Savoy Brown

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each other. We would talk occasionally. We’d already played together. What happened was the bass player that Kim was using back in 2008, Gerry Sorrentino. Gerry was having some health issues, so Kim had called Pat DeSalvo and said, ‘Do you think you can cover these dates?’ and so what happened was Pat quickly called me and let me know what was going on. He said, do you think you can help me rehearse this set and I said, ‘sure’. “We’re going to go out to Kim’s, so I said sure, I love going out there. We all got together. I learned 90 minutes of music to get Pat up to speed. It was during that time that I spent a couple of weeks doing that. Kim and Pat and I were there. It was during the summer, late summer… the weather was nice. We were chatting and having a good time. It was right after that when Kim had thought about changing up the band. When he called me, I went “yeah, of course, I would love to do this. Kim called me personally and said that this is what he was thinking about doing and it would be a good move since we were all friends. We all lived in the same area and we could rehearse. I said, I think that’s wonderful and I remember saying to him, ‘yeah man, I hope I’m with you for a long time.’ I remember having that conversation. I was very excited. It was more like putting on a nice fitting pair of pants or something. It just fit. It wasn’t like an audition. I didn’t have to go audition. It was more like, ‘I’ve learned the material, we had played together before that. We actually did some gigs together because we had supported Kim’s solo project that I was on. Pat and myself went out as a trio. We actually played a few gigs just as the Kim Simmonds Band or something like that. I can’t remember how it was publicized but we went out and played a few gigs like that. We weren’t really strangers to each other or how each other played, so that was a really cool thing how it all fit together. It kind of fit together like a puzzle rather than ‘hey, can you come and audition at 2:00 o’clock on Thursday. That’s how it came about, but I was very excited.

Rock And Blues International: I know this is a bit early, but what do you see yourself doing in the future?

Garnet Grimm: Well, Pat and I are already doing it and I’ll explain. It’s kind of a nice ‘turn the page’ moment for us, so I have take you back a few years, maybe about five years or so. It was before Covid. We were playing in Newton, Iowa. We had a festival to play there and there was a gentleman… his name was Sean Chambers. I don’t know if you’re familiar with him. Sean’s a guitar player from Florida. Sean had played ahead of us this day and he was kind of hanging out after his show and he wanted to meet Kim. We introduced him to Kim and I was having some equipment problems or issues that day. His drummer let me use some of his equipment, so we got to hang out after the show during the festival and everybody sort of hit it off and the two bands really enjoyed each other’s company. Kim and Sean became kind of kindred spirits. They would talk and they became friends. When it became apparent that Kim was not going to be able to tour, this was in 2022, Sean had approached us, Pat and myself and said, ‘I’m doing a few gigs. Would you be interested?’ Of course we were interested. We had to work it out. We were very committed to Kim, even though he was not feeling very well, so as long as Kim okay’s it, we’re good for now. We all got on the phone and asked Kim if we could do it and Kim said, ‘yeah man, I think it’s a good opportunity for you guys.’ In fact, it was really kind of sweet because we were doing the tour in October. Pat and Kim and I would text back and forth quite often. I would say once or twice a week during that tour the four of us would get around the phone and Pat and Sean and I would call Kim. He’d want to know where we were and what we were doing and he’d give us some advice and say, ‘oh yeah, I remember that place’ or whatever. It was good for him to be there and be a part of that for us. That was very memorable in and about it in itself. So Pat and I will try to continue this thing with Sean. In fact, I just got back from doing a few gigs with him in Florida this past week. We’re going to try to continue that and see if we can develop that. It’s very easy for us to work with Sean on a couple of levels. One, he’s a sweet guy, great guitar player, good songwriter, but he’s also on Quarto Valley Records. We’re label mates with him, so it works out that way too.

Rock And Blues International: Is there anything else you’d like to add to this interview?

Garnet Grimm: Well, there is one thing that I would like to mention. For anybody that’s reading or listening to this interview, go to the Savoy Brown website and you can see a history of the band, you can see a discography, you can see and buy the current album and the merchandise that’s for sale there. And, Kim was also a painter, so you can get a lot of his artwork there that’s available. You can see some of it and you can buy some of it, so that would be a great thing to go there.

Rock And Blues International: Well Garnet, thank you for doing the interview on the new album with us. I have been a Savoy Brown fan for many years now. I believe I may have just about every album that the band has issued, probably 30 or 35 or more. I’ve always enjoyed the music.

Garnet Grimm: Probably more. People have been throwing a lot of numbers at me. I tell you, if you count his solo stuff, it’s up there. It’s got to be over 40 for sure. He’s put out a lot of stuff. He was working right up to almost the very end. In fact he sent me, he sent Pat and I some demos about a week or so before he went into the hospital for the last time… some stuff he was working on. That was in November and I just can’t bring myself to open that file yet. I will open them. I feel like it’s a little emotional for me to open them. He sent us the demos and said, ‘hey, these are some songs I’m working on.’ That’s as he was going into the hospital. That’s someone who was working all the time, that guy!

Rock And Blues International: Thank you so much for your time. I really enjoyed the interview with you.

Garnet Grimm: Thanks so much. I really appreciate it as well.

I’d like to thank Garnet Grimm for his participation in this interview. I realize that this is somewhat of a painful time for him and Pat DeSalvo and talking about this no doubt has mixed feelings for him. While he is happy to be able to complete and release this new album, he is very sad that he cannot share the happiness of that with his former bandleader Kim Simmonds. For Savoy Brown fans out there, our heart goes out to you as well. Those of you who enjoyed Kim’s music for so many years will now have to make due with what he has already released. It’s a shame. As Garnet revealed in the interview, Kim was still very active writing and had more plans in the future for more releases. Maybe someday that will come to light. In the meantime get yourself a copy of Savoy Brown’s Blues All Around and join in the celebration that right now we do have a great fantastic album available from this legendary band and musician. Without a doubt, this is one of his best albums and I’m sure you’ll love it.