Jim plays banjo and mandolin, and sings lead, tenor,  and  

 baritone. He was raised on a  farm in  western  Oklahoma.

 During high school and college, he became interested  in the

 barbershop  style of singing,  which would  later  be helpful in

 the different  harmonies  of  bluegrass. After  college,  Jim

 moved to Kansas City,  Missouri just in time to become involved

 in folk music which was so popular at the time. He played folk

 guitar, but soon decided that a banjo had the most intriguing

 sound, and that later led him into bluegrass music. He later helped

 form a group called "The Bluegrass Association" and played with

 them until 1979.  In 1980, he joined the Bluegrass Brigade and

 gradually added mandolin  for some of the song arrangements.

 Jim recently retired from a career in chemical engineering, and is

 enjoying more time with travel and involvement in bluegrass music.