James moved to New York City in 2006 to attend New York University, where he graduated in 2012 with a Bachelor's Degree in Jazz Performance (Saxophone) and a Master's Degree in Jazz Studies. Although his focus was learning the language and tradition of Jazz, his musical world continuted to evolve into a profuse diversity of musics from around the world. He would spend the next 5 years as a freelance performer, performing with the likes of David Byrne, The Roots, Leon Bridges, Lukas Graham, and many others. James has performed worldwide in venues such as Carnegie Hall, The Blue Note Tokyo, Berlin Konzerthaus and Bonnaroo, as well as on national television shows including Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show (Jimmy Fallon), Good Morning America, and more.

In 2016, James went back to school to earn a second Master's Degree (MAT) in Music Education from Manhattanville College. His interest in psychology,  concert band repertoire, and his freelancing experience have all converged to make him a unique and inspiring educator.

James is currently the Band Director at Alexander Hamilton High School in Elmsford, NY. 

James has been an active producer/arranger/composer since the beginning of his career in music. Like his range of performing styles, his records are equally diverse, reaching far across the cultural landscape. 

His first record, "Face the Facts" is a musical setting of Alan Watts lectures. Follow-up records include a tribute to the French movement of musique concrète in the 1960's ("Les Yper Sound") which explores the world of found sounds and un-traditional recording methods. 

James is also a renowned studio musician, recording with a wide variety of artists such as Mark Ronson, Jovanotti, Takuya Kuroda, Antibalas, Josh Garrels, and more.