Jim DiBattista

“Live From Nicole's Village Tavern Singer/Songwriter Jim DiBattista Has Developed A Following At The Wellington Venue Amid myriad influences, originality prevails with songwriter, singer and guitarist Jim DiBattista. His enthusiastic audiences at Nicole's Village Tavern in Wellington on Wednesdays, Thursdays and weekends are testament to his talent. The New Jersey native's lyrics reflect his personal experiences and observations over 51 years, as well as a compulsion to entertain. DiBattista has found a home in South Florida and a venue at Nicole's for the past several years. "You can't help but be influenced through the years," DiBattista said. "In the Sixties it was the Beatles, then Led Zeppelin, James Taylor, Jim Croce, Gordon Lightfoot..." He also includes Bruce Springsteen, Bob Seger, John Mellencamp and Bob Dylan on his list of major influences. "You liked everything. That's the way radio was then. I was blessed to have grown up at that time," DiBattista said. "Now, you have to listen to five different stations. Back then it was country, soul, rock 'n' roll and the British invasion." DiBattista said he tries to get inspiration for his songs from events outside his personal life. "A big challenge of a song writer is to not have himself in all the songs," he said. The selections on his CD Capture The Moment offer some success in that direction, he said, with such songs as "Lonely Train," "Kansas City Night" and "Ain't Goin Down Without A Fight." To look at a situation and not have one's self in it, those are the songs I like the best," he said. Capture The Moment will be re-released in a few weeks by Big Lump Records, a label owned by his band, Tropical Storm. Members of the band, who perform on the album, include Tim Raymond on bass, Patrick Lobsinger on drums, Sean Mormelo on guiter, keyboards and harmony, and DiBattista on acoustic and electric guitars, harmonica and vocals. Last year he released two albums, Jersey Stories parts I and II, which are edited and rewritten reprises of songs he wrote when he was younger. They are also available on CD at Nicole's when he is playing. There are 30 songs on each CD. "I think in Capture The Moment you can hear some of my better songwriting," he said. In "Lonely Train," for example, DiBattista projects soul into the sounds of a train passing by in the night. Lonely train where you goin'? I can hear your gate bell closin'. The rumblin' sound pierces This quiet town tonight. Lonely train I can feel you Goin' by as you pass through Like a steel horse stampede In this predawn light. Then I feel just like a lonely train tonight Kansas City Night" looks back to his roots in New Jersey. He and a friend hitchhiked to Kansas City in the 1970s. He returned to New Jersey after several years to learn his friend has died. Johnny was a friend of mine. He lived out on the edge and I Hitchhiked with him out west It was the summer of '76 In the middle of July Went back home a year ago Got the word from a friend who told me Johnny died of AIDS a year ago Well I thought back to another time Our futures never seemed so bright As they did on that July Those Kansas City nights. He also likes to infuse some humor in his music. "Especially in bars, it's hard to play all night with your heart on your sleeve," he said. He cites "Ain't Goin' Down Without A Fight" as one of his more humorous pieces. You can only take so much No matter how well you can take a punch Even the champions get punch drunk And eventually go down Sooner or later you're gonna see them again With chewed up bubble gum for brains On that rope climbin' in that ring For one more fight. Guess it's true the more things change, The more they stay the same And here I am back in trainin' for one more fight. One of his more "far out" songs tells of a close encounter during the passing of Comet Hale-Bopp in 1997. DiBattista said he based it on an experience he had while living near the Lantana Airport. He was outside searching for the comet at about 11:30 p.m., and recalled a news story about a California cult that was convinced a UFO was hiding in the tail of the comet. "I was thinking I always wanted to believe this stuff. All of the sudden, these unearthly lights appear," he recalled. "At first they looked like searchlights, then I realized, that's a... UFO. Then, all of a sudden, it was gone." Right over my house came seven lights streakin' Shaped like a V turned sideways and gleamin' What is it? I thought. I considered the meaning That contraption's bein' flown by some alien being. Jumped outta my chair. Gave chase through the trees Lookin up tryin' hard to see again what I just seen But it was gone in an instant, man it just disappeared. I ain't ever seen anything like that in all of my years. DiBattista says he considers it a privilege to be able to do something he enjoys so much. I've worked so many different jobs, in our family business as construction worker. I've been a cab driver, a telemarketer and dug ditches in hard times," he said. "This is the best job I've had. People work jobs they hate, and I love going to work almost every night. I'm really blessed." He has been a full-time musician since the early 1990s and was a 1992 nominee for top solo artist in Jam magazine's Jammy awards. I've thought if he could get with the right people, he'd really take off," said Nicole's co-owner Jaene Miranda, a DiBattista fan. DiBattista currently plays at Nicole's (12300 South Shore Blvd.) from 7 to 10 p.m. Wednesdays, 8 to 11 p.m. Thursdays and 9:30 to midnight Fridays and Saturdays. For more information, visit his web site at www.jimdibattista.com” - Ron Bukley