Born: 1951 in Youngstown, OH
Genre: Jazz
Style: Avant-Garde Jazz, Post-Bop, Modern Creative
Instruments: Guitar

An underrated guitarist, James Emery's brisk, nicely articulated solos, complete with strumming, jagged lines and skillful harmonic maneuvers, have been heard both with the String Trio of New York and as a solo artist. Emery plays both acoustic and electric, and has recorded solo and in a duo with violinist Leroy Jenkins. Emery, Billy Bang, and John Lindberg were the original String Trio. They began recording for Black Saint in 1979. Charles Burnham replaced Bang on violin in 1987, and other String Trio violinists have included Regina Carter, Diane Monroe, and Rob Thomas. Emery has recorded as a leader for Lumina, FMP, Enja, and Between the Lines. He has sessions available on CD both with the String Trio of New York and on his own.

-Ron Wynn (All Music Guide)