James H. Leary
Internationally-Renowned Jazz Musician, Arranger and Composer | Class of 2023
James “Jimmy” Houston Leary III, a world-class musician, composer, and arranger, was born on June 4, 1946 in Little Rock, AR to James Houston Leary, Jr. and Margaret Torrence Leary (Brown).
From a young age, James was continuously surrounded by musical influences. Born into a family of musicians, James studied the way his family members played the piano and eventually learned how to play the piano and the organ. In addition, he sang with the youth choir at his church, Duncan United Methodist.
James joined the band at Horace Mann Senior High School under his music history teacher and choir director, Art Porter, Sr. While attending, James competed in local talent shows and by age 15, he was playing piano at multiple shows. Eventually, he was introduced to the bass when he heard the Art Porter Trio play and began to play the bass in high school band.
Following his education at Horace Mann Senior High School, James attended North Texas State University where he took his first bass lesson with Alan Richardson. In addition to the piano, bass, and organ, James sharpened his knowledge of music theory with the support of bebop, Coltrane, and Pharaoh Sanders. During his sophomore year, James returned home to attend the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) where he continued his musical education and performed with local musical giants such as TeRoy Betton, Thomas East, Art Porter Sr., and York Wilborn. In addition, James performed with Albert King, Little Johnny Taylor, Major Lance, and George Duke, who he met and befriended at an intercollegiate jazz festival.
After graduating from UAPB, James attended graduate school at San Francisco State University (SFSU) and reconnected with his friend, George Duke. While attending SFSU, James studied bass with Charles Siani and Ortiz Walton and became John Handy’s student teacher and band mate. He also joined the band The Fourth Way. During the 1970s, James toured with masters such as Roland Kirk, Eddie Harris, and Bobby Hutcherson. He also started his own musical group called James Leary Orchestra.
During the 1980s, James relocated to Los Angeles to study film-scoring. James spent decades performing, recording, and touring the world with musical notables such as the Count Basie Orchestra, Sammy Davis, Jr., Liza Minelli, Buddy Rich, Frank Sinatra, Eddie Harris, The Boston Pops with John Williams, Nancy Wilson, Dizzy Gillespie, Theolonius Monk, and many more. His musical gift earned him two Grammy Awards and induction into the Arkansas Jazz Hall of Fame. He was also featured in Persistence of the Spirit, a traveling exhibit of Arkansas African American history photographs. Throughout his career, James played at all of Los Angeles’ premier venues including the Hollywood Bowl and recorded with numerous artists. His stamp on Broadway includes They’re Playing Our Song, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Bubbling Brown Sugar, Five Guys Named Moe, and Timbutku with Eartha Kitt. He was in the 1996 Tom Hanks movie That Thing You Do, and he is depicted in the 2007 Collector’s Edition of Vanity Fair Magazine in a performance with Jennifer Hudson.
James worked tirelessly on his dream, “The James Leary Legacy Choir Project”, to record and perform his original compositions and musical tributes written for choirs and instruments in honor of individuals whom he dubbed “great humans who had inspired him and improved the plight of others in the world.”
James passed away at his home in Los Angeles, CA on March 22, 2021. He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers, Jesse T. (J.T.) Leary and John “Jon” Mark Leary.