Entertainment
Joining us as our Guest Musicians are:
TRMA Award Winners
Past Guest Artists
Jerry Diaz
Donny Brewer
James ‘’Sunny Jim’’ White
Bob Karwin
Jim Morris
Calypso Nuts
Michael ‘’Crawdaddy’’ Crawley
Eric Stone
Wes Loper
Brent Burns
Rick Lamb
Thom Shepherd & Coley McCabe
Jimmy Maraventano
Donny Brewer is a Parrot Head, sure, Rasta fan, yeah, but the Texas born and bred
multi-instrumentalist is more than that. In fact he started in his teens playing big-hair
rock in bars he wasn’t even old enough to be in. Later, in college, he found he could
make more money playing country in Texas dance halls. Eventually he got fired from
his job and gave up his art education to tour with country acts. There he was educated
by a different professor — the road.
He honed his skills as a guitarist, bassist, and keyboardist in front of screaming fans of
well…whoever the act he was opening for. It was a tough road but you get a lot of time
off, so the Texas beaches became his second home. He spent years being content as
somebody else’s sideman, and only a closet songwriter — that is until he met a girl.
She soon became his wife and he left the road to become a family man, running Cowpatty Studios and working with
several local bands as a hired gun. Not a stable job, but having time to spend raising kids has made him a different
man. Songwriting quickly became the pastime of choice. The result is years of collecting material — everything from
raw country to rock and blues to islandy tunes. And what about those islandy tunes? All the other material had been
shopped around with various bands with little success but not the islandy stuff.
With a small nudge (otherwise known as a giant shove) from his wife (now of 21 years), he finally dusted off that
notebook, wrote some newly inspired tracks, and compiled them into two albums. And in this new age, you don’t need
a record deal budget to share your music with the world. All you need is a computer, a couple guitars, and a good mic.
Of course it helps to have 30 years experience as a musician, songwriter, and engineer!.....For more about Donny
Brewer, go to his website - www.donnybrewer.com
Music has long been a part of Jimmy Maraventano's life. From age 13 when he first
picked up the guitar, Jimmy continued to play with family members and friends,
adding the banjo to his repertoire along the way. His first paid gig was in the Catskills
playing after dinner sing-a-longs. People seemed to like it. Then, like a lot of folks,
marriage and children put his musical career on the back burner for about 10 years.
In 1999, Jimmy started his own band, Second Wind, after hosting a Caribbean-themed
party and buying a Jimmy Buffett CD. He liked what he heard, and he learned a few
tunes. The band is now known as Jimmy and the Parrots, and they've performed all
over the US as well as in the little latitudes of St. Kitts, Nevis, Grand Turk, Jamaica,
the Bahamas, and the Dominican Republic. In 2012 and 2014, they were named
Entertainer of the Year at the Trop Rock Music Association’s Award Ceremony in Key
West, FL. Jimmy performs all types of music, from Jimmy Buffett to the Beatles to George M. Cohan to the Beach Boys
to Simon and Garfunkel with some fun, crowd-pleasing original tunes thrown in for good measure. Jimmy’s solo act
truly appeals to all ages and all musical tastes. Grab your beach chair, your suntan oil, and your favorite drink, and get
ready for a trip to the islands and beyond.....You can find out more about jimmy and his band on his website is:
www.jimmyandtheparrots.com