Stafford James, born April 24, 1946 in Evanston, Illinois, was an American double‑bass player and composer. He began as a left‑handed violinist in school orchestra before studying contrabass at the Chicago Conservatory College and Mannes College of Music, where he met Pharoah Sanders and performed with Sun Ra, Monty Alexander, and Alice Coltrane. His debut as a leader was in 1975 on Horo Records, featuring Enrico Rava, Dave Burrell, and Beaver Harris. In 1978, he released The Stafford James Ensemble with Frank Strozier, Harold Mabern, and Louis Hayes. He toured Europe, Australia, and Asia, collaborated with Dexter Gordon, John Scofield, Freddie Hubbard, and Woody Shaw, and issued Le Gecko in 2001 on Westdeutscher Rundfunk. In 2008, he released The Stafford James String Ensemble and in 2012 recorded Round About Midnight. He also composed orchestral works and founded Top Hat Music Society, Inc..
