About Jimmy Duke and The Riot

Jimmy Duke

Jimmy Duke (a.k.a. Jim Cheney) is singer/songwriter residing outside of Nashville, Tennessee. His prolific talent for image driven lyrics, poetically arranged and chocked full of literary stabs, create a world of misfits, would-be-Romeos, and lost souls looking for a simple break. Duke began songwriting later in his life and has since built a large catlague of diverse, distinct songs that play on raw emotion and symbolic statement. He has spent much of his career writing professional prose and journalism.

“I think that maturity lends itself to solid songwriting and poetry,” Duke says. “So much of pop and rock music today is being written with no intention of sustainability. Thatʼs nice if youʼre 20 years old and look at everything whimsically. Weʼre not about that. We want inside your head, and once weʼre there, we no longer consider ourselves a guest.”

“Song of Our Time” is Dukeʼs first release with The Riot. His next album is completed with production scheduled for late 2010.

The Riot

Comparing Jimmy Duke and The Riotʼs sound to other performing acts proves to be challenging. In many respects, the depth of the material and topics covered are often reserved for acoustic performers with toned-down tempos and polite crowds. The top shelf musicians that make-up The Riot have too much energy and ferocity to work with such constraints.

Composed of some of Nashvilleʼs most talented and versatile musicians, The Riot brings layer upon layer to Dukeʼs original material. Driven by lead guitarist and producer Josh Graham, the songʼs arrangements, breaks, builds, aggression and tenderness are distinctive in what has become a formulaic Music City. The thunderous hammer of Ben Martinʼs drums; the easy, honey-veined rhythm of Aaron Olivaʼs bass; the jaunty, speedy perfection of Skylar Wilsonʼs keys; and the rip cord licks and harmony from Grahamʼs Telecaster and backing vocals pull The Riot together like a house of fire. Itʼs an ensemble reminiscent of the British invasionʼs Who, Stones, and Faces with an original undertone all its own.