Jimmy Ryan of 'The Hit Men': What Makes a Hit Record a Hit?

Multi-instrumentalist Jimmy Ryan has spent the last six decades recording and performing with some of the most famous pop stars of our time - Carly Simon, Paul McCartney, Rod Stewart, Jim Croce, Elton John, Cat Stevens and many more. Jimmy was also a founding member of The Critters (‘Mr Dieingly Sad’) and a long-time member of The Hit Men, a supergroup consisting of talented sidemen and studio session players that you have heard on many popular records. 

For this unique program, Jimmy will bring you an insider’s view of what it’s like to be a first-call studio musician. He will demonstrate the methods and mindset needed to create hit records with a live performance and a step-by-step breakdown of many popular hits, taking them from inception to finished masters. Finally, he will do a live reading of select chapters from his new book, Behind - Autobiography of a Musical Shapeshifter, an insightful look into the minds and mania of rock stars and the crazy, heady world of popular music. As Jimmy is a Port Washington alumnus who attended Paul D. Schreiber High School, he is delighted to bring this unique program to the library. This program is made possible by the Friends of the Port Washington Public Library.