Penn Hills man cultivates passion for life, travel through production company

James “Jazz” Byers calls himself a professional wanderer.

It’s hard to find a more accurate title to fit the man who has biked across the United States and in the South Pole, went backcountry skiing in Antarctica and spent time in Chile, Germany, Taiwan, the Netherlands and other countries.

Byers’ profession as a producer takes him on all sorts of adventures. He is the founder and owner of Penn Hills-based Rattle Clack Entertainment, an audio/video production company and a record label for rock and pop bands. Byers has produced shows around the world.

“I do anything — any type of show someone wants to have,” Byers said.

He has helped produce shows for bands, national conferences, corporate business meetings and foundation events. He even produces his own show on Music From the 412 called “Jazz’s Rockin’ Road Show.”

“Each episode I’m in a different city or location and it’s me doing whatever I’m doing, and then I intercut that with local bands from Pittsburgh that are my musical guests,” Byers said. “It’s kind of a travel show and Pittsburgh rock band show.”

It’s through this company that Byers has been able to see corners of the world that offer obscure attractions and once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

In January, Byers hopped on a plane to Antartica with the intention of fat tire biking hundreds of miles from Union Glacier Camp in Antarctica to the geographic South Pole with about seven people in his group. The plans had to be shifted because of Byers’ show schedule, and he ended up fat tire biking from the South Pole base camp to the geographic South Pole. He also biked to the ceremonial South Pole for a total of nearly a mile in below-freezing temperatures.

When he reached the spot, Byers played a song called “Good Day” by his band Half Wheel. The band won a Best Song Grassy Award for it in 2022. He said while the playing was difficult because of how cold it was, he made it through one verse and the chorus before bundling back up. Aside from adventure, Byers has been able to combine two of his other passions through his work: bicycling and playing guitar. At one point in his life, Byers was the proud owner of 16 different bicycles.

“I’m never far from a bike or a guitar,” Byers said.

Byers, 55, was born and raised in Rostraver. In his adult years, he lived in Minneapolis for a bit and toured with a band called Fat Tuesday for Columbia Records. He moved back to the area and settled in Penn Hills in 2002 after the band lost its record deal and his work as a producer.

“It felt like a natural step,” he said.

Byers said he chose Penn Hills as his home because he missed his family. Most of his family members live in Pennsylvania aside from a few scattered around the country.

He used his experience and connections to begin Rattle Clack. The company produced its first show in 2008.

Byers said traveling has taught him a lot about the world and himself. To make the most of his trips, he has gotten creative with how to reach a destination.

“It’s not about the desitnation or end goal, it’s truly about how you get there and how much fun you have doing it,” Byers said.

He just wants to see the world.

In 2016, Byers decided to bike from Florida to San Diego.

“It took me three months,” he said. “There’s always adventures out there. You just have to be willing to sacrifice whatever it is you need to sacrifice to do it.”

Even on his wildest adventures, Byers has his laptop with him to stay in touch with clients and his employees.

Byers has taken a few lessons from his travels over the years.

“No matter what crazy adventure you think you’re about to go on, more than likely somebody else has already done it,” he said.

While biking across the country, Byers met other people on the same journey. He had the same experience when he went to Antarctica. In the nearly impossible event of being in a place at the exact same time as someone doing the same or similar adventure is a phenomenon Byers can’t get enough of. He loves the instant bond it provides.

Another lesson is how to make the most of an adventure even when it’s not exactly what he was expecting. Byers said on his fourth journey to Berlin, he wasn’t as ecstatic to be there since it was a place he had frequented. On a free day, he decided to create his own adventure and look into different sites around the city, including the world’s largest free-standing aquarium.

It was lucky he visited, because in December 2022, about two years after his visit, the aquarium exploded and has yet to be rebuilt.

The same trip to Berlin led Byers to the site of a joint British and American listening post operated during the Cold War in West Berlin on a man-made hill known as Teufelsberg. Byers spent the day with a group of artists who took over the site and created a community.

“You meet people everywhere you go that have a zest for making life happier,” Byers said.

Byers has maintained his passion for life through his travels and the people he has met. And he doesn’t plan to stop his “professional wandering” anytime soon.

“You meet people that are from different walks of life, have different perspectives, different financial backgrounds, different politcial beliefs, religious beliefs,” Byers said. “You know what? Probably 95% of people all want the same thing and just come at it from different ways. Most people just want to be happy and live life.”