One of my all-time favorites. Before he died, I asked Herb Ellis about him. Herb just told me to call him up. His home phone number was on his web site.

I enjoyed our visit, but he was almost def, and it was hard to understand what he was saying.

I met him in 1962 when he appeared on the Steve Allen show. The last time I saw him play was at the WNOP jazz festival-Cincinnati, about 1989. He had just gotten of a plane with Jimmy Smith. They had wrapped a tour of Japan the night before.

Jimmy was sitting on the B-3 bench. James was standing. They were exactly the same height.


James devoted his life to jazz education the last 20 years or so.

"There I go, there I go, there I go...".

The world was a better place for having such a massive, innovative talent.


Russ