Jimmy Calire started playing piano in 1954, when he was just seven years old. Maybe it was his early start that led to his vast career.Calire has played with Jimi Hendrix and opened for Led Zeppelin, Joe Cocker, Johnny Winter, Electric Flag, Procol Harum, and the Birds. He recorded with Ned Doheny, who got him a touring gig with the band America.Now, Calire can not only be seen in sold out venues, but also teaching piano – and sometimes saxophone – to the students at the OVS Lower Campus.“For me, music is a calling,” Calire said. “It’s not really a job.”
On his 18th birthday, Calire both graduated high school and started his first club gig. He played piano five nights a week.
He continued to play five to six gigs a week throughout his time at the University of Buffalo, where he studied pre-law and history – neither of which he went into professionally. Even though he did not study music, he would still go to the school’s music rooms and practice from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Although Calire continues to rock the keys, the piano was not the first instrument he tried.
“My parents gave me my grandfathers trumpet, it was traumatic,” Calire said. “[After that] they decided to get a piano.”
He studied piano for four years with Anita Frank, a concert pianist who loved to teach children. “[Studying with Anita] was pretty much all the formal training I had,” Calire laughed. Frank trained Calire with classical music, but Calire wanted to play something else.
“The turning point was when I went to Ms. Frank with a music piece that was real raucous,” Calire smiles at the memory. “I was about 10, and it was too hard for me [to play], and I gave it to her and asked her to play it for me.”
Frank played the piece for Calire just as it was written, but Calire thought it sounded off. “I remember thinking, ‘That doesn’t sound right. Something’s missing. It needs a feel,’ ” he said. With some searching, and some practice, Calire found the “feel” that Frank’s playing was missing.
“I could see I wasn’t going to be a classical pianist,” said Calire. “I was going to go in a different direction.”
Calire toured with America in 1976 while his family – wife Donna and young sons Jamie, Mario (who later followed his father into music and became the drummer for The Wallflowers) and Dyami – stayed in Buffalo, New York. After that tour, he and his family moved to Ojai.
Although Calire no longer tours, music is still a massive part of his life.
“I’ve written some musicals,” Calire said, “I’m the musical director at the Ojai Presbyterian Church… I write for the choir that’s there.”
Calire also teaches piano and saxophone lessons at OVS and in his home.
“Jimmy has so much to offer,” said Lower Campus parent, Karen Kelly, who’s son, Ronan, has taken piano lessons with Jimmy. “He possesses comprehensive knowledge and key information about composers and music, with regard to classical, jazz, right up to present day. He’s like an encyclopedia of music.”
Calire has had as many as 30 students taking lessons from him at OVS, including the daughter of Admission Director Tracy Wilson.
“I can’t say a negative word about Jim Calire,” said Ms. Wilson, whose daughter, Alex, studies piano with Calire. “These little kids have no idea what a master musician they have the opportunity to work with. And he’s one of many who bring their talents to OVS and better our arts community as a result.”