Gene Jimae

Gene Jimae - USA

Gene Jimae - American harmonica player (b. Detroit 1943 - d. Miami 1961) Appeared own television in Canada, US & Europe from age 5. Worked with Paul Whiteman, Dorsey Brothers, Johnny Longh, David Rose, Enoch Light and the Philadelphia Philharmonic in the U.SD. On stage at the Palace Theatre in London and on Broadway. Toured Australia & New Zealand in 1953. In cast of Tivoli production "Take It From Me" until Feb., 1954 and his parents were also in this show with a magic act. Left for South Africa following this tour.

Australia 1954

A story about a young lad of Australian heritage, who was a wizard on the harmonica back in the fifties. His name is Gene Jimae.As soon as he could walk he was blowing a toy harmonica. By four he was playing popular tunes of the day. He could do a pretty handy rendition of Cole Porter’s, ‘Begin the Beguine’. His parents bought his first professional harmonica for his fifth birthday and five months later he appeared on American Television. Bandsman, Paul Whiteman was so taken with him that he nominated Gene for a nationwide television competition. Gene duly won and was anointed with the title, ‘Worlds Youngest Harmonica Soloist’.

Song of India

He featured on several television shows including Ed Sullivan’s, ‘Toast Of The Town’ and performed on Broadway at the Palace Theatre on multiple occasions. Gene became the youngest member of the ‘American Society Of Composers’ at the age of nine and by the age of twelve had thirty compositions registered. Gene had been backed by some of the biggest bands going round, Paul Whiteman, Johnny Long, Ray Bloch, David Rose, the Dorsey Brothers, Enoch Light, the Philadelphia Philharmonic and Louis Prima. He traveled the world performing in Europe, South Africa, New Zealand and in 1953 he ventured down under. Gene arrived as part of the Tivoli circuit and was high on the bill for David Martin’s show, ‘Take It From Me’. His set ranged from Gershwin’s, ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ to Jerry Murad’s Harmonicat’s, ‘Peg o’ my Heart’.

His Fathers act which followed thrilled audiences by producing lit cigarettes and pipes from thin air and finding them in unusual places. While in Sydney Gene cut eight tracks at Columbia Records studio in Homebush under direction of Bob Gibson with orchestra and Jim Jimae on chordal harps. Returning to the States in 1955 Gene acquired his own record label, ‘Genie’ from the proceeds of his European tour. He recorded ‘Song Of India’ with the flip, ‘Riders In The Sky’. A Billboard review at the time wrote, “Gene Jimae a talented young harmonica virtuoso, makes a potent debut on the Genie label with some tricky mouth work on an upbeat version of an oldie.

Wall Around Me

Australia 1953

The ten year old kid is gonna go places. Multi track recording is exciting.” Other acts signed to his label include Chuck Berry (not the one your thinking of, but Charles Clifford Shepard Berry), who performed with Henry Williams as the hillbilly duo, “Lone Jack Boys’ and they record a single, ‘That Ugly Girl Of Mine’ a tune composed by Gene. Gail Sunday records one of Gene’s songs, ‘I’ll Dust The Stars’ with Gene backing on harmonica and ‘The Nomads’ (not with Gus’) did a garage version of Popeye’s theme.

Victoria, Nov 1953

In 1956 for some obscure reason the Australian Colombian recordings appear on Randle Wood’s Tennessee label, ‘Dot’ and not the ‘Genie’ label. The album’s entitled, ‘Harmonica Magic’. The same year Gene’s Dad forms a label with a couple of his Vaudeville mates under the moniker, ‘Flair-X’. They sign ‘Doo Wop’ group the ‘Hi Fives’, who record, ‘Throwing Pebbles in a Pond’. Genie records originally operated out of a sixteen story office building between West 77th Street and West 78th Street in New York. The company was moved to Michigan, Indiana prior to 1959.

It is at this point the Gene Jimae story goes cold. Perhaps he had some of his fathers rebelliousness and bedevilment. They say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Gene’s next mention is in 1961 when his death and funeral notice is reported. His name does appear on a memoriam page for Miami Senior High School, but not in the graduated. A bugbear of mine is that his recordings often appear under the banner of ‘novelty’, but if you listen to his recordings you would appreciate why this is a misnomer and why he was touted as the next Larry Adler. For me he might have been the equivalent to Eivets Rednow (Stevie Wonder) who recorded an amazing version of ‘Alfie’ with an unbelievable tonguing technique in 1968, at the raw age of eighteen.

Riders in the Sky

For your aural pleasure I offer this abbreviated recording of ‘Song of India’ by Gene (His life’s breath eternalised) in which he plays four harmonicas on seven different parts. Hear here ‘India’. Gene’s album is available for download on iTunes and streaming on Spotify. Forever young, Gene Jimae