Bryan James plays baritone saxophone and alto saxophone in the Liberty Swing Band. He has been with the band since about 2012. He has also been a member of the Capital City Big Band and has performed in a number of different ensembles including his jazz trio where he plays various flutes from concert to bass flute and various saxophones from sopranino sax to baritone sax as well as bass clarinet. He also led the Crofton Flute Ensemble which performed at various venues over its 21 years existence.

  Before coming to live in Wellington, he lived in Japan for three years where he studied the Japanese end blown bamboo flute, the Shakuhachi and he performed in a number of concerts in Hiroshima Prefecture. On returning to New Zealand, he continued to perform traditional Japanese music with Japanese koto (harp) players. In his work with the jazz trio he will sometimes blend Japanese music into the trio's performances.

In his ancient past in Auckland, he played in a prominent blues group (The Killing Floor) and jazz groups while at university. He studied classical flute for two years at Canterbury university and on shifting to Nelson co-led various jazz and ethnic music ensembles with musicians like Richard Nunns who became a pioneer in the revival of Māori wind instruments (Taonga Pūoro). 

  When he returned from Japan he taught Japanese for more than 20 years at Te Kura (The NZ Correspondence School) and was Language Curriculum Leader for several years. Now retired he continues to teach flute, saxophone and Japanese shakuhachi.