Born in Chicago in 1955, James Singleton took to the bass early and, after performing in the Chicago area and briefly attending the University of North Texas, was called to New Orleans in 1976 to play with Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown. He cut his teeth with Brown, then became a fixture of the city's jazz scene, working with pianists James Booker and Ellis Marsalis.
He is a member of Astral Project alongside Johnny Vidacovich, Tony Dagradi, and Steve Masakowski, and he produced the group's album Elvado, which won OffBeat magazine's 1998 Best Modern Jazz Album of the Year. His performance and recording credits read like a who's who of jazz: John Scofield, Stanton Moore, John Medeski, Chet Baker, Charlie Rich, Eddie Harris, Lionel Hampton, and more.
Singleton has led his own projects including 3 Now 4, the James Singleton Orchestra, and the James Singleton Trio, and in 2015 formed the band Nolatet. After Hurricane Katrina he lived in Los Angeles but kept performing in New Orleans, returning home for good in December 2008.
