After graduating from college, Jim headed to New York City. While making a living selling magazine advertising for Ziff-Davis Publishing, he wrote a number of children’s musicals that were produced by the Hartley House Theater and TADA. One show, “Sleepover,” continues to be produced by TADA. In the late 1980s, Jim moved over to Billboard Magazine where he eventually became Associate Publisher. In 1991, he was asked to head up Billboard’s Los Angeles office. The move to LA turned out to be a critical one for Jim and his wife, Liz Maihock Beloff.

Soon after arriving in LA, Jim found a Martin tenor ukulele at the Pasadena Rose Bowl flea market. This discovery would change his life forever. Falling in love with the ukulele, he was inspired to start Flea Market Music, Inc. and publish songbooks for what was, at the time, an under-appreciated musical instrument. Jim also began writing songs specifically around the sound of the uke and found that his Great American Songbook-inspired songs sounded more authentic on a ukulele.

Over the years, Jim has released a number of solo CDs and two with Liz. He’s also had the pleasure of writing some songs that have been featured on television including a song written for an episode of the CBS series, “JAG,” and one written for William H. Macy in the Showtime special “Out Of Order.” In 1999, Jim was commissioned to write a concerto for solo ukulele and symphony orchestra. That piece, “Uke Can’t Be Serious,” has been performed several times. Beginning in 2001, Jim began a long collaboration writing songs with Hawaiian ukulele virtuoso Herb “Ohta-san” Ohta. To date, they’ve written over 50 songs many that have been recorded by Ohta and other artists.