Musician Profile

Band Info

Jim was born in Gifford near Edinburgh and originally played drums in a local pipe band, becoming a professional musician on switching to banjo and joining the Clyde Valley Stompers in 1961. In 1964 he joined the Alex Welsh Band where he stayed playing both the banjo and guitar until the untimely death of Alex in 1982. Toured with thenKeith Smith band in the eighties accompanying many American stars includ Ruby Braff, Earl Hines, and Yank Lawson all of whom praised highly the quality of his playing. With the Alan Elsdon Band in the lateeighteies. A stint with Laurie Chescoe's Good Time Jazz followed and inthe ninties Jim and Laurie together with Pete Skivington workedtogether in the Alex Welsh Reunion Band. Worked in "The Great British Jazzband" and toured Europe with Ed Polcers American "Salute ToCfondon" show. Joined Laurie Chescoe's Reunion Band in March 2011