Alappuzha: Alleppey Jimmy, the renowned saxophone artist and veteran musician of film and theatre, has turned 75. Known offstage as Ignatius John, he has dedicated his life to music.

Born into a family steeped in musical tradition, Jimmy is the third son of Joseph George of Kalapuraveliyil and Elizabeth. His grandfather led a band troupe from 1930 to 1960, which was later taken over by Jimmy’s father. Jimmy’s own journey with music began in that very troupe, where he first played the saxophone.

A major turning point came while he was studying at Leo XIII High School, where his principal, Fr M C Joseph, recognised his talent with instruments such as the saxophone, clarinet and harmonium. Jimmy was transferred to St Michael’s High School in Kattoor, where he not only continued his studies but also began teaching other students how to play the saxophone.

His first major break came at age 13 when he played the clarinet for the play 'Muppathu Velli Kasu', produced by Shaitan Joseph’s Alleppey Theatres. This opened doors to prominent theatre troupes. Over the years, Jimmy received formal training in cornet from P J Kochuvarkey, saxophone from Kannur James, and Western saxophone from Sealord Nicholas.

He went on to collaborate with musical greats such as G Devarajan at KPAC, M K Arjunan at Alleppey Theatres, and Dakshinamoorthy at Kalanilayam. He also composed music for various theatre groups, working with legends like Kumarakom Rajappan, Baburaj, R K Shekhar, L P R Varma, Vayalar Rama Varma, and Vayalar Sarathchandra Varma. During the peak of his career, he composed music for as many as 33 theatre troupes in a single year.

It was playwright S L Puram Sadanandan who gave Ignatius John the stage name Alleppey Jimmy while he was composing for a Surya Soma troupe play.

Jimmy also made his mark in Kathaprasangam (storytelling performance art), collaborating with stalwarts like V Sambasivan, Kollam Babu, and Kedamangalam Sadanandan. He composed songs for political gatherings across party lines, including the KPCC, during visits by Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi to Alappuzha.

The Centre awarded him fellowships twice for his research in folk music. He also composed for the films Kuttappan Sakshi by N Pavithran and Neelakasham Niraye, produced by Kukku Vision.