James Spaulding

James Ralph Spaulding Jr. (was born July 30, 1937) is an American jazz saxophonist and flutist.

Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, United states, Spaulding attended the Chicago Cosmopolitan School of Music. Between 1957 and 1961, he was a member of Sun Ra's band. In the 1960s, he worked as a studio musician at Blue Note Records, recording with Wayne Shorter, Horace Silver, and Stanley Turrentine. He was also a member of Freddie Hubbard's quintet and the World Saxophone Quartet.

He went on to work with some post-bop musicians such as Max Roach, Randy Weston and Woody Shaw. Under the leadership of Mercer Ellington, in the 1970s, Spaulding played in the Duke Ellington Orchestra. In the 1980s, Spaulding worked with Ricky Ford and, as part of an octet, with David Murray.

As leader

 * 1976: James Spaulding Plays the Legacy of Duke Ellington (Storyville)
 * 1988: Gotstabe a Better Way! (Muse)
 * 1988: Brilliant Corners (Muse)
 * 1991: Songs of Courage (Muse)
 * 1993: Blues Nexus (Muse)
 * 1997: The Smile of the Snake (HighNote)
 * 1999: Escapade (HighNote)
 * 2001: Blues Up & Over (Speetones)
 * 2005: Round to It Vol. 2 (Speetones)
 * 2006: Down With It (Marge)

As sideman
With Kamal Abdul-Alim With Louis Armstrong With Billy Bang With Kenny Barron With Art Blakey With Richard Davis With Ricky Ford With Grant Green With Freddie Hubbard With Bobby Hutcherson With Abbey Lincoln With Hank Mobley With Lee Morgan With David Murray With William Parker With Duke Pearson With Sam Rivers With Max Roach With Pharoah Sanders With Woody Shaw With Wayne Shorter With Horace Silver With Sun Ra With Leon Thomas With Charles Tolliver With Stanley Turrentine With McCoy Tyner With Tyrone Washington With Larry Young
 * Dance (Stash, 1983)
 * Louis Armstrong and His Friends (Flying Dutchman/Amsterdam, 1970)
 * Vietnam: Reflections (Justin Time, 2005)
 * Lucifer (Muse, 1975)
 * Golden Boy (Colpix, 1964)
 * Harvest (Muse, 1977 [1979])
 * Loxodonta Africana (New World, 1977)
 * Shorter Ideas (Muse, 1984)
 * Looking Ahead (Muse, 1986)
 * Saxotic Stomp (Muse, 1987)
 * Solid (Blue Note, 1964)
 * Hub-Tones (Blue Note, 1962)
 * Breaking Point! (Blue Note, 1964)
 * Blue Spirits (Blue Note, 1964)
 * The Night of the Cookers (Blue Note, 1965)
 * Backlash (Atlantic, 1967)
 * High Blues Pressure (Atlantic, 1967)
 * The Black Angel (Atlantic, 1969)
 * Components (Blue Note, 1965)
 * Patterns (Blue Note, 1968)
 * Ambos Mundos (Landmark, 1989)
 * It's Me (Verve, 2003)
 * A Slice of the Top (Blue Note)
 * Third Season (Blue Note)
 * Standards (1967) (Blue Note)
 * Hope Scope (Black Saint, 1987)
 * David Murray Big Band (DIW/Columbia, 1991)
 * Picasso (1993)
 * Dark Star: The Music of the Grateful Dead (1996)
 * Octet Plays Trane (1999)
 * Wood Flute Songs (AUM Fidelity, 2013)
 * Wahoo! (Blue Note 1964)
 * Honeybuns (Atlantic 1965)
 * Prairie Dog (Atlantic 1966)
 * Sweet Honey Bee (Blue Note 1966)
 * The Right Touch (Blue Note 1967)
 * Dimensions & Extensions (1967)
 * Drums Unlimited (Atlantic, 1965)
 * Karma (1969)
 * Woody III (Columbia, 1979)
 * For Sure! (Columbia, 1979)
 * The Soothsayer (Blue Note 1965)
 * The All Seeing Eye (Blue Note 1965)
 * Schizophrenia (Blue Note 1967)
 * The Jody Grind (Blue Note 1966)
 * Visits Planet Earth (1957–1958)
 * The Nubians of Plutonia (1958)
 * Jazz in Silhouette (1959)
 * Sound Sun Pleasure!! (1959)
 * Somewhere Else (Rounder, 1988–89)
 * Purple Night (A&M, 1990)
 * Spirits Known and Unknown (Flying Dutchman, 1969)
 * The Leon Thomas Album (Flying Dutchman, 1970)
 * The New Wave in Jazz (Impulse!, 1965)
 * Impact (Strata-East, 1975)
 * The Return of the Prodigal Son (1967)
 * Rough 'n' Tumble (Blue Note 1966)
 * The Spoiler (Blue Note 1967)
 * Tender Moments (Blue Note, 1968)
 * Natural Essence (Blue Note 1967)
 * Of Love and Peace (Blue Note 1966)