Jim Becker is a Chicago-based musician, producer, and sound engineer who has played around town and around the world since the 1980s. Becker's recorded and engineered his own music and that of numerous other musicians, and he's recorded and collaborated with a long list of rock, folk, experimental, and old time bands—most recently with Califone and Iron & Wine, touring the US and Europe. He plays guitar, banjo, fiddle, mandolin, and is known for his original improvisation and use of effects. He draws from a wide range of inspirations, from classic rock to Appalachian old time music which he has played, studied, and taught since 1993. For now, he keeps busy doing soundtrack work for both film and television.