Jim Zeller

Jim Zeller

Jim Zeller is a distinctive Quebec blues harmonica player whose career has been shaped by decades of live performance, travel and musical collaboration. During the 1970s, he worked closely with multi-instrumentalist Alan Gerber, performing across Canada and the United States and building a reputation for raw, energetic blues.

Their musical journey led to an appearance connected with Bob Dylan’s 1978 film Renaldo and Clara, alongside a remarkable circle of artists that included Joan Baez, T-Bone Burnett, Ronnie Hawkins, Allen Ginsberg, Mick Ronson and Arlo Guthrie.

After returning to Quebec in the mid-1980s, Zeller formed a powerful partnership with Chicago guitarist Joe Jammer. Over the following years, he became a familiar and respected presence on Montreal’s Saint-Denis Street, performing regularly at venues such as the Grand Café and Bistro à JoJo. His unmistakable harmonica sound and deeply lived-in approach to the blues have made him one of the city’s most memorable blues personalities.