My name is Jim and I'm a bass player...

I'm what they call a Weekend Warrior. I'm not a professional player in that I don't derive my income from playing bass, but I do get paid. I first started playing bass in high school back in 1982 or so. I was asked to play in the school Jazz band, but I declined. Big mistake. I could have learned a lot from the experience, but I was too busy playing football, working on the school paper, working two jobs, and chasing skirts. We all have to make choices.

Off and on over the years I've played in several local cover bands. I was in a duet with an acoustic guitar player for a while. It was there I learned just how hard it can be to arrange a song with just a bass and an acoustic guitar.  I was always the guy that guitar players called when they wanted to jam because I was able to learn new songs pretty quickly. I've done a few originals and helped others with theirs.

I just recently ended my first stint in an original band, Radiobox, an alternative rock band based in Tempe/Phoenix, Arizona. It was a fun year - we played some cool gigs like the Tempe Fiesta Bowl Block Party and P. F. Chang's Rock and Roll Marathon.

Immediately before that I was in a three-piece blues & classic rock band called Swampcooler. You Zep fans out there will appreciate our live version of The Lemon Song. Swampcooler is still playing around town. Feel free to drop by their website. Most (if not all) of the MP3s on their site have me on bass, but the video is not me. I've always enjoyed the challenge of a three-piece because there's no place to hide. I've been fortunate to play with some really good musicians, so that makes my job easier

I also have a home studio where I mix my band's music as well as my own originals and covers. There's one original I really like from back in 1993. This version was recorded live. It's called "Day Over 39" - a humorous number about turning 40, which I did just a couple of years ago. I have since recorded the song in the studio. I really like how it turned out.

In addition to bass I'm halfway decent on the acoustic guitar. When George Harrison died I decided to do a cover of "Here Comes the Sun" - always a favorite song of mine. I played all of the instruments and programmed the drums. My brother-in-law sang for me one afternoon for the vocals. You can take a listen if you want.