Jazz Articles about James Emery

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James Emery / Anthony Braxton: Articulations

by Glenn Astarita
August 29, 2026

Thirty-four years is a long time for a tape to sit in a drawer, but jazz history is littered with such delays, and Anthony Braxton's discography in particular has always unspooled out of chronological order. Articulations, a duo session with guitarist James Emery recorded in Florence on June 19, 1992, finally surfaced this year on Emery's own Bandcamp imprint, self-released and produced by Emery with Ed Petersen. The reasons behind the gap are not spelled out in the credits, and ...

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String Trio of New York with Paul Kane: Intimations

by Troy Dostert
March 6, 2026

In a recording career spanning 19 albums going back to 1979's First String (Black Saint), the String Trio of New York has consistently produced an impressive body of music dedicated to obliterating the boundaries separating jazz from other idioms. The artistic breadth of the group has always resisted easy categorization, as a wide range of classical and folk forms peek through at any given moment despite the group's obvious affinity for the jazz tradition. One constant which has endured is ...

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James Emery Neo Trio: Inner Drive

by Glenn Astarita
January 4, 2025

Before forming this trio, James Emery established himself as a prominent figure in the New York jazz scene, notably as a founding member of the acclaimed String Trio of NY. This unique ensemble, blending classical and jazz influences, garnered critical acclaim for its inventive arrangements and dynamic performances. And Inner Drive highlights the virtuosic talents and ingenious interplay of the Neo Trio: Emery on acoustic guitar, Chris Jonas on saxophones and Cyrus Campbell on bass. The album presents a compelling ...

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James Emery: Inside Outlier

by Glenn Astarita
March 25, 2024

Emerging in the 1970s, renowned guitarist James Emery quickly became a name to drop in the jazz scene, synonymous with that 'new jazz smell' of innovation. A founding member of the String Trio of New York, his career has been an outstanding potluck of collaborations, bringing to the table dishes seasoned with the genius of Anthony Braxton, Leroy Jenkins, and Roscoe Mitchell. His style? Imagine if Bach had an affair with bebop and raised their lovechild on a strict diet ...

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String Trio of New York: The River of Orion: 30 Years Running

by AAJ Italy Staff
January 22, 2009

Come allude il titolo, lo String Trio of New York celebra con questo nuovo lavoro tre decenni d'attività professionale, caratterizzata da un nutrito numero di dischi (siamo a quota diciassette) e dalla costante mobilità di un componente dell'organico, il violinista. Dopo Billy Bang, Charles Burnham (anni Ottanta), Regina Carter e Diane Monroe (anni Novanta), dagli inizi del Duemila c'è Rob Thomas, virtuoso formatosi in formazioni modern mainstream e tendenzialmente meno incline alla libera improvvisazione post-free, anche se tale estetica resta ...

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James Emery: Transformations

by AAJ Staff
September 25, 2003

Something about orchestrated jazz makes it an intellectualized endeavor, and James Emery's Transformations exemplifies this rule as much as Gunther Schuller or any other members of the Third Stream. The guitarist and composer takes advantage of the rich sonic spectrum provided by the 22-member Klangforum Wien orchestra to complement his jazz quartet, represented by the five- movement “Transformations" suite and five subsequent pieces respectively. The foursome comprises Emery alongside saxophonist Tony Coe, flugelhorn player (and Between the Lines frequent flyer) ...

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James Emery Septet: Spectral Domains

by Glenn Astarita
May 1, 1999

Solo artist and member of the critically acclaimed “String Trio of New York”, guitar virtuoso James Emery has produced a bonafide winner in Spectral Domains. Emery is one of the world’s finest guitarists and possesses an encyclopedic jazz vocabulary as a technician and composer. The James Emery Septet is an assemblage of modern, cutting edge jazz musicians who have been shaping and to some extent, reinventing modern jazz through refreshingly new concepts and adept technical proficiency.

Emery’s 1997 ENJA release, ...