Currently teaching part-time at the University of Nevada and working full-time in the Vegas production of the popular Broadway musical "Mamma Mia," the guitarist has had a long and circuitous route to the making of his auspicious debut as a leader.

WIth the release of his debut solo CD, "Orleans to London", Jimmy has found himself recording with some of the legends of guitar and New Orleans funk. "It's like a dream come true having Ronnie Wood and Jeff Beck on my record," says Jimmy. "These are heroes of mine, guys I've admired for over 30 years. And Art Neville is a hero as well."

Born on October 14, 1958 in Sao Paolo, Brazil, McIntosh grew up in the small town of Temperance, Michigan, where his family moved when he was seven years old. He played French horn (on an instrument given to him by Duke Ellington, a close family friend) in the junior high school band before picking up the guitar at age 14 and beginning private lessons the following year. "I was a Beatles fan as a kid until I saw the Rolling Stones' movie 'Gimme Shelter' in 1970," he recalls. "At that point I became a huge Stones fan. That became an influence that's lasted to this day." In 10th grade, he began studying with John Justus, the local jazz guitar guru in Toledo, Ohio. "I started studying with John in the Spring of 1974," he remembers. "And I was working with John on a chord melody of an Ellington tune about the time Duke passed away (May 24, 1974)."

Jimmy McIntosh

While studying with Justus, McIntosh met and befriended fellow guitarist Scott Henderson, who had moved to Toledo to work in a Top 40 band. "I met him at a music store in Toledo," he recalls. "We both used to sit in with a local jazz band and hung out together. Scott was already an incredible player."

After graduating from high school in 1976, Jimmy attended the Berklee College of Music for two years and later got a bachelors degree in music arts with a major in guitar performance from the University of Michigan. In 1981, he moved to Las Vegas, a place with deep roots for the McIntosh family. "In 1905 my grandfather built the first saloon in Las Vegas, a place called The Arizona Club, which was literally the first permanent structure in Vegas," he explains.

Since relocating to Las Vegas, he's been an in-demand guitarist on the music scene. Over the years McIntosh has played with R&B singer Doris Troy (of "Just One Look" fame) and Little Anthony & The Imperials, backed up Buddy Hackett and Ben Vereen, and also had a longstanding gig with the popular Vegas show "Legends In Concert." He has also included work on more than 40 national tv shows, appearing in the house band for Penn & Teller's "Sin City Spectacular," which aired for 24 one-hour episodes on the FX network (performing with the likes of Slash, Lyle Lovett, Weird Al Yankovic, Eric Idle, Jennifer Holliday and Clarence Clemmons). He also played in the house band on Comedy Central's "Viva Variety," and The WB network Ron White show.

Jimmy's Strokeland connection is strong. For 15 years, beginning in 1990, McIntosh also played with none other than the Lon Bronson All-Stars Band, found right here on Strokeland Records.

Lon Bronson's All-Stars is a powerhouse horn band that had a longstanding weekly residency at the Riviera, where they entertained crowds 'til the wee hours and featured such special guests sitting in as Tower Of Power, former Doobie Brothers guitarist and producer Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, guitarist Joe Walsh, comedian (and sometime trumpeter) Drew Carey, Penn Jillette and The Tonight Show guitarist, bandleader and Jay Leno sidekick Kevin Eubanks. In 1999, following his longstanding engagement with the "Legends" show, McIntosh moved to the Rio Hotel to perform in a show with pop stars Sheena Easton and David Cassady, then worked for the following two years in Cassady's touring band.