Andy Kimbel

Andy Kimbel, (born December 26, 1955), in Philadelphia Pennsylvania, is an American folk/blues singer, guitarist, and songwriter. His music draws from the blues and American folk music, He is widely known for his innovative finger-picking style, which is based on influences from early blues, jazz, and folk music, and his own improvisational syncopated, polyphonic melodies.
Andy Kimbel's guitar talent and pointed lyrical melodies have put him on festival stages across the world and into theatres, concert halls, colleges and coffeehouses. He has garnered critical acclaim from magazines, newspapers, and music peers.
Childhood
Kiimbel grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, he began to play guitar and piano at the age of 8. His first guitar instructors included classical guitarist Peter Segal and folk guitarist and teacher at the Miquon School, Tony Hughes.
Andy Kimbel played in a band at the age of 11. He continued playing in various music groups through High School. Kimbel attended Embry Riddle Aeronautical University majoring in Aviation and Flight Technology. After graduating, Kimbel flew for several Airlines and corporations as a pilot and flight instructor.
Aviation Career turns into a Music Career
During a pilot furlough in the early 1990s. Kimbel began to play open mic nights and acoustic showcases in Philadelphia and New York City. During his shows, he claimed to be short on lyrics. As a result, Kimbel would pass around a tablet having members of the audience write down lyric lines one at a time which he would then later perform on stage. This unique presentation along with his impressive accompanying guitar work landed Kimbel performance slots at coffee Houses and music clubs across North America. In 1995, he recorded his forst project with First Choice Records based in New York City. Kimbel was also at the same time period, Andy played most of the folk and blues venues in the Mid-Atlantic region and was also hired as the House Musician at the Improv in New York. When Andy was recalled by the airlines to fly, he made the decision to further pursue his already established career as a performing and recording artist..
Blues Performer and Recording Artist
In 2001, Andy played on the QVC television network Wednesday evenings to hundreds of thousands of viewers watching the cooking show "Jamin' in the Kitchen.

Andy Kimbel now records on the Sage International Label. His first nationally distributed CD Blues and Other Moods, was produced in 1996. It was recorded on the fly by Jeff Chesteke at Victory Studios in Philadelphia. The CD further demonstrated Kimbel's ability to create simultaneous rhythm and finger picking patterns often generating the sound of a 12 string guitar from a 6 string instrument.
Discography
* Time Moves On (1995 First Choice)
* Blues & Other Moods (1996 Sage International)
* Dust My Broom ( 2007 Sage International)
* Red Hot Blues ( 2008)

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