DOB: 5/4/84
Instruments: Violin and Melodeon
Musical Influences: Phil Heath-Coleman, Jeff Giddings, Carlene Anglin, Stephane Grappelli, Johnny Cunningham.

One of James’ earliest memories is of being picked up by Phil Heath-Coleman and placed on the table in a pub being told to playa jig for him to step-dance to. He was only about five years old, the psycological effects of this are still coming to light.

“I have been told (on numerous occasions) by my dearest parents that at the age of 5, I was absolutely engrossed in watching Phil Heath-Coleman. To me (as a short plump thing) he was this monster of a man, with black curly hair and a great beard to match. He played in a proper English style, on (what I thought) was a knackered old German violin held below the shoulder. Apparently I was instantly hooked, and that Christmas I was brought a red plastic violin with a bow that, when bowed (as long as the batteries weren’t flat) would play ‘Baa Baa black sheep’, ‘We wish you a merry Christmas’ and other such smash hits.”

After mastering these tunes, he was finally brought his first REAL violin, it was a quarter size skylark. His parents booked him lessons with a classical violin teacher called Anne Edwards. In six months he had achieved grade one. However he then got bored with classical playing and gave up the lessons. He spent the next three years being towed around the pub sessions with the morris team that his dad played for, and did he best to copy the styles of the various players he encountered. It was then the turn of Jeff Giddings to give private tuition to the young fiddler, these soon withered out.

“I think I learnt more from him in pub sessions, than I ever did at his lessons, I just used to like the smell of the house (Rosin, varnish, linseed oil and wood). I then spent another year on my own following the morris around. Then my parents decided I needed something to work towards, and booked me lessons with an all Irish fiddle champion of the time, Carlene Anglin. By this time I had moved on from the skylark (thank god) and got a three quarter sized German violin from Jeff (I loved that violin). Just after that my beloved German violin (It looked just like Phil’s) fell apart, and Jeff sold us my current violin (made by Jeff in the same year I was born). I then left Carlene as she went off to university in Ireland.”

Once again he was left to his own devices, and hasn’t had a tutor since from the age of about 12. His first stage appearances were with The Knappfoot Five Country Dance Band. However this led him to play with Crunchy Pig, Mawkin, Morris Offspring, Jim Moray and the much awaited Mawkin:Causley.
Having made two recordings with Mawkin, James will be appearing on the new Jim Moray and Jim Causley albums as well as returning to the studio with Mawkin to record the debut album of Mawkin:Causley.
Apart from all his music, he is also a trained Violin maker, having recieved a BA in Musical Instrument Technology. He runs a very small Violin restoration and repair workshop in his home county of Essex.