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James was born and raised in Anglesey, beginning his musical career at a tender age playing trombone with his local brass band before deciding that his real passion was jazz. He trained at Leeds College of Music, studying jazz clarinet and saxophone, and while there began playing professionally with Phil Mason's New Orleans All-stars, an association that continued for three years but finally ended by choice when the relentless travel proved too exhausting. His years at Leeds ended triumphantly when he entered the 1993 Yorkshire TV competition for the Best Young Jazz Player of the Year, and came away with the top prize in the Traditional Jazz category. Since then James has played with many bands and in many styles, notably The Boston Tea party (Jonny Boston was also at Leeds), TJ Johnson's Bourbon Kick, several of the Keith Nichols ensembles, John Richardson's Ginger Pigs, and Barry Martyn's Young Bloods. He moved from London to Kent a few years ago, but still plays with many London-based musicians, and intends to keep that going. At present, James leads two bands: James Evans' Octuple Odyssey and the recently formed James Evans' Rocket Five. There are CDs available for both, as well as for earlier recordings with The Sunshine Kings, and the JE Incredible String Four.

James has crammed a great deal into his 25 years as a jazz musician and travelled widely, especially in the years he spent with Phil Mason's Allstars. Nowadays he works mainly within the UK, although he has played in New Orleans a few times, and even recorded there with some of the elite jazzmen of that city. Over the years he has recorded many times, to begin with as a member of bands led by other people (Phil Mason, T J Johnson, Barry Martyn and Keith Nichols) but now more usually with his own bands and often playing his own music. His natural jazz style is one of his own invention, but he has retained the ability to play in most jazz idioms, from Dixieland to Freeform and, as Humphrey Lyttleton commented when he played James music on Best of Jazz........