After leaving school Jim Mullen trained as a journalist whilst playing on the local music scene in his native Glasgow. He formed a group with Malcolm Duncan and Roger Ball (later of the Average White Band) and together they worked throughout Scotland playing Coltrane tunes and some originals.

It was with this group that he started attracting some attention and in 1969 he moved to London, where he worked in the groups of Pete Brown, Brian Auger, Vinegar Joe and Kokomo.

In 1975 he met saxophone player Dick Morrissey and began a 15 year association which produced seven albums and became one of Britain’s top jazz bands. After the demise of Morrissey Mullen he worked with British jazz vocalist and radio presenter Claire Martin. Together they recorded three albums. As a sideman he is in demand by visiting U.S. stars like Gene Harris, Mose Allison, Jimmy Smith, Weldon Irvine, Percy Sledge, Teddy Edwards, Plas Johnson, Jimmy Witherspoon, and Terry Callier.

Jim Mullen is the winner of “Best Guitar” in the British Telecom Jazz Awards (1994 and 1996), “Best Guitar” in the Post Office Jazz Awards 2000 and winner of “Best Guitar” in the Hamlet Cigar British Jazz Awards 2002