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 "A
virtuoso of acoustic upright double bass, Whiton slaps, bows, maneuvers, and
manipulates his instrument with orchestral precision and street-corner
desperation." --Silke Tudor, SF Weekly, SF, CA"James Whiton plays a mean bass. Ferocious, in fact. He drives an amplified acoustic double bass with his foot floored on the synth pedal and his hands slapping for speed." -- Ron Swarner, Weekly Volcano, Tacoma, WA "James
Whiton's skills on the bass are unpredictable and outstanding. His use
of distortion and "wah" effects is exquisitely uncanny. Occasionally, Whiton
will pick up a bow and play his instrument as if it was an amplified cello
from hell." "Whiton plays the double bass like Flava Flav played Charo...he makes it do some strange, distorted, unnatural things. But unlike Flava and Charo, the product of Whiton's slapping is beautiful. His technique is flawless and merges with his sense of music to create an unrivaled sound...Expect to hear a double bass do things that you never expected, then be glad that you did." -- Paul Schrag, Weekly Volcano, Tacoma, WA "Listening to James Whiton play the String Bass, it takes only a few seconds to realize that his is an absolutely unique voice. He has invented his own way of playing the instrument that will probably be copied and emulated for years to come..." -- Jazz Steps, Seattle, WA "He plays with a flash and percussive brilliance that shines through his music and ignites his ensembles..." -- Earshot Jazz, Seattle, WA "Whiton, who plays upright
bass through an arsenal of effects, has a startling original sound that
often comes through in his aggressive bowed solos." --Gene Stout,
Seattle Post-Intelligencer James Whiton plays the Double Bass differently than anyone you have ever heard. He has outstanding technique combined with a beautiful sense of musicianship, but the most remarkable thing about listening to him play is the strength of his voice on the instrument. He has invented and developed a right-hand slap technique that is absolutely his own. He uses effects widely, transforming the wooden sound of his upright bass into caterwauling, distorted wah-wah, electronica synth rubberized wet bass, buzzsaw distortion. He orchestrates the rhythm section around the textures he pulls out of his bass. Above all, he is tasteful, building space into groove and playing with an attention to the whole. Currently, James lives in Oakland, CA but he's spending a lot of time on the road, playing as full-time bass player with the Eric McFadden Trio. His solo project, James Whiton and the Downtown Apostles, plays regularly in the Pacific Northwest and travels the West Coat when EMT is between tours. You can also see him (when he's here) with folks like Kevin Sawka, Blake Lewis, Danny Godinez, Otha Major, Circle of Fire, Matt Messina, Kurt Shapiro, Jacquie Davis, Brian Kent, Dexter Grove, and many others. James was first introduced to his instrument from within the womb....his mother was a professional bassist, sitting principal with the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra for 26 years; one of her career highlights was playing the famous bass solo from Mahler's First Symphony while eight months pregnant with James; she played even though her arms could barely fit around the instrument. When
James turned three, his Mom gave him his first real string instrument, a
half size 'cello. When he was six, he was taken on tour with the New
Mexico Symphony Throughout high school, James was a featured musician with several youth symphonies and won top honors at many local and regional competitions. After graduating in 1988, he attended music conservatory at Meadows School of the Arts in Dallas, Texas and began playing professionally with many regional symphonies in New Mexico, Colorado and Texas. Yet his need to improvise was growing and so was his dissatisfaction with a career as a classical musician.
In September 1994, James was in a car accident that shattered his left arm, leading more than one doctor to recommend amputation while even the optimists were doubtful that he would ever resume his career as a musician. Throughout seven grueling surgeries, a dedicated and talented Dr. Luis Cuadros was able to reconstruct James' arm and wrist, setting the wrist in position so that James could continue playing the bass despite a severely limited range of motion. Ask him to show you his scars some time. Working with a focused and supportive occupational therapist, Lynn Burns, James was able to regain most of his hand strength and finger dexterity within a relatively short time: in April, 1995, Apricot Jam was playing regionally again and recorded their cd "Live at the Fox Theater," which would become one of the best-selling local recordings in New Mexico and the Southwest. Apricot Jam became one of the most successful independent bands in the region, building a local fan base into a national base that allowed them to tour constantly for the next three years throughout the U.S. After seven years with the same lineup and over 1000 shows, Apricot Jam disbanded in 1998.
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Orchestra playing a 'cello concerto as part of a children
in music program. He studied classical music, both with his mother
and local string players, but was always equally influenced by his Dad,
who played big band drums and 
In
1990, he enrolled as a student at the University of New Mexico and began studying jazz
with bassist Mark Tatum and reedman John Truitt. He began playing
jazz and improvised music wherever and whenever he could. He
played with virtually every local jazz and blues luminary in the
Southwest in addition to leading his own
groups; he also played with and co-led the folk-rock band Apricot
Jam.