Duncan James Quartet at Bird & Beckett Books and Records

Four long-time colleagues in jazz, swing & blues return to Bird & Beckett for the second year-end date in a row. Duncan himself has closed out the year for us in one combination or another for a half dozen years or more, and it’s always a pleasure.

Guitarist Duncan James has performed solo and with all the cats on stages large and small. He’s played with fellow guitarists George Barnes, Howard Alden, Bruce Foreman and Mundell Lowe, with singers Marilyn McCoo, Eartha Kitt, Bernadette Peters and Bobby McFerrin, and with such diverse musicians as Chet Baker, Jimmy Witherspoon, Michael Feinstein, Frankie Laine, Les Brown and Eddie Sauter. He’s performed with the San Francisco Symphony and the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra, and has played the San Francisco, San Jose, Sacramento, Concord and Russian River Jazz Festivals. On record, Duncan can be heard on three dates with George Barnes, the Concord Jazz Guitar Collection Vols. 1 and 2, his own trio with vocalist Madeline Eastman, five recordings with Turk Murphy and vocalist Pat Yankee and two with blues/jazz singer Darlene Langston, including “Street of Dreams” released in 2007. He also has a self-produced solo cd, Duncan James “Solo Jazz Guitar,” is prominently featured on Jim Rothermel’s cds “NeoClassic Swing” and “Memories of You,” and on San Francisco blues diva Dr. Margie Baker’s cd “Live at Rasselas” released in 2010 and “So Many Stars” released in 2014. ...

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Four long-time colleagues in jazz, swing & blues return to Bird & Beckett for the second year-end date in a row. Duncan himself has closed out the year for us in one combination or another for a half dozen years or more, and it’s always a pleasure.

Guitarist Duncan James has performed solo and with all the cats on stages large and small. He’s played with fellow guitarists George Barnes, Howard Alden, Bruce Foreman and Mundell Lowe, with singers Marilyn McCoo, Eartha Kitt, Bernadette Peters and Bobby McFerrin, and with such diverse musicians as Chet Baker, Jimmy Witherspoon, Michael Feinstein, Frankie Laine, Les Brown and Eddie Sauter. He’s performed with the San Francisco Symphony and the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra, and has played the San Francisco, San Jose, Sacramento, Concord and Russian River Jazz Festivals. On record, Duncan can be heard on three dates with George Barnes, the Concord Jazz Guitar Collection Vols. 1 and 2, his own trio with vocalist Madeline Eastman, five recordings with Turk Murphy and vocalist Pat Yankee and two with blues/jazz singer Darlene Langston, including “Street of Dreams” released in 2007. He also has a self-produced solo cd, Duncan James “Solo Jazz Guitar,” is prominently featured on Jim Rothermel’s cds “NeoClassic Swing” and “Memories of You,” and on San Francisco blues diva Dr. Margie Baker’s cd “Live at Rasselas” released in 2010 and “So Many Stars” released in 2014.

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