JIM KIMO WEST & DAVID VITO GREGOLI, "Friday Harbor"

Having followed their spectacular 2024 album Kimo Vito with a surreal, exotic re-imagining of Toto’s iconic “Africa,” the adventurous duo of Grammy winning slack key guitarist Jim “Kimo” West and producer, multi-instrumentalist and renowned “sound painter” David Vito Gregoli are more than simply great artists showcasing their collective melodic and rhythmic intricacies on a variety of stringed instruments. They’ve become excellent musical travel agents as well, populating Kimo Vito with colorful, intricate tunes like “On the Road to Windham,” “Southern Coast,” “Land of Dreams” and “Where is Home Now?”

One of their latest singles, “Friday Harbor” finds them gracefully and conversationally reflecting their all at once chill and exuberant feelings about a place near and dear to their hearts – and mine as well. It’s a quaint, charming small village on San Juan Island – the largest of the multi-island archipelago of that name - in Northern Washington full of small shops and restaurants free from the imprint of corporate America.  

Listening to their intricate, mostly meditative (yet punctuated with occasional whimsical note flurries) take on it brings back fond memories of several trips there, including one that involved touring the islands on one of the resident’s yachts and enjoying the spray of water from the expansive San Juan and Upright channels, the occasional sighting of Orcas and the spectacular greenery of the Northwest landscape. Vito’s moody, hypnotic extended fretless bass notes – part of his expansive arsenal of sonic textures that includes acoustic guitar, 5 string banjo, mandolin and synth – also remind me of a signature sound on my favorite all time San Juan Islands-themed recordings by Michael Gettel on Narada in the 90s. Kimo complements Vito’s vibes with his trademark sensual melodic energy on acoustic and soprano guitars.  

For all my personal nostalgia, it’s more essential that listeners understand exactly what it is about Friday Harbor and San Juan Island that inspired both string masters. Kimo reflects, “The  San Juan Islands are a truly beautiful part of the world. I had been to Bainbridge and Whitney many times. When I landed a house concert in Anacortes, I decided to take the ferry to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island to check it out. I had a great time doing a ”walking tour”, a nice lunch and the capper was getting to see orcas on the way back!”

Vito’s memories take him back three decades: “I first went to Friday Harbor on my honeymoon with my first wife and still good friend Linda in 1995. We had heard amazing things about San Juan Island and none of it was hyperbole. The orcas, the small island village vibe, the beautiful countryside…all so perfect. From the first moment on the ferry approaching the harbor, I knew it was a very special place. The whole area gives off a vibe of ease, the beauty is incomparable and the greenery is stupendous. Not to mention the whales.”

“Beauty” and “ease” are the aesthetics at the core of “Friday Harbor,” inspiring a transcendent dual creative expression driven by lilting rhythm and a blend of cool strumming and intricate string passages, all caressed by a dreamy atmosphere. The artful fusion of these elements make for the perfect soundtrack to a day strolling casually in Friday Harbor, exploring the gorgeous scenery of San Juan Island or taking a ride through the Channel to spot some orcas – or for those with vivid imaginations, to simply relax and imagine you’re there.