We were an unlikely musical partnership when we met in Staten Island in the early 90's:

Jim, a 40-something folk-singing strumming pastor-songwriter, and Edward, a 20-something rock-n-rolling piano player/drummer.

But we soon found that we filled in each others' gaps... and each of us came to believe that God placed us in each others' paths.

Jim is the poet, lyricist, lead voice, melody maker, vision caster, and driving spiritual force behind Everlasting Arms. Edward is the instrumentalist, arranger, and provider of the musical and technical nuts and bolts. Our wives Meredith and Kirsten add a woman's touch, vocal harmonies and other musical ideas.



After a few years of collaborating and recording, in 1997 we released our first CD, "Everlasting Arms". Although more CDs were planned, the distance after the Martins' move to Pennsylvania made it difficult to actively sustain the musical partnership, though the friendship endured and the writing of new music continued.



The posthumous release in 2009 of our 2nd CD "On Broken Wings..." was a long time coming to fruition. With the development of high-speed internet and the ease with which we could share ideas from a distance, we re-committed to recording the backlog of songs we continued to accumulate through the years. We were simultaneously working on recording the music for three CDs when Jim was unexpectedly diagnosed with cancer in September of 2008, succumbing in December after a three-month battle. Thankfully, Jim's vocals were recorded prior to his diagnosis, so there is no hint of melancholy in any of his performances. It was Jim's idea that both the theme of the music and its subtitle should be "Songs of Healing".



Our 3rd CD, "Songs From The Father", was released in 2014, over five years after Jim's passing. However, it is not a "memorial" -- rather it is simply a completion of what we would have done anyway to the Glory of God, had Jim lived.

Jim's "vision" for "Songs From The Father":

A worshipful, Testament to the core values of our Christian Faith, and the personal relationship between Jesus and the Father.

An album where the Holy Spirit lives in every Word, and directs every moment.

A fresh look at themes that we grew up with, but can never grow away from.