Jimmy Robinson is a world-renowned guitarist who often can be heard with his seminal fusion band Woodenhead and with several other groups including the New Orleans Guitar Masters. Robinson grew up in New Orleans and studied classical guitar and composition at Loyola University New Orleans and at the Eastman School of Music in New York. He got his professional start in 1968 in a psychedelic rock band called Ejaculation, but he soon combined both his classical and electric guitar sensibilities to forge his own unique sound.
In 1975 Robinson formed Woodenhead, an instrumental jazz/rock fusion band that will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2025 and embodies Robinson’s progressive jazz stylings and showcases his guitar mastery. He can often be heard – in various combinations – with fellow master guitarists Cranston Clements, Phil DeGruy, and John Rankin. Over the years Jimmy has developed a robust international solo career and has opened for or played with a long list notable musicians, from John McLaughlin and Chick Corea to Jeff Beck and the Neville Brothers. Lately he’s been playing with Layla Musselwhite, and sometimes her blues-legend dad Charlie, as well as his continuing his solo and ensemble work. He is a treasured figure in the New Orleans musical scene as a composer, musician, and bandleader and behind-the-scenes supporter, an artist with a unique musical vision.
