On stage, James has backed blues musicians including Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, Big Joe Turner, LaVern Baker, Helen Humes, Colin James, Freddie King, Charlie Musselwhite, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Junior Walker, Muddy Waters and Jimmy Witherspoon.
[1] It was in Rhode Island in 1970, when Duke Robillard was expanding his fledgling group, Roomful of Blues, to include a horn section, that he met James.
He was nicknamed "Mr. Low", after a song Joe Williams had recorded with the Red Saunders Orchestra in August 1950, called "Blow, "Mr.
[1][5] Through his connections to Roomful of Blues, James also got the opportunity to back Roy Brown, Helen Humes, LaVern Baker, and Jimmy Witherspoon.
In addition, James recorded pieces with Eddie Clearwater, Toni Lynn Washington, Jerry Portnoy, Jimmy "T99" Nelson, Jay McShann, Debbie Davies, Billy Boy Arnold, Kim Wilson, and Bryan Lee.
Handy All-Stars' touring ensembles saw James play the saxophone behind a varied mix of artists, such as Charlie Musselwhite, Little Milton, Ruth Brown, Joe Louis Walker, Trudy Lynn, and Johnnie Johnson.