Jim is the musical director and plays trombone, bass trombone, keyboards, and sound effects on Cirque du Soleil's Kooza. The show features some of the best performers in the world, and is touring the world now. Jim also composes and arranges music, having written for clients as diverse as Ramsey Lewis, the Central Michigan University Marching Chippewas, and several films (see below). Before joining Cirque, Jim was a freelance musician in southern California. He earned his master's degree in jazz studies at the University of Southern California in 2005 after serving for 2 years as a teaching assistant in the USC jazz department. Prior to his studies at USC, Jim had a 2 year stint on the road performing the lead/solo trombone role in the touring cast of the TONY® and EMMY® award-winning production "Blast!" Before he joined the Blast cast in May 2001, Jim was a freelance musician in Orlando, Florida. He played trombone in various ensembles in the parks at Walt Disney World and Universal Studios, as well as other gigs around the central Florida area. Jim was the jazz soloist for the 2000 Disney Collegiate All-Star Band, which played in the Magic Kingdom that summer. Before that, in May 2000, he graduated from Central Michigan University in his hometown of Mt. Pleasant, MI with a bachelor's degree in music education.
Jim's main instrument is the trombone, but he also enjoys playing bass and piano. These instrumental skills, along with Jim’s abilities in computer music, contribute to Jim's perspective as a composer and arranger. Jim has also worked as a sound engineer and mobile recordist. As a trombonist, Jim has had many wonderful opportunities in his career. Some of these include performing on stage with Dave Brubeck, Harry Belafonte, Nancy Wilson, Bobby McFerrin, Wynton Marsalis, Wayne Shorter, Brian Blade, Danilo Perez, John Pattituci, Maria Schneider, Geoff Keezer, Ingrid Jensen, Patti Austin, Ernie Andrews, Bill Watrous, Brian Culbertson, Sam Winch, and Shelly Berg, to name a few. Jim also has recorded with members of the Count Basie Orchestra for an album with Jamie Davis, called “It’s A Good Thing,” and with the West Coast Jazz Syndicate for an album with Michael Whelan. Jim is also a versatile composer/arranger, whether it be for a jazz ensemble, singer, marching band, or movie score. Jim has composed and arranged for such clients as Ramsey Lewis and Shelly Berg, and has prepared music for clients like the Count Basie Orchestra. Jim has also worked as a music programmer for Yamaha’s downloadable XF MIDI library at www.yamahamusicsoft.com. In addition, Jim has written and performed music for film, such as the soundtrack for Jason Carter's "Swing By," Mike Horelick's "Pee Stains and Other Disasters," and Melody Rock's "Murder at the Chat Noir."
In Kooza, Jim plays a Shires medium bore trombone (.525 bore) with a TruBore F attachment, along with a Yamaha YBL-612 bass trombone. On the Shires, he has a small shank Monette TS6S1 mouthpiece, and on the bass bone, he has a Monette MSV1. Jim also plays an Edwards .508 jazz trombone for work outside the show.
