Origin Story

As the Musician’s Coffeehouse matured, Jim began bringing an eclectic mix of regional and national headliners to Suburban audiences. (Ninety percent of the performers presented would not have otherwise appeared in Contra Costa County.) The Musician’s Coffeehouse garnered a large following of enthusiastic patrons who relished the community spirit created by quality, live music in their own backyards. Jim continued to write and perform his own original music, and toured nationally with his satirical band, “Celtic Elvis”.

As Jim’s reputation grew, the City of Concord tapped him to produce a free-to-the-public summer concert series, which has entered it fourth decade, attracting an average of 95,000 patrons per year. The concert series is credited with significantly helping to revitalize Concord’s downtown and creating a down-home sense of community where residents of all ages look forward to participating year after year.

Meanwhile, the Musician’s Coffeehouse morphed into the Community Concert Series—an indoor ticketed winter series that, traveled to several different venues throughout the county, building a vibrant community of volunteers, musicians and concert patrons in the process. The Community Concerts Series ended in 2009 following a 30 year run.

In 2000, Jim was joined in business by his future wife, Kathy; they eventually coined their joint operation, OceanWorks Productions. Together, they help cities, colleges and non-profits create exceptional live music events that both inspire audiences and further the hiring organization’s goals. As seasoned musicians and concert presenters who know live music production from the inside out, they specialize in using live music events to build partnerships and community spirit. As business-savvy cultural activists, they are uniquely positioned to save their clients time and money, to reduce client’s anxiety and risk, and to help clients reach their organizational goals with heart.