Since 2015 sax player and singer Jimmy Carpenter has settled in Las Vegas where, besides regularly perform at Sand Dollar Lounge leading his band The Bender Brass, he is musical director of Big Blues Bender Festival, which has become one of the largest global blues events. He has won the Blues Music Awards a couple of times and owns a Grammy as well. He is also president of Las Vegas Blues Society and manages countless donations he devotes to help the most disadvantaged musicians.

After receiving a call from Mike Zito, owner of Gulf Coast Records, with the proposal to record a new album at Greaseland Studios, under the supervision of Kid Andersen, Jimmy didn’t think twice and immediately accepted. Although his five previous albums were clearly focused on the blues, this time he decided to come up with a more soul and funk-oriented work, keeping a vintage sound, which both Mike and Kid totally agreed with.

The week before the recording, Jimmy was a little nervous, so he called Albert Castiglia who had previously worked with Kid. Albert simply told him “Jimmy, just trust Kid, he has a plan.” The plan was to put together a group of excellent musicians to develop the songs Jimmy had chosen for the album.

Along with Jimmy Carpenter on vocals and saxophone were Kid Andersen on guitar, Jim Pugh on keyboards and Derric D’Mar Martin on drums, plus some other fantastic guests. All of them left their personal mark on the twelve album songs, five of them Jimmy’s own compositions and the rest covers like, among others, “My Babe” coming from Willie Dixon, “Night People” by Allen Toussaint, “Working Man” by Michael Bloomfield and Nick Gravenites or “Soul Theme” and “Midnight Blue” by King Curtis. The song that gives title to the cd “Just Got Started” highlights the idea that, although Jimmy already has a long career on his back, it is now at its high point and is flowing, which makes him feel better than ever. That is the reason why Carpenter wants to celebrate it with all the listeners who will surely enjoy his new recording.