JAMES WENGROW GUITARIST

 James Wengrow is a NYC-based guitarist and composer from Meanjin/Brisbane, Australia. 

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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.”

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In addition to leading his jazz trio, current projects James is involved with defy easy categorization: Xavier Del Castillo's The White Visitation (Prog-Metal Jazz-Fusion); Jonathon Crompton’s Cantata Project (16th-century classical practices with ambient improvisation); Brooklyn Qawwali Party (the music of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan); and collaborations with record labels 29th Street Editions (mixing electronica and extreme-metal with modern jazz). Other artists James has performed alongside include Hery Paz, Adam Neely, Ralph Alessi, David Ades, Allan Browne, Anna Webber, and Marike Van Dijk. 

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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.

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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.