Ryan Zimmerman Press Kit

 

 Ryan Zimmerman is a singer/songwriter from Long Beach Island NJ. He is a roots musician dedicated to his craft of songwriting and performing live. Ryan started his music career on the Jersey Shore,where he currently calls home. An avid music fan and performer Ryan draws his influence from early roots performers up to todays consummate guitar players and singers. His windmill rhythmic guitar style is reminiscent of Ritchie Havens and his deep room filling voice summons Mark Sandman.

  Currently gigging and writing ,Ryan will be preforming this winter in and around the North East and New England area supporting his new EP "Ephemeral as a Kiss",recorded this last fall in Asbury Park with the help of Pete Steinkopf of The Bouncing Souls. A run of shows is in the works for Southern California at the end of March as well as a full spring tour of the South East in Late spring. 

Sample track

Press links

 

Long Beach Island, NJ’s, Ryan Zimmerman is a rootsy artist, there’s no question about that. His current single with two more coming in on the back of it, is everything from Americana and traditional country to blues music done with an authentic quality. This has been an ad mixture from the Jersey shore since the early days of the of Southside Johnny Asbury Jukes, but Zimmerman gets around the country and has played with artists such as Marshall Crenshaw and Michael Allman, just to name a couple. And “Solitude Blues” is a truly remarkably well written, produced and arranged single. Not only is Zimmerman well stepped in the blues, this single goes into much more territory, including folk, country and bluegrass. There’s a singer/songwriter quality to it as well, and it’s all the mark of a good product which should culminate into more of the same on the following releases. The lyrics tell the story of trying to laugh among all the reasons in the world not to, and the storytelling pace is what really draws you into the song. Zimmerman’s vocals are perfectly pitched with just the right gruff for the song. Put the two together and you really believe what he’s singing, backed by a soft female voice. As for who’s backing Zimmerman I do not know, but it’s essentially an acoustic guitar driven number with said backing vocals. “Solitude Blues” is just an expression more than it is a blue song, but the point is made perfectly clear and he’s not categorized as a blues artist, which is often the case with songs that mention blues in the title. Most often they have nothing to do with blues per say, but with the root of it all being blues it doesn’t get away from that overall feeling. But most importantly the song is catchy, dark, moody and emotional enough to convey every word with equal weight in the process of a great track. Zimmerman is very rugged in his vocal delivery but there’s also a certain elegance to it that you don’t get in folk, and that’s another way he crosses so many genre’s in just one song. It’s beyond categorization except to call it acoustic based. But that also means it can be enjoyed by everyone from folk and country to bluegrass lovers. You don’t get this quality everyday anymore, in the less countrified and more pop-polarized landscape. In-fact it has a swampy, almost Texas gulf appeal to it as well. It could be that Zimmerman doesn’t want to be placed in the Jersey shore box as he releases his uniquely styled music, but that also might not be true to his audience that knows him, just a hunch by the sound of this track before being introduced to his future songs of which it does whet the appetite for and then some. It could also just be that I am glad I enough that heard “Solitude Blues” it immediately begs for more of his music to be heard all the same. Either way, it comes highly recommended. -Mindy McCall, No Depression (Dec, 18)

Following up Working Musician is 2017’s Ephemeral as a Kiss EP and it’s lead-off single, The Reason. Like a smooth concoction consisting of one part Sublime and one part Jack Johnson, Zimmerman keeps it simple with an acoustic guitar, a funky drum rhythm, and an every-man’s blue collar story of struggle. (Be sure to hangout for the ultra-chill electric solo at about the 2:14 mark.)                                                                                                                                                                       - thearkofmusic.com best singles of 2017 (Dec, 2017)

"Inspired by anything and everything, even just a beautiful day; this self taught musician brings an eclectic mix of music to LBI. Zimmerman’s playlist includes a variety of genres including reggae, acoustic funk, folk, blues and Americana. The variety is what keeps him playing gigs 5-6 nights a week during the summer season. His performances draw crowds for the original sounds and songs at some of LBI’s favorite hot spots.
-LBI Blogger, lbiblogger.com (Apr 18,2017)

"Zimmerman considers his album "Working Musician" sonically eclectic, spanning all different styles he's into, using different drummers, keyboard players, and a sax in recording. Pete Steinkopf (of the Bouncing Souls) lends some guitar along with other notable Jersey musicians."
Jon Coen, Section Two,The Sandpaper (Jun 16, 2016)

"Wintry viewpoints are balanced by upbeat moments that match Zimmerman's famous zeal for life. "Fireproof" and "Johnny Goodtime" ring out with reggae and funk rock energy, while "run it through the icebreakers" and " Forever is Almost Waiting" hit beautiful americana notes, and not only do the songs sound damn good, but they touch on topics any east coast surfer can relate to."
Nick Mcgregor, Eastern Surf Magazine (Sep 06, 2016)

“When it comes to music, Ryan Zimmerman has an open mind. “I grew up listening to punk rock and reggae,” Zimmerman says. “As I grew older, I started listening to jazz. I told myself I would never be judgmental of any one type of music — I just love music as a whole.” To say he has stayed true to his word would be quite the understatement, as he describes his own songs as “a blend of acoustic funk, reggae, folk, blues, punk rock and Americana.” It’s a lot to throw in one pot, but it all comes together nicely.”
Ryan Laughlin, Press of Atlantic City (Oct 22, 2015)

“The original band showcase at the Lizzie Rose Music Room on Saturday night was a sold-out success that more than met expectations of event organizer Ryan Zimmerman. The event achieved its objectives, which were to provide exposure for local original bands and to bring new fans to a promising new venue.”
Victoria Ford, The Sandpaper (Feb 28, 0015)

 

Sample video

Press photos