifted slack key guitarist and also wears the hat of composer for film and television.

In 1985,after a long summer on the road, he visited the remote area of Hana, Maui where he first heard the lilting sound of ki ho 'alu,or "slack key" guitar. As records by Gabby Pahinui, The Sons of Hawai'i and Peter Moon played on the turntable, he jammed along for fun and relaxation. Already a devotee of altered tunings, he soon started composing his own ki ho 'alu songs, bringing a unique musical perspective to one of the world's greatest acoustic guitar traditions.

His CD's "Slack Key West","Coconut Hat" and "Nurturing the Garden",a commission for the National Tropical Botanical Garden on Kaua'i, feature new, original compositions, setting them apart in a genre that relies heavily on existing repetoire. He performs regularly at the legendary Slack Key Festivals in Hawai'i and all over the mainland. He still tours and records with "Weird Al" Yankovic and maintains a personal studio in Los Angeles for his music productions.