Duncan James is a jazz, swing and blues guitarist and instructor. He has been teaching guitar since 1964, including four years as adjunct faculty at Lone Mountain College in San Francisco - 1972-1976 - and three years as a public school instrumental music teacher in Springfield and Miamisburg, Ohio - 1968-1971. He participated in the Bay Area Young Audience Program from 1981-1991 and has been a Jazz Instructor for Guitar Solo of San Francisco from 1986-2008. He is also a mentor for Jazzmasters Workshop having taught three guitar workshops in 2001. Mr. James holds a Bachelor of Music degree from The Ohio State University and has done post graduate work at Wright State University and Central State University in Ohio.

Performances include work with George Barnes, Howard Alden, Bruce Foreman, Mundell Lowe, Marilyn McCoo, Eartha Kitt, Michael Feinstein, Bernadette Peters, Barbara Cook, Chet Baker, Bobby McFerrin, Jimmy Witherspoon, Frankie Laine, Bob Hope, Les Brown, Eddie Sauter, the San Francisco Symphony, the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra, and the San Francisco, San Jose, Sacramento, Concord, and Russian River Jazz Festivals.

"Where does one begin with Duncan James, the venerable swing jazz guitarist"- David McGee (Just Jazz Guitar Magazine May 2013)