Jim grew up in Annapolis, Maryland. He loved the Piedmont blues music that came out of the Virginia countryside. His earliest influence was Phil Wiggins, the harmonica player in the acoustic blues duo Cephas and Wiggins. A couple of years ago he met Alessandro Ponti, a semifinalist at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee. He now performs with Alessandro in the acoustic band Blues in the Rain, along with Liam O’Connor on vocals and guitar and Elisa Carbone on keyboard.

Originally from Buffalo, NY, Liam O’Connor cut his teeth playing punk rock and reggae bass on the Boston club scene. After moving to the mid-Atlantic region, he began delving into rural blues guitar playing, especially in the finger-picking Piedmont style. A seasoned performer, he brings a wide repertoire of blues, rock and Americana songs (and even the odd reggae tune) to his shows.