Keyboardist James Auburn's got soul in mass quantities. He's not the hotshot soloist filling measure after measure with selfindulgent noodling. Instead, James is a groove genius. And, if you ask almost anyone who's worked with him, he's the go-to guy on keys: especially for R&B, hip-hop, and funk. Known best for his uncanny ability to hear a song once and take it out on a gig that night, an extensive repertoire of songs in nearly every genre, and a rather remarkable collection of rare records (yes, records - vinyl - wow.) James built a reputation as a unique and multi-faceted musician. James, who jokes he's a musician "cause I'm not qualified to do much else," is clearly more modest than most, but his hands do the talking. Somewhat of a prodigy, James can read music on sight, play by ear, and harmonize based on melody line in a heartbeat. But it's not just the technique; it's the feeling - the flavor.

Called on specifically for his texture, interpretation, and harmonic depth, James is also really popular among vocalists and melodic songwriters because he really understands their rehearsal and performance style (not to mention - he's the best ";translator" in the business for vocalists who've not had much theory training or experience working in band settings.)

As a record collector, James' hip-hop library is loaded with gems (he's also a hip-hop vinyl appraiser). But he's got some of everything else: the expected top-notch in R&B, jazz, soul, funk, pop/rock, and the not-so-expected: obscure sample sources, Bulgarian choral music, all sorts of rarities ... even this out there Hare Krishna funk record. Crazy. And the truth is he really studies his art ongoing, and stays ahead of the curve.

James' eclectic, intellectual musical background has served him well in his career, which is almost as diverse as his record collection. Starting out on piano at the age of five, in his hometown of Biloxi, Mississippi, James poured hours into classical study. By the time he hit high school, James had taught himself the pop, rock, and R&B he wanted to play and accompanied his choir. He was considered by the Mississippi Music Teachers' Association to be the fourth highest-ranking young pianist in the state, and they awarded him with a merit scholarship. James went on to accompany musical theater at the iconic Saenger Theater, as well as at Gulfport Little Theater and Center Stage, where he served as Musical Director.

Stretching out a little further, James played keys for a rock/pop outfit called Scoundrel. After his studies at Berklee College of Music, where earned his Bachelor's Degree in Professional Music, James continued to accompany several vocalists and perform with bands - most often as the Musical Director.

James plays piano, Rhodes, Wurlitzer, Ensoniq ASR-10, and his current instrument of choice: the Yamaha Motif. And, he'll never quite say it, but he also sings very well. He's appeared at venues all over the Eastern seaboard, with several successful acts including LuvJones (who opened for vocal legacy Amel Larrieux and headlined at several benefit and high-profile events), Hazie Maze, and Weather Outpost 12.

He currently fills in for Beantown Project and serves as M.D. for R&B/Soul outfit Velvet Stylus. Velvet Stylus is working on their CD, and will be featured this winter on a compilation CD for Project Think Different, sponsored in part by the City of Boston.

James is not only a composer and keyboardist, but a journalist as well. He's contributed to The Mississippi Sun Herald, The Noise, MusicBizAdvice.com (Los Angeles), GedUp.com (Europe), and Hi-Tide (Biloxi, MS). Once again employing that vast record collection and breadth of collector's know-how, he conceived, directed, and co-hosted a successful Limelight Records tribute on WHRB (Harvard University,) including interviews of Limelight CEO Robin McBride and Cork Marcheschi of 60s Psychedelic band Fifty Foot Hose.

His widespread tastes recently landed him a gig writing for reviews for Philadelphia-based worldwide e-Zine Okayplayer.com, the online hub of The Roots and other conscious artists like Jill Scott, Common, and Erykah Badu. While James loves variety, his heart lives in hip-hop and R&B.

An expert on the history of hip-hop, James designed a comprehensive academic course on this subject. For Diggin' in the Crates: The History of Hip-Hop, which can be modified for all age levels, James uses his own personal collection of music, books, out-of-print magazines, DVDs, and huge arsenal of hip-hop music videos spanning the entire history, as teaching tools. In addition, James serves as Co-Founder and resident Hip-Hop History Clinician for the Boston Hip-Hop Alliance: a growing service organization for hip-hop professionals. He presents well-received hiphop history vignette clinics at various events around Boston.

James states that he "takes things as they come," and continues to perform and record. He&'s currently working on material for his own album, and continues to pursue teaching opportunities.

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