Violinist James Sanders confidently crosses stylistic borders but stays true to both the jazz violin legacy and his rigorous classical training to create music that transcends categories yet remains faithful to its multiple inspirations, which include his Caribbean heritage. He is a regular presence in Chicago’s creative music movement and has performed around the world, including major jazz festivals in Italy, Brazil, Poland, and Chicago. He leads the long-running Latin jazz group James Sanders’ Conjunto as well as Proyecto Libre, an ensemble that pulls equally from free improvisation and Afro-Caribbean traditions. He formed the Dark Matter String Band in 2018 to interpret the tradition of African American acoustic string music in a contemporary context, and his latest project is a series of duets for drums and violin inspired by all the great rhythm masters that he's worked with over the course of his career. His past projects include the Blue Violin Quartet, an exploration of the role of the violin in jazz.
Profile image by: Dan Kasberger
Featured Artworks
Taking it in
James taking a break during rehearsals with the Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre
Dan Kasberger
Flow
Performing at the Hot house event in Sawyer Michigan
Mike Baker
Performing with Conguero Joe Rendon with Conjunto
Don Macica
Time to Dance
Performing with pianist Kevin O'Connell and Bassi Player Jose Porcayo at the Garfield Park Conservatory
Dan Kasberger
James Sanders has crowd-funded a project with 3AP
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- $5,108 raised of $5,000 goal
- 0 Days 0:00:00 LEFT
I am a jazz violinist who takes inspiration from my Afro-Latin heritage. Over the nearly two decades of leading the James Sanders’ Conjunto ensemble, our sound has largely focused on the work of other composers, encompassing both jazz standards and …
Read more about Evidencia: New Music for Violin & Afro Latin Ensemble