James Robert Haslip (born December 31, 1951) is an American bass guitarist who was a founding member of the jazz fusion group the Yellowjackets,[1] which he left in 2012.

[2] Born in the Bronx to Puerto Rican immigrants, Spanish was Haslip's first language and he learned to speak English in kindergarten.

He has said that he went to a local music shop with his father and purchased a right-handed bass (he is left-handed) and learned to play it upside down (without restringing).

[6] In an interview with magazine JazzTimes, Haslip said he was surrounded by music as a young boy, from visiting nightclubs and concert venues to his peers.

[5] in addition to the Yellowjackets, he has worked with Jeff Lorber, Eric Marienthal, Bruce Hornsby, Rita Coolidge, Gino Vannelli, Kiss, Tommy Bolin, Allan Holdsworth, Marilyn Scott, Chaka Khan, Al Jarreau, Donald Fagen, and Anita Baker.

[3] In 2001, Haslip performed at a benefit concert for Union Station Foundation, a Pasadena, California-based organization for the homeless, alongside actors Hector Elizondo and Jeff Goldblum.