Ham1

Ham1 originated in Athens, GA, when singer/songwriter and guitarist Jim Willingham—a reading teacher and onetime member of Harey Carey and Crown Vic—assembled the group. Willingham, who labeled himself a “wounded veteran of the Athens hard rock scene of the mid-'90s,” spent a year in Florida recovering from that period and, while there, developed a taste for the easy listening and soundtrack music broadcast on a local station. Back in Athens he joined forces with fellow teacher Chris Sugiuchi, who handled trombone and percussion, to launch the instrumental outfit the Prince Rondavels; the pair subsequently started Ham1 and invited assorted local players to participate as guests. Drummer and organist Eric Harris of Olivia Tremor Control caught one of their performances and joined as the third core member. The resulting trio issued its self-titled debut album independently on November 15, 2005. Orange Twin put out the band’s follow-up, The Captain’s Table, in 2007. By the arrival of the 2008 Infinity Cat Recordings LP The Underground Stream, cellist, keyboardist, and vocalist Jacob Morris had enlarged the lineup to a quartet. Along the way Ham1 also recorded alongside Liz Durrett, served as her backing unit, and toured in support of Vic Chestnutt.