Jim is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger and music educator with a busy performing schedule, playing both reeds and brass, with many of the UK’s leading jazz and classical ensembles. Jim began playing the cornet at the age of ten, but after a few years on tenor horn eventually realized that playing the euphonium was much more fun. He studied music, as a saxophonist, at the University of Huddersfield but was fortunate enough to also be offered euphonium lessons with the legendary Geoffrey Whitham. He then went on to do a postgraduate course at the Royal Northern College Of Music, graduating in 2000.
Jim has held the principal euphonium positions with The Lindley Band (1998-2005) and The Hepworth Band (2005-2012) competing in some of the banding movements biggest competitions and winning the best instrumentalist prize at the championship section Yorkshire Regional Contest in 2009. He joined the Fairey Band for the National Brass Band Championships of 2012 and has remained there ever since. Jim has performed and recorded with many of the UK’s top bands and featured as a soloist on CD,s DVD,s & BBC radio 2’s Listen to the band.
Outside the brass band movement, Jim spends much of his time playing saxophone in big bands, pop bands and jazz groups. He is also often found in the pit for music theatre both on tour and in London’s west-end. Alongside this, he often does orchestral extra work with the Hallé, Liverpool Philharmonic, Northern Sinfonia and the BBC Philharmonic. He also writes and arranges music for many of the groups he performs with.
