A native of the San Francisco Bay Area, Chimenti began playing piano when he was four and he studied formally from the age of seven to around the time he finished high school. Once he graduated from high school, he began playing in bands around the Bay area. He played in local jazz bands as well as Les Claypool's Frog Brigade. He has also played back-up for pop acts such as En Vogue. He was playing in Dave Ellis's jazz quartet when Ellis was hired to play saxophone in Bob Weir & RatDog. Ellis informed him that RatDog was also looking for a new keyboardist. Chimenti was hired and played his first show 28 May 1997. Chimenti has been a member of RatDog ever since and has occasionally performed with Phil Lesh and Friends. While performing, he commonly uses Brent Mydland's Hammond B3 organ. He performed with The Other Ones during the band's final tour with that name in 2002. This was the first time that Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart all performed together since the disbandment of the Grateful Dead in 1995. Chimenti performed with The Rhythm Devils at Madison Square Garden, where Micky Hart and Bill Kreutzmann officially inducted him into the group by placing Devil Horns on his head, while dressed in full devil costumes themselves. He continued to perform with every version of the Dead that toured in 2003, 2004 and 2009. Following The Dead's final tour in 2009 he joined Bob Weir and Phil Lesh in their project Furthur. Furthur toured consistently between 2009 and 2014. During early 2015 Chimenti joined musicians John Kadlecik, Reed Mathis and Jay Lane in the band the Golden Gate Wingmen. Chimenti performed at the five in Santa Clara, at Levi's Stadium, on June 27 and 28 2015 and in Chicago, at Soldier Field, on July 3, 4 and 5 2015. Following the success of the Fare Thee Well shows, he continues to tour with the band Dead & Company, along with former Grateful Dead members Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann, and Mickey Hart, as well as John Mayer and former Allman Brothers bassist Oteil Burbridge. Chimenti has played with one or more former Grateful Dead members for over 20 years, which by comparison is as long as the tenure of Grateful Dead keyboardists Keith Godchaux and Brent Mydland combined.
Outside of music
Chimenti and a roadie developed a product used to prevent facial abrasions from the use of CPAP machines.
Discography
Jeff Chimenti has contributed to albums by a number of different musical artists.
