About Me
"Music is a living thing that evolves..."
--Peter Gabriel
So just who the is this GrooveWizard guy you ask? Well let me tell ya...
A player since age 9, Jim has been heard working in both bands and studio situations in and around the greater Chicago area for over 30 years.
After a solid start on the scene back in the late '70's fronting as lead guitarist of Chicago's Syn with bassist/vocalist Joe Mancini (and also where his nick 'The Wizard' was coined), Jim then moved on to the technical side of things for awhile and in 1983 completed courses in recording engineering at Schaumburg's Solid Sound Studios.
During the same period, a band that would eventually be known as The Heatlamp Hotdogs tapped Jim in 1981 to add his unique style and lead work to an already eclectic mix being put together by bassist Ted Mikos, guitarist/flautist Joe Mikos, sax man Bill Camacho, drummer Bill Pica and Jim Weindorf, also on guitars... a band that would remain together in various incarnations with Jim and Bill P. well into the mid-'90's.
While the mid-'80's also saw the onset of a 2nd marriage and parenthood, from which have arisen two fine adult sons and excellent musicians in guitarist Jim Wiora Jr. and drummer Matt Wiora, the '80's also saw Jim's shift into the areas of graphics and promotion through his employment at commercial printers JNR Press and his business mentor Ronald Cepeda, who gave Jim the knowedge and guidance needed to keep his music on track not only as an artistic outlet but also as a viable business resource.
With the '90's also came divorce in 1991 and all of the upheavals and detours that go with it. But just as all that was going on, Jim also met up with bassist/songwriter Luis Caballero and eventually, with drummer and DJ extraordinnaire Chris Gin (The Custom One!), all three became the all original band, 'By Any Means', playing music written by Jim, Luis and Chris either together or individually. The formation of BAM in 1992 also marked the beginning of what is currently still Jim's most creatively productive period. Supported throughout the 1990's by Chris' connections to Rocky Jones and the good folks at the legendary DJ International Records and even after a self-imposed lay-off in 2001 BAM is still a creative work in progress, currently more as a concept than a band, with it's members currently scattered throughout the greater Chicago area and also New Orleans... Recently Jim and Luis have teamed up again to write some new music, an arrangement which will hopefully become an integral part of Jim's current project with singer/songwriter Mark Mummer.
Which brings us up to current, sort of... While the start of the current millenium has seen events that were unthinkable just 7 or 8 years ago, it also saw the start of Jim's own internet graphics company, Wizard & Sons, Ltd. in 2000, his marriage to loving wife Cheryl in 2002, a brief stint as head of retail and dealer Customer Service for US Music Corporation (home of Washburn Guitars) and also the birth of son Peter Julius in 2003.
Today, when wife Cheryl is not hammering Jim to produce music for his current project with best friend of 32 years Mark Mummer, Jim spends most days caring for his 3 year old son and absolute little hero, Peter, who is highly challenged with both hydrocephalus and cerebral palsy.
Shout outs to the best, both past and present:
My wife Cheryl and sons Jim, Matt and PJ, who mean everything to me...
Mark Mummer, Luis Caballero, Jim Weindorf,
Chris Gin, Ted Mikos, Joe Mikos, Henry Kern,
The All Bill Revue (Bill Mantas, Bill Henshell, Bill Pica, Bill Camacho),
Joe Mancini, Mike "Horse" Acevedo, Jamie Wolff,
Mike Golonka, John Mancini, Annie from Syn,
John Marshall, Don Batryn, Rick Gonzales,
Kenny Johnson, Neal Cassel, Ray Cherie, Jordan Mummer,
Willie Smith from Steinmetz (wherever you are), Mike Durso, Tom Durso
and Kathie Kauffman (one of the finest pianists on planet Earth)
Jim currently plays: Guitars, Keys, Percussion and Drum Programming
Jim currently plays on:
Washburn Falcon and HB-35 Guitars
Epiphone Guitars
Seagull Guitars
Yamaha Guitars
Carlo Robelli Guitars
Seymour Duncan Pick-Ups
Dean Markley Strings
Behringer Amplifiers
Marshall Amplifiers
David Eden Studio Monitors
Roland/Boss Effects
DigiTech Effects
Graphics, Animation & Design by GrooveWizard .
