Jim Fitting is an American harmonica player based in Boston, Massachusetts. He is known for his work with

Treat Her Right Treat Her Right was an American rock group, formed in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, in 1985. The band originally featured Mark Sandman on "low guitar," Billy Conway on cocktail drum, David Champagne on guitar, and Jim Fitting on harm ...

The The () are an English post-punk band. They have been active in various forms since 1979, with singer-songwriter Matt Johnson being the only constant band member. achieved critical acclaim and commercial success in the UK, with 15 chart singles ...

, and

Session Americana Session Americana is a Boston-based Folk/Rock band/collective. History This six-member group of experienced musicians came together in 2004 for informal shows at Toad (a pub in Cambridge) on Sunday nights, with Sean Staples (mandolin, guitar ...

. His credits include guest performances on various other artists' albums and live gigs.

Background

Fitting was born in

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

and grew up in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...

. He began playing harmonica at an early age with his brother Tom on guitar. In the 1970s, he went to

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...

Sex Execs and Fort Apache

After graduating, he joined two of his friends from Yale—

Sean Slade Sean Slade (born 14 November 1957) is an American record producer, engineer, and mixer. On many of his productions he worked in partnership with Paul Q. Kolderie. Career Slade was born in Lansing, Michigan, United States. He graduated from Y ...

and Paul Q. Kolderie—in the band

Sex Execs Sex Execs were a new wave music band from Boston, Massachusetts, active from late 1981 to mid-1984, playing bars and colleges in the Northeast. Although the group's recorded output was scanty and self-released, lasting recognition came via severa ...

, in which Fitting played baritone saxophone. The trio also helped found

Fort Apache Studios Fort Apache Studios is a New England recording studio focusing on alternative rock sessions produced there since 1986. History The studio was initially built by a collective begun in 1985 by musician/producer Joe Harvard and members of a band ...

in the mid-1980s, along with Joe Harvard.

Treat Her Right

Fitting's playing was prominent in the sound of 1980s/early 1990s Boston quartet Treat Her Right, which featured

Mark Sandman Mark may refer to: Currency * Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark, the currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina * East German mark, the currency of the German Democratic Republic * Estonian mark, the currency of Estonia between 1918 and 1927 * Finn ...

. The group's drummer, Billy Conway, was another friend and bandmate from Yale. In 1988, ''People'' magazine called Fitting's harmonica "the pulse of the band." ''Trouser Press'' noted that the songs were "all given added juice by Jim Fitting's wailing harp work."

The The

Fitting played with The The in the early to mid-1990s after Treat Her Right broke up. A 1993 account of a show on the ''Lonely Planet'' tour called him "a valuable new addition to the band." A book about this band and its leader, Matt Johnson, observed that Fitting helped draw audience approval with enthusiastic performances.

Bonnie Raitt

He has also accompanied an old friend, Bonnie Raitt, on stage. The ''Boston Globe'' noted in 1991 that Fitting was a "special favorite" of Raitt's.

Coots

In 1999, Fitting helped form Coots, which released an album in 2001 called ''Message from the Seventh Dimension'' and another called ''Pray for Rain'' in 2004. In addition to his harmonica, Fitting was lead vocalist for this band (he had occasionally sung for Treat Her Right). The lineup, which was notable for the absence of electric guitar, also included drummer

Jerome Deupree Jerome Deupree (born November 9, 1956) is an American musician, based in Massachusetts. He is best known as the original drummer in the alternative rock band Morphine. Early career Deupree started playing drums at the age of six, with the hel ...

Session Americana

A few years later, he became part of Session Americana, which remains active today. In 2018, a Vermont newspaper, the ''Times-Argus'', described the musical collective and Fitting, "an astoundingly good harmonica player." He also contributes vocals and songwriting. His songs often link to history.

Billy, Jimmy, & Dave

In 2019, Fitting, Conway, and David Champagne got together and recorded an album. A live date was announced for January 19, 2020 at Club Passim in Cambridge—which was to be their first appearance together on stage since all were members of Treat Her Right. Unfortunately, it was announced that week that Conway would not be able to perform at the event because of health issues.Club Passim website
/ref> At the event Fitting told the audience Conway had restarted cancer treatment.

References

External links

* ttps://meandthee.org/interviews/jim-fitting/ Jim Fitting interview (2014) at Me&Thee.org {{DEFAULTSORT:Fitting, Jim American harmonica players Living people Year of birth missing (living people)