James is an active freelance musician and educator, based in Birmingham, Alabama, working and teaching throughout the Southeast. He is a member of the LaGrange Symphony and Pensacola Symphony Orchestras, and appears regularly with the Alabama Symphony, Columbus Symphony, and Mobile Symphony Orchestras. James teaches applied studies in horn at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and at Birmingham-Southern College.

Brass ensembles have been a fixture in James' career from early on. His first professional group, the Bala Brass, is an award winning, critically acclaimed chamber ensemble that actively pursued new music from the brightest up-and-coming new composers. With the Bala Brass, James has performed on stages around the world and he continues to enjoy the power and flexibility of the genre as a creative outlet.

Also in demand as a master craftsman, James is the owner and proprietor of Custom Brass Instrument Service in Birmingham, AL where he specializes in repair and custom modification of brass instruments. When not performing, teaching, or in the shop, other interests include photography, cycling, and playing baseball with his boys. James lives in Vestavia Hills, AL with his wife Angel, daughter Bella Grace, and sons Ben and Bo.