James Emery

James Emery remains an underrecognized guitarist whose brisk and precisely articulated solos—marked by strumming, jagged phrasing, and adept harmonic navigation—have reached audiences both through his work with the String Trio of New York and in his own solo performances. He performs on both acoustic and electric instruments, releasing recordings as a soloist and in a duo setting alongside violinist Leroy Jenkins. Emery joined Billy Bang and John Lindberg to form the original lineup of the String Trio, which began its recording career with Black Saint in 1979. Violinist Charles Burnham succeeded Bang in 1987, while subsequent String Trio violinists have included Regina Carter, Diane Monroe, and Rob Thomas. As a leader, Emery has documented sessions for Lumina, FMP, Enja, and Between the Lines, with multiple projects now available on CD featuring either the String Trio of New York or his own work.