Stafford James

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Stafford James (* 24. April 1946 in Evanston , Illinois ) is an American jazz - bassist .

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Stafford James first went to the US Air Force . After his discharge from the Air Force, studied at the University of Chicago with Rudolf Fahsbender. In 1969 he went to New York City , where he worked at the Post Office and also studied with Julius Levine at Mannes College of Music . Here he met Pharoah Sanders , with whom he played his first jazz concerts in New York. Soon he was also working with Alice Coltrane and Albert Ayler , with whom he toured Canada in 1970. In 1971 he met the singer Melba Moore , with whom he appeared as part of the David Frost Revue .

In 1973 he was in Europe for the first time with Gary Bartz . In 1974 he became a member of Art Blakeys Jazz Messengers . In 1976 he played with Dave Burrell in the Wildflowers Loft Sessions . At the same time he met Betty Carter , with whom he had a lifelong friendship, and Woody Shaw ( Basel 1980 ).

In 1976 James founded his own quartet with which he also toured Europe. There he met Dexter Gordon know, with whom he recorded the album Homecoming in New York ; he can also be heard on Tokyo 1975 . He also toured Europe with guitarist John Scofield and recorded the album Roughhouse . After the album Stafford James he recorded his second album as a band leader in 1978 with The Stafford James Ensemble .

In the early 1980s he toured Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Mexico and South America. In 1982/83 he played with Woody Shaw , heard on the recordings At Onkel Pö's Carnegie Hall / Hamburg '82 and Live in Bremen 1983 (Resonance); In 1983 he started working with Jimmy Heath . With the Woody Shaw Quintet he took part in a tour of the United States Information Service through North Africa, India and Syria.

In 1986 James composed Ethopian Suite for two double basses, string ensemble, percussion and dancer, which was performed as part of the Celebrate Brooklyn Dance Festival . This year he also arranged compositions by Duke Ellington for himself, the pianist Mulgrew Miller and the cellist Akua Dixon . In 1987 he composed a sonatina for viola d'Amore and double bass, which was premiered in the USA in the Bates Recital Hall and at the European Music Festival in Stuttgart in 1988 .

In 1989 James moved to Paris , where he performed with musicians such as Pharoah Sanders, Barney Wilen , Monty Waters and Lavelle and founded the group Stafford James Project . In 1991 he recorded Igor Stravinsky's Firebird with the Ukrainian National Orchestra . In 1994 he was a juror at the Leverkusener Jazz Days and recorded seventeen compositions for the WDR. He also worked as a trio, a. a. with the pianist Onaje Allan Gumbs and the drummer Ronnie Burrage . In 1995 he composed Les Alpes aux Carpates for double bass, two pan flutes, string orchestra, female choir, synthesizer and percussion.

In 1998 he toured Belgium, Holland, Germany, Austria and Italy in a quartet with Buster Williams , Anga Diaz (later Don Alias ) and Ronnie Burrage .

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personal data
SURNAME James, Stafford
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American jazz bassist
DATE OF BIRTH April 24, 1946
PLACE OF BIRTH Evanston , Illinois, USA