James Singleton is an acoustic bassist, composer, and producer with an intimate and extensive affiliation with the New Orleans music scene. He is a member of the long-lived New Orleans-based jazz group Astral Project

Astral Project

. For the Orange Goblin song titled "The Astral Project" see Frequencies From Planet Ten.Astral Project is a modern jazz quartet from New Orleans Louisiana. It was founded by saxophonist Tony Dagradi in 1978 and includes drummer Johnny Vidacovich, bassist James Singleton and 7-string guitarist...

 with Johnny Vidacovich

Johnny Vidacovich

Johnny Vidacovich is a contemporary jazz drummer from New Orleans, Louisiana. Playing since the early 1970s with the quartet Astral Project , he has become widely renowned as a prominent and sought after New Orleans musician as well as contributing to New Orleans cultural heritage...

, Tony Dagradi and Steve Masakowski. He has been described as one the best and most sought after bassists in New Orleans. He has performed with John Scofield

John Scofield

John Scofield , often referred to as "Sco," is an American jazz guitarist and composer, who has played and collaborated with Miles Davis, Dave Liebman, Joe Henderson, Charles Mingus, Joey Defrancesco, Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny, Bill Frisell, Pat Martino, Mavis Staples, Phil Lesh, Billy Cobham,...

, Stanton Moore

Stanton Moore

Stanton Moore is a drummer raised in Metairie, Louisiana. Most widely known as a founding member of Galactic, Moore has also pursued a solo recording career and recorded with bands as diverse as jazz-funk keyboardist Robert Walter and heavy metal act Corrosion of Conformity...

, and John Medeski

John Medeski

Anthony John Medeski is an American jazz keyboards player and composer. Medeski is a veteran of New York's 1990s avant-garde jazz scene and is known popularly as a member of Medeski Martin & Wood...

 as well as John Abercrombie

John Abercrombie (guitarist)

John Abercrombie is an American jazz guitarist, whose work often explores jazz fusion and post bop. Abercrombie has played with Billy Cobham, Jack DeJohnette, Michael Brecker and Randy Brecker...

, Art Baron

Art Baron

Art Baron is an American jazz trombonist. He also plays didgeridoo, conch shell, penny-whistle, alto and bass recorder, and tuba.Baron is an alumnus of the Berklee College of Music...

, Ellis Marsalis

Ellis Marsalis, Jr.

Ellis Marsalis is an American musician. He can usually be seen performing on Fridays at Snug Harbor jazz bistro in New Orleans.- Life and career :...

, Earl Turbinton, Eddie Harris

Eddie Harris

Eddie Harris was an American jazz musician, best known for playing tenor saxophone and for introducing the electrically amplified saxophone. He was also fluent on the electric piano and organ...

, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, Lionel Hampton

Lionel Hampton

Lionel Leo Hampton was an American jazz vibraphonist, pianist, percussionist, bandleader and actor. Like Red Norvo, he was one of the first jazz vibraphone players. Hampton ranks among the great names in jazz history, having worked with a who's who of jazz musicians, from Benny Goodman and Buddy...

, Arnett Cobb

Arnett Cobb

Arnett Cobb was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.Cobb was born Arnette Cleophus Cobbs in Houston, Texas. His musical career began with the local bands of Chester Boone, from 1934 to 1936, and Milt Larkin, from 1936 to 1942...

 and Banu Gibson among others. He has recorded with Chet Baker

Chet Baker

Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker, Jr. was an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist and singer.Though his music earned him a large following , Baker's popularity was due in part to his "matinee idol-beauty" and "well-publicized drug habit."He died in 1988 in Amsterdam, the...

, Alvin "Red" Tyler, James Booker

James Booker

James Carroll Booker III was a jazz, New Orleans rhythm and blues and soul musician born in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States.-Biography:...

, Johnny "Tan Canary" Adams

Johnny Adams

Laten John Adams , known as Johnny Adams, was an American blues, jazz and gospel singer, known as "The Tan Canary" for the multi-octave range of his singing voice, his swooping vocal mannerisms and falsetto...

, Charlie Rich

Charlie Rich

Charles Rich was an American country music singer and musician. A Grammy Award winner, his eclectic-style of music was often hard to classify in a single genre, playing in the rockabilly, jazz, blues, country, and gospel genres.In the latter part of his life, Rich acquired the nickname The Silver...

 and Zachary Richard

Zachary Richard

Zachary Richard is a Cajun singer/songwriter and poet. His music is an innovative combination of Cajun and Zydeco musical styles.-Biography:...

 among others.

He produced Astral Project's Elvado which won OffBeat Magazine's 1998 Best Modern Jazz Album of the year award. Although Elvado has been described as "straight-ahead bop-influenced Jazz with a Crescent City ambiance" Astral Project's live performances are also known for improvisation which Singleton has described as "composing in the groove."

He has led projects such as "3 Now 4," "The James Singleton Orchestra" and "The James Singleton Trio."

Some of Singleton's recent projects include playing as a member of the New Orleans saxophonist Robert Wagner Trio and the New Orleans keyboardist Robert Walter Trio

Robert Walter (musician)

Robert Walter is a keyboard player specializing in instrumental soul jazz on the Hammond B3 organ. He is a founding memberof The Greyboy Allstars, and has since led his own band Robert Walter's 20th Congress.-Biography:...

. In early 2007 he toured nationally with Skerik

Skerik

Skerik is an American saxophonist from Seattle, Washington. Performing on the tenor and baritone saxophone, often with electronics and loops, Skerik is a pioneer in a playing style that has been dubbed saxophonics. He is a founding member of Critters Buggin, Garage a Trois and Skerik's Syncopated...

 and Mike Dillon

Mike Dillon (musician)

Mike Dillon is a percussionist, vibraphonist, bandleader, vocalist and songwriter born in San Antonio, Texas. He is a member of Critters Buggin, Les Claypool's Fancy Band and Garage A Trois...

. In 2008 various projects included an experimental jazz string quartet composed of two former Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra

Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra

The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra is an American orchestra based in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is the only full-time, professional orchestra in the Gulf South. The music director is Carlos Miguel Prieto....

 members Dave Rebeck and Matt Rhody as well as cellist Helen Gillet. Singleton moved to Los Angeles after Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...

, but continued to perform frequently in New Orleans. In December 2008, Singleton returned to New Orleans.

Selected discography

• Gold Bug Crawl, James Singleton String Quartet (2008)
• Cure All
  Cure All (album)
  Cure All is an album by keyboardist Robert Walter. The recording features James Singleton and Johnny Vidacovich . AllMusic states that Cure All is soul-jazz with "a healthy balance of intellect and funkiness"...
  
  , Robert Walter (2008)
• Lost Children, Rob Wagner Trio (2006)
• Super Heavy Organ
  Super Heavy Organ
  Super Heavy Organ is an album by New Orleans and San Diego keyboardist Robert Walter.- Musicians :* Robert Walter - Hammond organ piano, clavinet, melodica, percussion* Johnny Vidacovich - drums* Stanton Moore - drums* Tim Green - tenor saxophone...
  
  , Robert Walter (2005)
• Legend Of Cowboy Bill, Astral Project (2004)

External links

• Official Site: Astral Project