Pianist Jim Connerley has been an active member of the Cincinnati and surrounding tri-state jazz community since 1990. He graduated magna cum laude with a master’s degree from the Indiana University School of Music.
He has performed with internationally known jazz artists such as Barry Ries, Don Braden, Antonio Hart, David "Fathead" Newman, Rich Perry, and Delfeayo Marsalis.
Since moving to the Cincinnati area, he has been a member of some of its finest jazz groups, including the Pat Harbison Quintet, the Cohesion Jazz Ensemble, the salsa band Tropicoso, the Brent Gallaher Quartet, and the Dan Faehnle Quartet. Currently, he is a member of the Art Gore Quartet, the John Zappa Trio, and the Gary Gorrell Quartet.
Along with his own jazz trio and quintet, Jim also leads the United Methodist Jazz Trio, an exciting group that performs jazz treatments of gospel songs, hymns, and spirituals. Their album, Spirit Songs, re‑released in 2006, received critical acclaim from both jazz and liturgical circles. Music critic Larry Nager of the Cincinnati Enquirer gave the album 4 ½ stars and called it “music of the highest level.”
He also leads the Vintage Keys Project, a group dedicated to music showcasing the Fender Rhodes and Wurlitzer electric pianos. The group performs classic arrangements by artists such as Miles Davis, Chick Corea, Cannonball Adderley, and Dave Douglas, as well as originals and original arrangements by members of the band.
Jim has appeared on over 20 CDs, including the recent releases Frequency by vibraphonist Rusty Burge (2009), his own release of Private Party: A Collection of Jazz Duos (2010), featuring six of Cincinnati's finest jazz artists, including guitarist Dan Faehnle, vibraphonist Rusty Burge, and vocalist Ann Chamberlain, and the 2012 release of Not Too Slow, Not Too Fast by drummer John Zappa.
Jim has been a jazz educator at the university level since 1990. He has taught at Miami of Ohio University, the DePauw University School of Music, the University of Louisville School of Music, and the College Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati. Currently, he teaches at the Northern Kentucky University School of the Arts.