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James Maurice Hurt Jr. is an African American creative improvisational instrumentalist, composer, producer, songwriter, and sound designer.

The Artist

James Hurt imposes one of the most formidable talents on the global creative music scene.

Biography

Early Influences

A native of Memphis Tennessee, the Home of the Blues, Birthplace of Rock and Roll and the birthplace of Crunk music, James was born on May 8, 1967 as the first born son and the middle child of three (sister Kelley and brother Frederick). James grew up in the historic community of Orange Mound, the first African-American community in the United States to be built by African-Americans. James was raised in a single-parent home by his mother Edith. For a three year period from age six James suffered from headaches so severe that he was once submerged in a tub full of ice water, tightly swaddled, and rushed to the emergency room where it was said that he had survived a pituitary rupture. The Doctors told his family to hope for the best. James no longer suffered from headaches or illnesses following this incident.

At a young age, James had a natural talent for mathematics, chemistry, and oil painting. He could entertain himself for hours on end in solitude. James also maintained a secret interest in the Delta Blues. At home James would pick up his sister’s guitar and try to emulate the blues feeling. Edith Hurt, a specialist in exceptional child education, multicultural education, and arts advocate had a plan. While serving as an active member of the Memphis Blues Society, an organization responsible for hosting the annual “W.C. Handy Blues Awards”, Edith would take James to music festivals throughout the Mississippi Delta region. James credits his mother for his exposure to such greats as Dizzy Gillespie, B.B. King, Rufus Thomas, Albert Collins, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Bobbie Blue Bland, Robert Cray, Johnnie Taylor, Al Green and Isaac Hayes.

The popular music of film (Lalo Schifrin), television (Henry Mancini)and radio (Quincy Jones) also had a big influence on James. Each year James’ Mother participated in the “Africa in April Music and Cultural Festival”, an event that exposed James to a diverse range of drumming and dance traditions of subsequent territories.

James had a golden opportunity to meet Art Blakey, when he was ten years old and received an autographed copy of the classic album Witch Hunt, which he played constantly. Using his chest of drawers and his mother’s pots and pans, James would become devoted to the drums by age twelve, having already experimented with guitar and brass instruments.

Music Apprenticeships and Higher Learning

James attended Watkins Overton High School of the Creative and Performing Arts as a percussionist under Director of Bands Merle Gartrell (succeeded by Jerry Raines and David Ryan) after passing an audition. James was drawn to music theory and fundamentals taught by the school's Choral Director Lula Hedgeman. At age sixteen, James was awarded an antique upright piano his mom purchased for a modest eighty dollars. The following weeks forever shaped the course of James’ artistic vision, it would be the first and last time he met family friend and renowned jazz pianist Phineas Newborn Junior (Newborn passed away on his front porch the day he was to be honored for his musical achievements at a Jimmy Lunceford musical tribute). Accompanied by his caretaker, Phineas would stay for dinner that evening, and though he had lost his ability to speak, he performed at the newly tuned piano. The piano tuner was Richard Boyington, former trumpeter in the Tommy Dorsey Band turned piano technician specialist. Boyington would be the first to give James books containing jazz chords and harmonic progressions. Boyington also insisted that James start transcribing songs from the radio immediately. Tenor saxophonist Herman Green gave James great encouragement and always advised him to be ready.

Attending a creative and performing arts school challenged James to excel at live performance and armed him with the skill sets necessary to facilitate a career in the music business. The summer of his junior year, teen angst forced James to leave his home and move into his Grandmothers’ house also located in the heart of Orange Mound. That summer James would rely on landscaping as a source of income, until a close friend and drummer, Aaron Walker, offered him a pit orchestra position, which required good music reading skills on drum set. This was an easy task for James as the two often placed in the all-city and all-state bands based on their reading abilities. The job was in fact a theater production of the William Finn musical March of the Falsettos. This would be first extended engagement for James.

During a brief dry spell without work James watched two concerts broadcasted on PBS. First was the Oscar Peterson trio performance Live At Wolf Trap (National Park), followed by the V.S.O.P. Quartet featuring Herbie Hancock, Tony Williams, Ron Carter, and the Marsalis brothers (Wynton and Branford). Witnessing these two performances caused James to smile for the first time since his slump. The summer ended and James was invited back home having landed a restaurant job clocking thirty-six hours per week and a new found sense of purpose-composing and performing music.

James took possession of the home computer, the Commodore 64 (Apple Computer), and connected it to his analogue television set and began exploring ways to crunch hexadecimals into sound bytes using a small simple code which successfully produced an often annoying yet sonically stable sine wave. This obsession led to James composing short experimental pieces with the aid the Commodore as his sub bass. This sound would eventually dominate the conscious hip hop era of the late 1980's. James, already an active percussionist, began exploring piano in his junior year of high school and immersed himself in the various musical styles of jazz, gospel, classical, blues, R&B, soul, funk, fusion, world, orchestral, experimental electronic music, including hip-hop, and advanced studio engineering techniques. James’ unique voice on the piano would become infused with all of the aforementioned styles in a rather organic manner.

James received a scholarship to attend Tennessee State University, Alma mater of Oprah Winfrey and Ed "Too Tall" Jones, located in Nashville, Tennessee with a focus on Music Education, percussion as a primary instrument, and Psychology as a secondary major. Recruited by Professor Benjamin Kirk, director of the Tennessee State University Jazz Ensemble, and Professor Edward L. Graves, Director of Bands, James studied orchestral percussion and drum kit under Assistant Director of Bands Professor Thomas L. Davis. James was also marched with the Tennessee State University Aristocrat of Bands, the first HBU marching band to be televised. The band was popularized for both it's high-stepping marching style and the ability to dance while playing their instruments. The strict regimen demanded different show weekly complete with musical arrangements, dance routines, and band pageantry designed by Percussion instructor Thomas L. Davis. At the request of Associate Director of Bands Benjamin Kirk, conductor of the Tennessee State University Jazz Ensemble, arranger and trumpeter, James would become one of the principle student arrangers and was soon conducting before ten thousands of fans during the football game's half-time show. While the band would rehearse outside on the field (learning new dance routines, music, and pageantry) James worked inside tidying up arrangements and orchestrations that in some cases took less than an hour to complete with the use of the Nashville Number System. His ability to hear any song and quickly score it gained him the nick-name Radar. At night James would cultivate his pianistic skills by locking himself in the practice rooms, forcing his fingers to comply with his creative ideas. As a performer on both drum kit and percussion James performed various styles and configurations of music ranging from, symphonic band, percussion ensemble, stage band, pit orchestra, jazz big band, and solo. James observed live television studio production up close on the set of the Bobby Jones Gospel Show in Nashville. This enabled James to watch his percussion instructor T. L. Davis in action behind the drum set observing his use of space and placement in live performance situations. Davis would eventually move on to produce the show which airs on BET.

A pivotal point in James’ college experience was when his harmony, form, and stylistic analysis instructor Dr. Donald Barrett, Oberlin Conservatory of Music alumnus, overheard James improvising at the piano. Dr. Barrett, an accomplished conservatory-trained concert pianist, encouraged James to become dedicated to the piano and handed down works that he thought would be of interest by such composers as jazz educators Dr. Billy Taylor and John Mehegan, Bela Bartok, Satie, George Gershwin, Alberto Ginastera, Prokofiev, Chopin and Serge Rachmaninoff. He then exposed James to the Twentieth Century Serialist Composers including, Shoenberg, Webern, Berg, the minimalist Phillip Glass and the experimentalist John Cage. Hector Berlioz seemed to attract James the most because of the programmatic nature of the compositions. Pianistic improvisation in the jazz idiom by such luminaries as Art Tatum, Phineas Newborn Jr., Sun Ra, Cecil Taylor, Keith Jarrett fascinated James more than anything and would prove to be a major motivator in his dedication to the instrument.

Performing at collegiate jazz festivals throughout the southern region, James met a few young players that were advancing as jazz musicians with whom he formed lasting bonds. By his third year of undergraduate studies, James had committed to the piano as his vehicle of expression and was playing in the Tennessee State University Jazz Ensemble and holding a steady gig at Windows On The Cumberland in Nashville. James spent his summer breaks traveling the Southeastern United States in search of the music to such locales as Mississippi, Illinois, Arkansas, Texas, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Jazz enthusiast, radio personality, and photographer Tony Garrett and the Garrett family played a critical role in exposing James to the jazz masters through a wealth of video and audio resources, constant blindfold tests, radio guest appearances, and live performances through the local jazz society. Rodney Jordan lived in Jackson, Mississippi at the time and invited James to stay for the summer between the years 1998 and 1990. They would perform at the Marriott hotel weekly and developed a loyal following on the local jazz scene. There James also met and performed with several up and coming jazz musicians from East St. Louis Illinois including Russell Gunn, Tony Suggs (Count Basie), Carvell Hall, and Andre Robeson Maxwell. This collective formed a band fronted by drummer Kenny Baker and soon they were the featured artitsts at such venues as Hal and Mal's located in Jackson, Ms. James was later introduced to drummer Alvin Fielder. Alvin would coach the two on the ins and out of avant-garde music. The coaching proved effective when Fielder took Rodney, Russell, and James for a session with educator and consummate musician Kidd Jordan. The session consisted of four to six hours of nonstop creation without sheet music. It made and indelible mark on James from an improvisational and compositional standpoint.

After earning his Masters of Science Degree in Computer-Based Music Education at TSU James returned to Memphis for one year to run a middle school band program. As a gift to himself he was invited to dive up to New York City with a friend, educator, guitarist, and producer Gerard Harris (Kool & the Gang) for a visit. Afterwards James became focused relocation to New York. While back home, James taught instrumental music and performed in several bands after school hours. James and Kelley, sister and gifted songstress, were the weekly attraction at the French Quarter Inn in Overton Square located in the heart in the downtown Memphis arts scene. James played Keyboards for Joyce Cobb, versatile vocal stylist, at Joyce Cobb's on historic Beale Street each Friday. Every Sunday afternoon James would go to the afternoon session at Huey's (downtown) and sit in with Doug Garrison (The Iguanas) and Gerard Harris. Later in the evening was the jam session at the North Inn Bar which was ran by Scott Thompson. On occasion guitarist Charlton Johnston(Count Basie Band) and Tenor Saxophonist Sal Crocker would drop in to play. James also maintained a weekly gig with Stax Bassist Errol Thomas, saxophonist Dr. Bill Hurd, and drummer Tom Lonardo. Isaac Hayes would drop in to listen on occasion. There were also memorable stints with Stax horns trumpeters Mickey Gregory and Nokie Taylor. James was fortunate to have played with the bluesy hard-swinging guitarist Calvin Newborn (older brother of Phineas), and fellow Orange Mound resident and drummer Jeff Grayer (Rosco Gordon). Both drummer Tony Reedus and Newborn convinced James that he was ready to leave Memphis. James worked around the clock and continued setting money aside as a New York relocation fund. Upon reaching his financial goal James sensed the time was right.

The Pilgrimage

James had a few friends in New York. Trumpeter Russell Gunn, then a member of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, invited him up for a visit. The summer of 1994 James and long-time friend, bassist Rodney Jordan (Marcus Roberts Trio), arrived in New York City by train. After a two week visit James offered to split rent on an apartment with trumpeter Russell Gunn (Krunk Jazz disciple) and bassist Steve Kirby (Elvin Jones Jazz Machine). James knew he had reached his long awaited destination.

Live Performance and Recording

Jazz and Eclecticism

Upon arriving in New York City James performed at the piano in several group configurations and at late night jam sessions seven nights a week. At Smalls Jazz Club James formed a relationship with Jason Lindner and began to guest conduct his band where he wrote the underground big band’s classic theme entitled One Day’s Life recorded on the Chick Korea Stretch Records label but unreleased. An invitation to conduct Tess Marsalis and Swing Daddies big band enabled James further exercise his talents in front of an ensemble. James frequented uptown and downtown establishments looking for the new sounds he imagined he would find in the city. The sessions were always hit or miss and James soon discovered that all of the modern concepts he had hoped to apply were absent in the classic swing improvisational model. James infiltrated the less free traditional swing movement in order to procure work. James was introduced to saxophonist Antonio Hart by Steve Kirby and auditioned for him. Hart hired James on the spot and thus began his career as a jazz pianist and sideman on the world stage along with John Benitez, and Nasheet Waits. Abraham Burton, Eric Mcpherson, and Billy Johnson would eventually recruit James and the quartet toured throughout Europe. James shared the same apartment with Gregory Tardy Elvin Jones Jazz Machine) and Russell Gunn then later Sherman Irby and Dana Murray. They held daily jam sessions in their apartment located in the Fort Green section of Brooklyn during the day and James would disappear for days on end performing, exploring and building relationships with artists of several disciplines. Gunn finally settled on the group for his Ethnomusicology Vol. I project and James was a good fit. The group created a sound that resonated throughout the mid to late 1990's through today and paved the way for current generations to explore their hip-hop roots in a jazz improvisation construct. Gaining a lot of press in a short amount of time and having been likened to Herbie Nichols, Oscar Peterson, Cecil Taylor, McCoy Tyner, and the darker abstractions of Herbie Hancock James was approached by several record labels (Atlantic, Blue Note, and Impulse Records). In 1996, James was signed to Blue Note as a sideman in the Sherman Irby Quartet (Sherman Irby, Dana Murray], and Eric Revis). When the label approached James about his own project he seized the opportunity to record a demo of three original compositions. It was well received and James signed to Blue Note records in 1997. His first project, co-produced with Dana Murray, was an eclectic futuristic amalgam of all music genres that spoke to jazz enthusiasts, funk disciples of the James Brown era and younger generations (second generation hip-hop devotees) who felt alienated by the cerebral nature of the state of jazz at that time do in part to the widening generational gap and no target market strategy. Laced with rhythmic applications from African, Southeast Asian, American funk, R&B, Jazz, and hip-hop phraseology, the project was stopped mid-production and shelved. James featured himself programming and performing on samplers synthesizers and drums, Charli Persip, vocal stylings of Kimberly Lake and Vinia Mojica , theatrical skits, innovative grooves, sonic beds, and the talents of the gifted bassist and singer from Cameroon Richard Bona (already an icon in the world music scene). In 1999, James recorded his second project Dark Grooves Mystical Rhythms on the Blue Note Records label. The date featured a array of talent including Abraham Burton, Antonio Hart, Ari Hoenig, Dana Murray, Eric Mcpherson, Eric Revis, Elizabeth Kontomanous, Francios Moutin, Gregory Tardy, Jacques Schwarz-bart, John Benitez, Nasheet Waits, Russell Gunn, and Robin Eubanks. Admittedly it was a fresh eclectic sound for the label view yet it received a quiet release and no tour support. In 2000 the live quartet of Ari Hoenig, Francios Moutin, Jacques Schwarz-bart, and James toured the west coast. The group headlined the Billy Higgins Festival at Fresno State in Fresno California, performed at the ODC Theater in Sanfransisco, made their way down the coast to Palo Alto Jazz Festival], and reached their final destination-the Monterey Jazz Festival. The logistics of the tour were organized by James alone without the assistance of a booking agency though he was signed to a major label. As a result the quartet so eager to express their artistic vision dissolved. Though it seemed as if the cards were stacked against him, James would continue to record as a sideman on Atlantic Records, Impulse Records, Motown Records, High Note Records, Fresh Sounds New Talent, Interscope, Reservoir Records], Enja Records (Germany), PolyGram Polydor (France), Red Records (Italy), Pi Records, Sony Music (South Africa), Smalls Records (NYC), and DreamWorks Records. An event celebrating the seventy-fifth birthday of Miles Davis billed as Wall To Wall Miles featured James with his then signature red strap-on synthesizer in addition to one hundred-fifty plus artists. James was voted one of the top ten TDWR (Talent Deserving Wider Recognition) artists on keyboards by DownBeat Magazine (Joe Zawinul won the critic's poll). James has contributed compositions to the advancement of interlocking groove-based jazz in his trilogy of suites Dark Grooves Mystical Rhythms, Mystic Trances, and New Milenium Trances, drawing from his roots as a kit drummer and percussionist implementing seamless use of rhythmic cycles, modern music, and improvisation which predate today's groove based groups of similar approach by twelve years at best (with the exception of Steve Coleman).

Grammy Nominated Recordings

James recorded Grammy nominated sides with Antonio Hart ("Here I Stand"), Abbey Lincoln ("Wholly Earth"), and Russell Gunn ("Ethnomusicology Vol. I").

Mass Appeal

James has had the privilege to work with some of the biggest names in jazz and eclectic music including Donald Byrd, Rashid Ali (John Coltrane), Abbey Lincoln, Wadada Leo Smith (Art Ensemble of Chicago), Louis Hayes, Bilal, Goapelle, Q-Tip, Amp Fiddler, M.C. Special Ed, Corey Glover (Living Colour), Vernon Reid, Will Calhoun, Melvin Gibbs (Harriet Tubman and Elevated Entity), J.T. Lewis (Sting), and Brandon Ross (Cassandra Wilson), Lonnie Plaxico (Cassandra Wilson), Greg Tate (Burnt Sugar), Val Inc., Arto Lindsay, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Mark Whittfield, DJ Logic, Stacy Dillard, Donald Edwards (Mingus Dynasty Band), Vijay Iyer, Essiet Essiet (Art Blakey), Vanessa Rubin, Alice Smith, Meshell Ndegeocello, Imani Izuri, Reggie Washington (Herbie Hancock), Gene Lake, (David Sanborn), George Porter Jr. (Funky Meters), Jeff “Tain” Watts (Kenny Garrett), Pheron Aklaff, Kim Thompson (Beyonce), Nikki Glaspie (Beyonce), Pete Cosey, David Gilmore (Wayne Shorter), Bryan Lynch, Soul Live, Nigel Hall, Lettuce, Oliver Lake, Sam Newsome, Ugonna Okegwo, Nels Cline (Wilco), Ali Jackson (LCJO), Gregoire Marett, Herbie Hancock and many others.

Diversity and Expansion

When the relationship with Blue Note Records ended in 2000 James immediately began creating his ever-expanding project of movement and sound. The project, “Dance Trance 2000”, first debuted at The Jazz Gallery in New York City to a sold out audience. The relationship with the Jazz Gallery proved fruitful in the early 2000's and James would be featured in several presentations in this unique artist space including "Project Melodique", original works with harmonica virtuoso Gregoire Marett, a special night of music with vocalist Corey Glover, and the fearless composer's collective "Saturn Returns!" featuring Rudresh Mahanthappa, Vijay Iyer, Francois Moutin, Derrick Phillips, and James Hurt. The morning of September 11, 2001 tragedy struck the heart of America as James was scheduled to take the A train into Manhattan for a brief meeting with then Jazz Gallery director Dale Fitzgerald concerning future presentations. The economy stalled, businesses vacated, and James found himself faced with a new reality-the threat of our nation's security. Travel domestically and abroad would be forever changed. In 2002 James was selected by Dale Fitzgerald to present a program music suite appropriately titled "Audio Cinema" for the Jazz Gallery's Composer's Series. The "Brother Jacques Project", the songwriting collaboration of Jacques Schwarz-Bart and Stephanie McKay, debuted at the Jazz Gallery with James at the piano. The project would earn a residency at Bar 13 in New York and featured Stephanie McKay on vocals, Jacques Schwarz-Bart, Gene Lake, and Reggie Washington.

James shifted his focus from live performance to pursue other artistic, entrepreneurial and educational interests, and address unforeseen health issues (while continuing to teach, compose and produce). Upon returning to the music scene, James began experimenting with Graham Haynes and the two would create organic sound scapes for hours on end at Walker Stage located in Chinatown. James performed in the Graham Haynes' experimental multimedia project "Electric Church" which was presented during a residency at Walker Stage. Owner Lenny Charles offered James his own date in the performance space where the suite "Mystic Trances" debuted to a frenzied audience. Bassist and Songwriter Francis Mbappe invited James to play Keyboards in his acclaimed world music band FM Tribe. James, shifting his focus to his drum roots of interlocking part playing, designed intricate multiple keyboard parts (often doubling horn parts) to supplement the band's intense sound and often refused instrumental solos. James started to meet young up and coming musicians on the scene and remembers seeing a young Bilal and Robert Glasper in the audience at Zinc bar on the Monday night sessions hosted by guitarist Ron Affif. James was requested to score a string arrangement imprinting his cinematic sound on Bilal's Interscope release of "First Born Second". James also holds the distinction of helping to shape, create and present the first hip-hop band to play at the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York City under the group name the “Real Live Show.” The performance featured musicians drummer and composer Kim Thompson (Beyonce), bassist Taurus Mateen (Jason Moran), guitarist Thor Madsen, Raymond Angry, and James Hurt on Keyboards. The core was formed while performing original instrumental hip-hop music during the "Open Mic" night at Izzy Bar and featured James with fellow musicians Dana Murray, Eric Revis, Thor Madsen. The group was augmented with MC’s Malik and Stimulus, and featured DJ Colt Sievers. "The Real Live Show" held residencies at Izzy Bar, Shine, Crash Mansion in Manhattan, and packed shows at Buttercup. The "Real Live Show" collaborated such talents as Karen Wheeler, Bilal, and Roy Hargrove. Their 2004 release "Class Is In Session" featured the production skills of the members of the group and enjoyed placement on MTV-U upon it's release. A London based musical style known as drum and bass or jungle, had made it's way to New York. Trumpeter Fabio Mogera began experimenting and James teamed up with him to hold yet another residency at Izzy Bar. The body of work they created was recorded over time and appropriately titled "Jungle Jazz". James further employed his studio production talents with DJ Spinna. James was often called in to provide music beds for such underground dance remix classics as Shawn Escoffery's "Space Ryder" (original, club, and dub versions) and Ananda Project's "ICU". The synergy between James and Spinna in the studio was both organic and fluid. This led to the forming of the Brooklyn underground songwriting collective known as Free Radikalz. Free Radikalz (DJ Spinna, Delouie Avant, Selan Lerner, and James Hurt) penned such classics as “Bye-Bye” and “Outta Time” which can be heard on the DJ Spinna release "Intergallactic Soul". James teamed up with gifted songstress Stephanie McKay and Spinna to pen "Peace and Quiet" also hear on the CD of the same name. The compositional offerings from James provided a glimpse of what James does in the studio with analogue keyboards, songwriting, vocal techniques, and his uncanny ability to re-imagine and forecast the future of music. The nick-name "Alien" or "Future Man" has followed James through his musical journey. James was soon tapped to collaborate on the Q-Tip CD entitled "The Renaissance". Though he conceptualized and co-wrote several tracks on the CD he was listed under the given alias of James A. Hunt. James contributed keyboards and two songs on the KUDU CD "Death of the Party" which featured Silvia Gordon on bass and vocals and Deatne Parks (Sade and Mars Volta) on drums and programming. It was released on Nublu Records. KUDU secured a residency at Nublu in the summer of 2005 performing weekly shows to a packed house. James has been an immovable force in the New York live music scene and recording arts and sciences be it mainstream or underground.

James has composed music for various ensembles ranging from duo through two hundred piece marching bands. He has scored independent documentaries, ad campaigns for HBO, and New York City’s "2008 Place Matters Awards”. James also shared his musical talents on the independent film production about the Philadelphia underworld entitled “Brothers Inc” in collaboration with composer Kevin Green. A co-production with Jeremy Mage was chosen by Ford Motors for their 2010 Ford Focus ad campaign. Currently James, Jeremy, sound design specialist Jonathon Perl (Sonic Arts Department at City College) are working on a collaborative EP due out in 2011 which features James on several instruments and couples his voice with his songwriting abilities. Expansion seeks to be the driving force behind James and his artistry.

Touring

The talents James embody have taken him around the globe to festivals, workshops, and club dates throughout such territories as North and South America, Canada, the Caribbean, Europe, Japan, Indonesia, and Australia for nearly twenty years.

Re-entry

After being diagnosed as a Celiac (gluten sensitivity) two years ago James has reemerged following an eleven year transitional period and drastic lifestyle changes. In celebration of the fortieth anniversary of Miles Davis’ highly controversial work “Bitches Brew” James shared keyboard duties in the touring project "Bitches Brew Revisited" which featured Graham Haynes on trumpet and an extended cast of stellar performers. James performed double duty as a percussionist with the Adam Rudolf "Organic Orchestra" and "Moving Pictures" ensembles and as keyboardist with Butch Morris' "Conduction" of the "Lucky Cheng Orchestra". A spark has re-ignited the flame that burns inside living artist James Hurt.

Giving Back

Though many know James though classic live New York City performances, special guest appearances at festivals, and club dates, few know the breadth of his artistry due to his being grossly under-marketed and overshadowed by the more visible machine-driven artists. Experience has elevated James' talents to new heights. James Hurt 'is' music.

Commitment to the Cause

Revered for his inventiveness, strong sense of rhythm, soulfulness, galactic harmonic excursions and his commitment to music research and development, James enjoys the challenge of balancing performance and education. When in New York City James performs live, presents workshops, and gives private instruction both independently and through the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music.

Selected Discography

Electronica/Dance/Future

2007Graham Haynes-Full Circle (RKM Records)
2007 James Hurt and Justin Gonzales- P7-11-7P, The Future of Sound (Release pending)
2006 Kudu-Death Of The Party (Nublu Records)
2005 Music For Real People Import (BBE)
2005 Ron Blake-Sonic Tonic (Mack Avenue)
2004 James Hurt-Fractile Theory (Released pending)