James Boatman (b. 1958)

James Boatman is a graduate of the North Carolina School of the Arts (B.M.) and the University of Michigan (M.M.). His diverse musical background ranges from a tour with the United States Marine Corps to appearances with noted celebrities such as Joe Williams, Tony Bennett, and Lenny Pickett. He has also appeared countless times as saxophonist with symphony orchestras throughout the Southeastern United States and was a founding member of the New Century Saxophone Quartet. As the only saxophone quartet to win First Prize of the Concert Artists Guild New York Competition, the New Century Saxophone Quartet is a pioneering and versatile group winning new-found enthusiasm for the saxophone quartet and its diverse repertory. The recipient of grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the North Carolina Arts Council, and Chamber Music America, New Century has been heard in major concert venues in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, and Amsterdam; on radio and television in the United States, Europe, and Central America; and in unusual performance settings ranging from a Command Performance for President Clinton in the White House in 1995 to a concerto performance with the United States Navy Band. In 1997, New Century was invited back to Washington D.C. to perform at the second inauguration of Bill Clinton. James Boatman’s arrangements can be heard on the New Century Saxophone Quartet’s recordings Drastic Measures and Main Street USA, both released on the Dutch label Channel Classics.