Jack Maher was the publisher of Down Beat magazine, where he took over for his father who bought the magazine in 1950. The younger Maher became interested in Down Beat in 1968 following his father's death and purchased the jazz publication outright in 1970 by outbidding Playboy magazine publisher Hugh Hefner for it during a public offering.

He also is known to have been a contributor to Billboard as well as a Contributing Editor for Metronome-Music USA. Credited also for A&R Research and Coordination for Verve Reissues on the VSP/VSPS label.

Maher died February 14, 2003 at the age of 78.