BIO

James Wengrow is a NYC-based guitarist, improviser, composer, and educator from Brisbane, Australia.

Fusing idioms while maintaining a distinguishable sonic personality, James has been described as “delving deep into territory that is as much Fugazi as it is [Miles] Davis... a blazing intensity to the heavier passages neatly offset by occasional moments of shimmering beauty.” (Sonic Abuse). Drawing similarities to Ornette Coleman, All About Jazz states, “...[James’] music summons the same tumult, or at least the same clamor felt in the early 1960s... the spirit and energy of those times is unmistakable.”

In addition to his jazz trio and main compositional outlet with Kenneth Jimenez and James Paul Nadien, current projects defy easy categorization: The 3 James'; Jonathon Crompton’s Cantata Project (16th-century classical practices with ambient improv and loops); Brooklyn Qawwali Party; and collaborations with record labels 29th Street Editions and GSI Studios (mixing electronica and extreme-metal with modern jazz).

James has performed throughout the US and Australia alongside artists Hery Paz, Adam Neely, David Ades, Allan Browne, Anna Webber, and Marike Van Dijk at venues such as Rockwood Music Hall, The Bitter End, Barbes, Bar Next Door, DiMenna Center, QPAC, and Brisbane Powerhouse.

In 2016, James graduated with a Master's of Music from SUNY Purchase College, where he received the jazz department’s graduate award, the E&E merit scholarship, and the Ian Potter Cultural Trust grant. In Australia, he received a Bachelor of Music from Queensland Conservatorium in 2011 and honors from the Victorian College of Arts in 2012. These experiences facilitated study with John Abercrombie, Vic Juris, Marc Hannaford, and John Rodgers.

James has taught guitar for 20 years, currently for Midori & Friends and private lessons, and formerly for NYC Guitar School. He has conducted workshops in the jazz department at the Queensland Conservatorium.