Edmonton native Jim Brenan has established himself as a top-notch performer and educator in the North American jazz community. With degrees from St. Francis Xavier University and Rutgers University, Jim has taught in New Zealand at the University of Auckland and is now the Chair of the Department of Theatre, Speech and Music Performance at Mount Royal University.

While studying in New Jersey, he had the opportunity to study with Ralph Bowen and perform with Bowen, Kenny Barron, Slide Hampton, Kenny Wheeler, Ravi Coltrane, Randy Brecker, Kenny Drew Jr., Phil Woods, Illinois Jacquet and Flip Philips. Jim has also toured as the lead tenor saxophonist with the Maynard Ferguson Big Bop Nouveau Band.

Brenan has released several CDs including "The Spectre" which received rave reviews and "The Throw Down" with the Brenan Brothers (co-led by his twin brother Craig) which also featured Geoffrey Keezer, Ralph Bowen, Dana Hall, Terrell Stafford and Rubim de Toledo. It has been nominated for Jazz Album of the Year at the Western Canadian Music Awards and received a 4 star rating from Downbeat magazine.

Kenny Barron describes Jim Brenan as "a thoroughly modern tenor saxophonist with a deep understanding of jazz tradition. He plays with an intense maturity rare in musicians of his age".