Jim Trick is no stranger to stages in the Northeast; he’s an engaging performer and is one of those rare human beings who can make friends wherever he goes.  I’m lucky enough to have worked a bit with Jim over the past several years and I’ve seen him perform before audiences big and small.  No matter where he plays, he makes the show special and most memorable.  He engages his audience to listen closely and to feel deeply.

To learn more about Jim, visit his website.

Here’s a video of Jim singing “Open Everything You’ve Closed.”

Jim will be sharing the stage of the me&thee in Marblehead, MA with two extraordinary musicians, Radoslav Lorkovic and Lisa Bastoni on Friday, February 28.

Tell us some information about your life as a public speaker?  What do people expect to hear when they are in an audience at one of your talks?  

There’s so much overlap between my work as a performing songwriter and as a speaker. In the same way that I want to use music for more than just entertainment, speaking is where I really love to help people move from where they are in life to where they want to be.  During talks, I get granular about what it takes to overcome the challenge of change. I conducted a study last year in which 87% of 400 participants said they wanted to make meaningful change in one or more areas of their lives.  The vast majority held a lack of self-discipline as the reason they were stuck.  I speak to that and work to free people from the ole “I know what to do, but I don’t do it”.  Interesting to note that I almost always open and close talks with songs and during concerts, I’ll often open the floor for questions.
We would love to hear about your newest songs and if you plan to do any recording any time soon?

A new album is so long overdue.  I’ve been playing with a couple ideas.  One is a live album / video and the other is an EP that would include songs born out of my marriage ending. As for writing, I’m pretty surprised with what’s been coming out!!!  I have a couple new songs that have a soul vibe to them.  I’ve also been pulling out my electric and jamming to smooth Jazz and finding it extremely satisfying.  So strange for me but I love the freedom of being able to open up to whatever is present musically and following it where it leads.

Do you have any special wishes about any collaborative work with other musicians for shows and/or songwriting sessions?

Being part of the Club Passim community has been a total game-changer for me. Playing Campfire Festival, tribute nights and co-bills has allowed me to play, create and improvise with some of the best performers around. There’s nothing like it.  As for special wishes, I wouldn’t want to jinx myself by naming names but there are definitely people that I’d love to write / perform with. It feels like a birthday candle wish though.  Like, if I say who it is, it won’t happen.

You recently lost your fly-fishing mentor, Al.  What did you learn from him over the years?  

Al and I fished together and did life together for 26 years. If I were to try to tell you everything I’ve learned from him, this interview would never end. Seriously.  That being said, for Al, fly fishing was a metaphor for life. One of my favorite lessons was when he would have me observe the surface of a river. He’d point out that the surface appears to be moving very fast but that it was important to remember that the base of the river moves more slowly. At the bottom of the river, there are boulders, fallen logs and unfortunately there’s often trash. So many people live on the surface and never move to the deep water but that’s where the best stuff is. It also happens to be where the trout are this time of year.

Al’s whole life was a lesson.  How to enjoy yourself, serve others, love well and how to be a good man.  His passing has left a massive hole in my heart but his words and way of life are burned into me and I will never stop talking about him.

[Here’s a video featuring Al and Jim on the river.]

It’s been just about a year since you last played at the me&thee.  What can you tell us about the highlights of this past year?

2019 was a strange year. I had some weird health stuff that set me back on my heels a bit, but I came through fine and I’m so grateful for my health.  I spent some time in Spain. We were in a rural fishing village in the middle of nowhere. Countless hours on the beach with a guitar and a notebook. It wasn’t so much about writing as it was feeling the guitar in a completely different culture and exploring it with fresh fuel all around me.  I think songs will be born from that time but it wasn’t the typical ‘reflect and write’ kinda thing.   I played a bunch of house concerts and I loved every single one. Hope to book a bunch this year.
Have you had any earworms recently—songs that you just can’t get out of your head?

I’ve been listening to a really broad spectrum these days. Josh Rouse’s older stuff has been a constant. His Dressed Up Like Nebraska album still holds up for me. I’ve also been listening to Vance Gilbert. Man, that guy can do the whole thing. Stellar writing, a world-class voice, and his shows are like no other.  If I have a true earworm these days I’d have to say it’s Shawn Colvin’s cover of “Naive Melody.”