Contact: jmainsax@gmail.com | Instagram: @jmainsax
James Mainwaring is an acclaimed saxophonist whose work transcends genre boundaries and contemporary jazz. A Mercury Prize-nominated musician, Mainwaring gained international recognition as a founding member of the trailblazing Roller Trio, whose dynamic fusion of jazz, rock, and electronic influences earned widespread acclaim.
Mainwaring’s artistry is marked by fearless experimentation and technical mastery. His inventive use of multiphonics, circular breathing, and singing while playing has drawn praise from The Guardian, which described him as “a resourceful exponent of John Zornian squealings, growling split-note sounds, and almost-romantic tenor rumination.” Lauren Laverne has noted his “awesome sax skronk skills.”
His critically acclaimed solo album Meditations 1A has been celebrated for its conceptual depth and musical innovation. Daniel Spicer of Jazzwise described it as “a thoughtful and wholly successful investigation into the manifold possibilities inherent in judiciously applied creative limitations,” while Andy Hamilton of Jazz Journal wrote, “A wonderful album in which – as in the greatest art – the listener forgets about the technique involved, and simply enjoys the music for its own sake.”
A versatile collaborator, Mainwaring has worked with artists as diverse as Django Django, Nduduzo Makhathini, John Law, and Jamil Sheriff, bridging genres and pushing creative boundaries. His current projects include The Exu, an avant-garde jazz trio exploring raw improvisation and innovative composition.
Since 2020, when COVID-19 hit, Mainwaring has focused on personal and professional growth while raising a young family and lecturing at Leeds Conservatoire. In the years following the pandemic, he participated in residencies and programmes that have fostered his artistic growth, including Manchester Jazz Festival’s Hothouse, a residency at the Glasshouse International Centre for Music, and the International Jazz Platform. Alongside these, he more recently has been developing digital resources and practice tools to help musicians explore melodic and harmonic concepts more deeply—an extension of his work at the Conservatoire.
Mainwaring’s performances have been described as “edgy, earthy, [and] bellicose” by The JazzMann, while Clive Paris Rozario of AAA Music remarked, “James Mainwaring’s tenor saxophone playing is hands down the most impressive and challenging I’ve witnessed in the last few years, and the blasts that drive the opener forward were thrilling… otherworldly.”
Having headlined major festivals like Love Supreme and performed on international stages, Mainwaring’s career reflects a relentless commitment to innovation, collaboration, and artistic growth. Known for his refined artistic vision and visceral connection to audiences, his work continues to challenge and captivate in equal measure.