Jimmy and Jerome Ali are the twin sons of Brenda and the late Jimmy Ali, Sr., an avid jazz enthusiast and pianist Born in Detroit, Michigan at a time when Barry Gordy's Motown Sound was igniting the world. They quickly embraced R&B music and such great jazz artist as Charlie Parker, Eddie Harris, Stan Getz and Art Blakey.
Jim is on the left, Jerome is on the right.
As young teens, Jimmy & Jerome were organizing "jam sessions!". All of the neighborhood musicians would come & wait their turn to jam with "the twins". Their Dad Jimmy Ali Sr., had an ongoing, open door policy allowing neighborhood teens to come over & rehearse so that they could form bands & perform at the High schools & local hot spots with the Ali Boys. Some awesome talent emerged from that basement /"rehearsal hall" on Littlefield Street. Mr. Ali (Bart) as he was affectionately called, had a tough policy to abide by~ NO DRUGS, NO DRAMA!! And yes, he WOULD enforce it. Mr. Ali often said he would rather all the teens at his house rather than going to all of the houses looking for his teens...
Dad on keys ~ S.O.S. Bebop Band in Germany
Growing up in the birthplace of Motown had its rewards. While walking
around the neighborhood with instruments in hand as Jimmy and Jerome
often did, they were spotted by Carolyn Franklin, sister of Aretha
Franklin. Carolyn invited the young entertainers into her home to
perform and was amazed at what she saw and heard. She invited The
Ali Brothers to do sessions at Motown Studio B and as they say,
the rest is history!
Jimmy Ali Sr in Germany @ The Cotton Club
Throughout the years, Jimmy and Jerome have shared the stage
and recorded with such diverse artist as: Carlos Santana, George
Clinton and the Parliament Funkadelic, Ray Charles, Natalie Cole,
Earl Klugh, Buddy Miles and the Doobie Brothers, to name a few.
Currently residing in Las Vegas, Nevada, Jimmy and Jerome,
known professionally as the Brothers Ali, have performed at
the Las Vegas Hilton, Mandalay Bay, Paris, Caesars, Aladdin,
Stardust Hotels, Lake Las Vegas, and the Green Valley Resorts:
"The District" They also appeared at the 1st Annual Newport
Pacific Jazz Festival on 8-28-05 in Las Vegas and performs at Town Square Live! & the Ritz Carlton. They have also performed at The Wynn Hotel for Mrs. Wynns private dinner party & at the Mirage 8/08 for The Michael Jordan Foundation for the 4th consecutive year. Voted the best jazz group for the American Black Music Awards '08
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