In the professional guitarist realm, versatility is overrated. The greats are the ones who become extraordinary at one thing: it’s hard to picture Stevie Ray Vaughan releasing an acclaimed noise-rock release, or Scott Ian dipping his toes into blues rock.
Then there’s Jim “Kimo” West – a guitarist who, for 40 years, has taken on genre after genre, style after style, constantly evolving with the times. He's been heard by millions, but yet has done all this in relative obscurity. After all, it’s hard to get the spotlight when your frontman is not only one of the most beloved pop culture icons of all time but also arguably the most famous – if not the most technically accomplished – accordion player in an extremely specific genre of music.
