A native of Memphis, Tennessee, James Robinson is an artist and vocalist on the order of Curtis Mayfield, Stevie Wonder, Prince, and Donny Hathaway. His music reflects a catalog of musical influences ranging from experimental jazz and soul, to funk, rock, and hip hop.  

 

After graduating from high school, James received a full music scholarship to the Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music. While studying as a music education major there, he began performing & recording locally around the Memphis area. He was first featured on (Justin Timberlake) signee FreeSol's album, 11:11. 

 

Upon relocating to Austin, James made a name for himself on the local scene there performing with bands such as Temple Underground and The Bells of Joy. Notably the lead vocalist with jazz fusion bands lead by Grammy award winning musicians Brannen Temple & Bobby Sparks. He's collaborated with jazz trumpeter Hannibal Lokumbe (Healing Tones Jazz Workshop) & dancer Chandra Washington (Sun Ra Arkestra).  He has performed at the Leverkusener Jazztage in Germany, Mood Indigo Festival in Mumbai India, Bajo Circuito in Mexico City, The Granada Theater in Dallas TX, Warehouse Live & Rockefeller's in Houston TX, the Orpheum Theatre and New Daisy of Memphis, the legendary Bitter End and Rockwood Music Hall in NYC, The Black Cat Jazz Club in San Francisco, and premier venues & concert halls in Austin TX including the Continental Club, Stubbs, Antone’s, ACL Moody Theater, Bass Concert Hall, Armadillo World Headquarters, and The Long Center. Throughout his career James opened for Dwele, Bobby Blue Bland, Bobby Rush, Living Color, Marc Broussard, Blue October & The Yellow Jackets.

 

As of 2015 he has been featured on albums by BLK ODYSSY (Black Vintage), Bobby Sparks (Schizophrenia), JaRon Marshall (Black Power Mixtape: Vol. 1), Eric Johnson (EJ), Jennifer Warnes ("Another Time, Another Place"), Brannen Temple (New Dawn).

 

In December of 2022 James was one of twenty Austin TX local artist nominated & awarded a music grant by Blackfret.