Biography

Jim is a distinguished trombonist, composer, and educator. The inspiring virtuosity and wonderful versatility he has demonstrated during his career has caused Jim to be often honored as the “musician's musician”. Whether he is performing as a concerto soloist in a symphonic setting, recording and touring with legendary artists in the fields of classical, jazz, and rock, or bringing forth his own exciting new compositions that expand the role of brass in contemporary music, his creativity knows no boundaries.
After graduation from the famed Eastman School of Music in 1972, Jim toured and recorded numerous albums with Woody Herman and the “Young Thundering Herd”, among them 2 Grammy Award winners, “Giant Steps” and “Thundering Herd”. Leaving the “Herd” in 1976, Jim began a 3-decade-long stint freelancing in the New York City recording studios. During this time, he had the opportunity to work and record with a wide variety of musicians. A short list would include people and groups like: Paul Simon, Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Donald Fagen, Walter Becker, Madonna, Pink Floyd, Arrowsmith, Steely Dan, George Micheal, Gerry Mulligan, Jim Hall, Jay Leonhart, David “Fathead” Newman, Herbie Mann, Neena Freelon, Nancy Wilson, Charles Wuorinen. Elliott Carter, André Previn; films like: Beauty and The Beast; Aladdin, Dressed To Kill, National Lampoon’s Vacation, All That Jazz, Star 80, The Untouchables, Wolf, Mission To Mars, Interview With The Vampire, Cobb, Frieda, Cape Fear, Carlito’s Way, Fargo, Hudsucker Proxy, Miller’s Crossing; Broadway shows: Sweeney Todd, City of Angles, Will Roger’s Follies, High Society and Fosse.
On the more ‘classical’ side, Jim re-premiered the Nathaniel Shilkret Concert for Trombone and Orchestra (written in 1942 for Tommy Dorsey) in 2003 at Carnegie Hall with Skitch Henderson conducting the New York Pops Orchestra. He was also proudly, principal trombone and a founding member of both Marin Alsop’s Concordia Chamber Orchestra and Jonathan Sheffer’s EOS Orchestra and performed and recorded extensively with both groups.
Composing and arranging music has also been a pattern of Jim’s musical life. He premiered and later recorded his own Trombone Concert (along with the Nathaniel Shilkret Concerto and Jeff Tyzik’s Trombone Concerto with Jeff Tyzik conducting the Colorado Symphony) for Albany Records. He has composed and arranged theme and documentary music for National Public Radio including All Things Considered, Morning Edition, Weekend Edition, Performance Today, The Most Dangerous Game. Considering himself a ‘pragmatic’ composer (writing usually only for himself or when asked...), he has been commissioned by, among others: the Concordia Chamber Orchestra, the Williamsport Symphony Orchestra, the St. Louis Low Brass Collective, the American Saxophone Quartet, and bass trombonist David Taylor.
While still in New York, Jim taught at New York University, University of the Arts (Philadelphia) and SUNY-Purchase College. In 2005 he accepted an appointment as Distinguished Professor of Jazz Trombone at the University of Illinois - Urbana/Champaign, moved to the mid-west and started a family. Jim’s university groups and students have consistently won ensemble and soloist awards from the International Trombone Association (twice; 2012, 17) and the American Trombone Workshop (6 times; 2012, 14, 17, 18, 20 & 23). His students have successfully entered the world of professional music as university, college and public-school teachers, as freelance musicians in New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Chicago, Indianapolis, Washington DC and in various military music organizations: Navy Commodores, US Army Band, US Marine Band.
Teachers: Jim is proud and grateful to have had the privilege of studying with and learning from: William Hill (1960-1963), Matty Shiner (1963-1968), Emory Remington (1968-1971), and first aurally and later sitting next to him, Urbie Green (1961-???).

Equipment: Jim plays exclusively on BAC trombones and Monette mouthpieces and endorses AEA microphones.