Jim Lewin_Guitarist, Singer, Songwriter on Todd Snider tribute_interviewed 2026-01-30 on KZSCs 'Bushwhackers Brakfast Club'

Started playing music in Santa Cruz when he was a student, with his first band starting in 1980 the "Continental Drifters", followed later in the 1980s with "Harmony Grits" - "Continental Drifters" started as bluegrass, but evolved into country rock - "Harmony Grits" was bluegrass; first heard Todd Snider at The Fat Fry,a KPIG / KUSP music festival at Aptos Village Park; Jim later joined a Leftover Salmon (Vince Hermon) spin off band "Great American Taxi", touring with them for 5 years - Todd Snider was in a similar orbit, and Great American Taxi occassionally opened for Todd, & then would play wiht Todd; Todd helped produce GAT CDs, as well as Jim Lewin's CDs; Jim played on Todd's "Live (The Storyteller)" album; JIm never got into any trouble playing some of Todd's more in-your-face songs, but Todd managed to get into trouble; "The Money Question" - yes!!! through a lot of day jobs...taught a lot of guitar...rent out part of his house... and playing in *many* bands both locally (duo with Diane Z; Tiger's Tails; backing 2 local women banjo players, Sonia Shell & Alison Steele) and touring nationally (Edge of the West; Great American Taxi); Todd Snider passed away unexpectedly last fall, and left an increidble catalog of heartfelt, sometimes quirky, songs (e.g.: "Alright Guy", "“Conservative Christian, Right Wing, Republican, Straight, White, American Males”) An interview on "The Bushwhacker's Breakfast Club" with "Dangerous Dan", airing Friday mornings on KZSC Santa Cruz, California.