Jimmy Cheesman is a Los Angeles based guitarist, composer and educator. As a free lance guitarist and session player Jimmy has played and recorded many styles of music including jazz, blues, country, rock, pop, and folk. Jimmy can also sing and play banjo, bass, and mandolin. As a studio musician Jimmy has recorded his own solo jazz album and various sessions for producers and clients. His performances include work as a sideman, music director and band leader and include performances with Richard Carpenter, Kevin Tulius (LA Jazz Quartet), Matt Baldoni (Mindy Abair), and Erik Leckrone (Disney, Lou Rawls).
Jimmy received a Masters of Music in Studio/Jazz Guitar Performance from University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Music from California State University Long Beach, with an emphasis in Jazz Studies. Jimmy was a Department Assistant at USC where he taught private lessons, wrote the departmental new letter, and assisted professors with core music classes. He also was the President and Co-Founder of the USC Guitar Society where he helped organize clinics and concerts by guitarists that included Mike Stern, Ted Greene, Larry Koonse, Phil Upchurch and Jody Fisher to name a few. Jimmy has studied with many great musicians including Joe Diorio, Steve Trovato, Frank Potenza, Jody Fisher, John Prince, Shelly Berg and Ron Eschete.
As an educator Jimmy has been teaching music for over 10 years and has successfully directed ensembles and taught music for college, high school, and middle school. Jimmy teaches group and private guitar lessons and his instruction includes basic-advanced guitar techniques in all styles, composition and music theory. Jimmy is currently working on a seven string guitar CD project.