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WHO IS JIMMY WARREN?: Keyboards, Chasing the Dragon & Jerry Garcia
148 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 21, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 20, 2026
Who is Jimmy Warren? By Janice Anne Wheeler and James Jacobs is a memoir of James (Jimmy) Jacobs’ life 40 years ago, pre-Annapolis, when it was all “life in the fast lane.” In California. Unbelievable. But true.
If you follow the live music scene in Annapolis, you know Jimmy Jacobs, keyboardist/pianist extraordinaire. And if you haven’t had the pleasure to witness this musical phenom yet, you will certainly seek him out after reading his memoir. He truly is a legend!
Obsessed with music, Jim left Santa Fe after graduating from St. John’s College to return to Cali. As an occupent of the San Francisco scene in the late 70s to early 80s, Jim recounts his relationship with many talented musicians, some very famous and others you’ve never heard of.
Most notably, he recalls his adventures with the late Jerry Garcia, not just as a keyboard player in the JGB, but intimate details of a relationship where love of music was not the only thing shared.
It was a time of “sex, drugs and rock and roll” and the fast lane life lived by the counterculture of this particular time and place. What an adventure!
Truly fortunate, he says, “to be in the right place at the right time,” but on occasion, the wrong place too.
This is a quick read, not simply because it’s a slim volume, but also because you won’t want to put it down. Truly engaging from start to finish, he tells his story, which is “not about redemption,” with honesty, humor and heart.
Despite the fact that this life, this persona, existed over 40 years ago, he is remarkably clear in the details of the events he describes- and explains he may be fuzzy in terms of the year, but otherwise he seems quite on point given the detailed recollections.
Read, enjoy and be amazed!
If you follow the live music scene in Annapolis, you know Jimmy Jacobs, keyboardist/pianist extraordinaire. And if you haven’t had the pleasure to witness this musical phenom yet, you will certainly seek him out after reading his memoir. He truly is a legend!
Obsessed with music, Jim left Santa Fe after graduating from St. John’s College to return to Cali. As an occupent of the San Francisco scene in the late 70s to early 80s, Jim recounts his relationship with many talented musicians, some very famous and others you’ve never heard of.
Most notably, he recalls his adventures with the late Jerry Garcia, not just as a keyboard player in the JGB, but intimate details of a relationship where love of music was not the only thing shared.
It was a time of “sex, drugs and rock and roll” and the fast lane life lived by the counterculture of this particular time and place. What an adventure!
Truly fortunate, he says, “to be in the right place at the right time,” but on occasion, the wrong place too.
This is a quick read, not simply because it’s a slim volume, but also because you won’t want to put it down. Truly engaging from start to finish, he tells his story, which is “not about redemption,” with honesty, humor and heart.
Despite the fact that this life, this persona, existed over 40 years ago, he is remarkably clear in the details of the events he describes- and explains he may be fuzzy in terms of the year, but otherwise he seems quite on point given the detailed recollections.
Read, enjoy and be amazed!
July 4, 2026
What a trip down memory lane this was for me. My occupation was certainly not the same as Jimmy Warren’s — musician and drug dealer — but memories of the late ’60s and early ’70s have stayed with me: the music, the peace movement, the budding women’s liberation movement, the pot-smoking, and, above all, the music.
As Warren recounts his life to Janice Wheeler, she traces his talent, restlessness, driving ambition, and willingness to do almost anything to make it in the music world. We watch Jimmy grow through struggles, dreams, disappointments, and high-risk behavior. Had I not known he was alive and well today, I might have expected his story to end like those of Jim Morrison or Janis Joplin — two of my favorites, both lost far too young.
I am amazed that he not only survived, but he thrives now as both a musician and a boat repairman.
I especially recommend this book to Baby Boomers — and to anyone curious about the early days of the Grateful Dead, the Jerry Garcia Band, and the many musicians who crossed paths with Jimmy Warren.
As Warren recounts his life to Janice Wheeler, she traces his talent, restlessness, driving ambition, and willingness to do almost anything to make it in the music world. We watch Jimmy grow through struggles, dreams, disappointments, and high-risk behavior. Had I not known he was alive and well today, I might have expected his story to end like those of Jim Morrison or Janis Joplin — two of my favorites, both lost far too young.
I am amazed that he not only survived, but he thrives now as both a musician and a boat repairman.
I especially recommend this book to Baby Boomers — and to anyone curious about the early days of the Grateful Dead, the Jerry Garcia Band, and the many musicians who crossed paths with Jimmy Warren.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews