James Emery is an American jazz

Jazz

Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...

 guitarist. He grew up in Shaker Heights, Ohio

Shaker Heights, Ohio

Shaker Heights is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population was 28,448. It is an inner-ring streetcar suburb of Cleveland that abuts the city on its eastern side.-Topography:Shaker Heights is located at...

.

Emery played in the 1970s with Leroy Jenkins, Bobby Naughton

Bobby Naughton

Robert "Bobby" Naughton is an American jazz vibraphonist.Naughton was born in Boston; he played piano from age seven. In the 1960s he played piano in rock and lounge outfits before a stint in the Army, where he played organ...

 and Anthony Braxton

Anthony Braxton

Anthony Braxton is an American composer, saxophonist, clarinettist, flautist, pianist, and philosopher. Braxton has released well over 100 albums since the 1960s...

. He has been a member of the String Trio of New York

String Trio of New York

The String Trio of New York is an American jazz chamber ensemble.The group was founded in 1977 by bassist John Lindberg, violinist Billy Bang, and guitarist James Emery. Though they initially worked on improvisational playing and on their own compositions, they eventually began taking on...

, which he founded along with Billy Bang

Billy Bang

Billy Bang was an American free jazz violinist and composer.-Biography:...

 and John Lindberg

John Lindberg

John Lindberg is an American jazz double-bassist.Lindberg studied at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and moved to New York City in 1977. There he played with the Human Arts Ensemble alongside Joseph Bowie and Bobo Shaw, and he was in ensembles with Anthony Braxton from 1978-1985...

, since 1977, and also played in the Human Art Ensemble at the end of the 1970s. In the 1980s he played with Thurman Barker

Thurman Barker

Thurman Barker is an American jazz drummer.Barker's first professional experience was at age sixteen with Mighty Joe Young. Barker took his bachelor's at Empire State College, then studied at the American Conservatory of Music under Harold Jones and at Roosevelt University under Edward Parimba...

 and Wadada Leo Smith

Wadada Leo Smith

Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith is a trumpeter and composer working primarily in the fields of avant-garde jazz and free improvisation.-Biography:...

, and in the 1990s with Henry Threadgill

Henry Threadgill

Henry Threadgill is an American composer, saxophonist and flautist. Threadgill came to prominence in the 1970s leading ensembles with unusual instrumentation and often incorporating a range of non-jazz genres....

, Marty Ehrlich

Marty Ehrlich

Marty Ehrlich is a multi-instrumentalist and is considered one of the leading figures in experimental or avant-garde jazz....

, Chris Speed

Chris Speed

Chris Speed is an American saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer.He studied classical piano from the age of five, and began clarinet at eleven. In high school he took up the tenor saxophone and began studying jazz...

, Mark Feldman

Mark Feldman

Mark Feldman is an American jazz violinist.Feldman worked in Chicago from 1973 to 1980, and in Nashville, Tennessee from 1980 to 1986. He worked in New York City and Western Europe from 1986. Feldman often works with John Zorn, Sylvie Courvoisier, John Abercrombie, The Masada String Trio, Dave...

, Michael Formanek

Michael Formanek

Michael Formanek is an American jazz bassist born in San Francisco, California and associated with the jazz scene in New York City....

 and Gerry Hemingway

Gerry Hemingway

Gerry Hemingway is an American jazz composer and percussionist.He has performed with Ernst Reijseger, Anthony Davis, Earl Howard, Leo Smith, George Lewis, Anthony Braxton, Ray Anderson, Mark Helias, Reggie Workman, Michael Moore, Oliver Lake, Marilyn Crispell, Christy Doran, John Wolf Brennan, Don...

.

Discography as leader

• Artlife (Lumina Records, 1983)
• Exo Eso (FMP, 1987)
• Turbulence (Knitting Factory
  Knitting Factory
  The Knitting Factory is a music venue and concert house with locations in Brooklyn, Boise, Reno, and Spokane. The club originally specialized in jazz and experimental music and has expanded to showcasing all genres of music, performing arts and comedy....
  
  , 1991)
• Standing on a Whale Fishing for Minnows (Enja Records
  Enja Records
  Enja Records is a German jazz record label based in Munich, Germany. It was founded by jazz enthusiasts Matthias Winckelmann and Horst Weber in 1971....
  
  , 1997)
• Spectral Domains (Enja, 1999)
• Luminous Cycles (Between the Lines Records, 2001)
• Fourth World (Between the Lines, 2001)
• Transformations (Between the Lines, 2003)

With the String Trio of New York

String Trio of New York

The String Trio of New York is an American jazz chamber ensemble.The group was founded in 1977 by bassist John Lindberg, violinist Billy Bang, and guitarist James Emery. Though they initially worked on improvisational playing and on their own compositions, they eventually began taking on...

• First String
  First String
  First String is the debut album by American jazz group the String Trio of New York recorded in 1979 for the Italian Black Saint label.-Reception:...
  
  (Black Saint, 1979)
• Area Code 212
  Area Code 212 (album)
  Area Code 212 is the second album by American jazz group the String Trio of New York recorded in 1980 for the Italian Black Saint label.-Reception:The Allmusic review awarded the album 4½ stars.-Track listing:# "Twixt C and D" - 6:58...
  
  (Black Saint, 1980)
• Common Goal
  Common Goal
  Common Goal is the third album by American jazz group the String Trio of New York recorded in 1981 for the Italian Black Saint label.-Reception:The Allmusic review awarded the album 4 stars.-Track listing:# "Multiple Reasons" - 7:06...
  
  (Black Saint, 1983)
• Rebirth of a Feeling
  Rebirth of a Feeling
  Rebirth of a Feling is the fourth album by American jazz group the String Trio of New York recorded in 1983 for the Italian Black Saint label.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Ron Wynn awarded the album 4½ stars stating "this was a unified effort...
  
  (Black Saint, 1983)
• Natural Balance
  Natural Balance (album)
  Natural Balance is the fifth album by American jazz group the String Trio of New York recorded in 1986 for the Italian Black Saint label.-Reception:...
  
  (Black Saint, 1986)
• Octagon
  Octagon (String Trio of New York album)
  Octagon is an album by American jazz group the String Trio of New York recorded in 1992 for the Italian Black Saint label.-Reception:The Allmusic review awarded the album 4½ stars.-Track listing:# "The Pursuit of Happiness" - 7:05...
  
  (Black Saint, 1992)
• Blues...?
  Blues...?
  Blues...? is an album by American jazz group the String Trio of New York recorded in 1993 for the Italian Black Saint label.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow awarded the album 4 stars stating "this is a successful effort, well worth seeking out by adventurous listeners".-Track listing:#...
  
  (Black Saint, 1993)