Jim grew up in Iowa, where his first instrument was a trombone in the fifth grade. He switched to tuba in the seventh grade. By high school, he was also playing bass with the school's jazz band.

In 1977, he joined the Bettendorf, Iowa Park Band. He was appointed assistant director in 1979 and director in 1980, a position he held for eight years.

Jim relocated to Gilroy, California in 1993. He presently plays Eb Bass for the Pacific Brass and is principal tuba in the South Valley Symphony Orchestra.

After attending a few traditional jazz festivals, Jim decided to take up that style of music as well. He attended three AFCDJS Jazz Camps in San Diego and one STJS camp at Sly Park, near Pollock Pines, CA. Subsequently, in April 2006, Ted Shafer invited him to join the Jelly Roll Jazz Band. He plays regularly with Tommy Bro's Hecker Pass All-Stars and with his own band, the Zinfandel Stompers. Jim also subs regularly with the Mission Gold Jazz Band and the South Bay Stompers.

Jim is one of the few trad jazz musicians who stores all his charts and lead sheets on a laptop computer, and who uses that computer as his music stand. Jim also manages and administers an e-commerce website serving the RV community, www.OvernightRVParking.com.