James O'Donnell has been entertaining Detroit audiences with his special brand of music for more than three decades.

While known primarily as a trumpeter, he also plays flugelhorn and coronet. And while his favorite music genres are Jazz, Big Band, Standards, and Blues, his repertoire also includes R&B, Funk, Soul, Motown.

Over the course of his career, James has performed in more than 15 countries in North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. James O’Donnell’s remarkable music career began Here in Detroit, James has graced stages at renowned venues like Ford Field, Meadowbrook Theater, Cobo Center, Hart Plaza, The Masonic Temple Theater, The Dearborn Performing Arts Center, and The Detroit Institute of Arts.

James' music career began at age 9 when a member of The Detroit Symphony Orchestra introduced him to the trumpet. He loved the instrument immediately and began practicing it fervently. Then when he was 14, he joined the Jazz Band, Concert Band and Marching Band at his high school. He studied music theory and harmony and earned a spot in the All City All Star Jazz Orchestra.

At age 16, James became part of a group called "Kuumba," which means "creativity" in Swahili. It was his first exposure to the music of Jazz legends, John Coltrane, Sun Ra and The Art Ensemble of Chicago. Eventually, the band morphed into the famed "Sun Messengers." During that time James learned the Costello embouchure technique and the Max Schlossberg teaching method.

After graduating high school, James formed his first band. The Jazz sextet was called "Chronology - Music of All Times" and they played at local Jazz joints around Detroit. In his early 20s, James played primarily with The Sun Messengers. They opened for The Neville Brothers, Buckwheat Zydeco and Dirty Dozen Brass Band.

In 1986, James moved to New York City and played in the Destiny Merengue Orchestra. That same year he began working an eight-year stint working for the cruise ship industry. There he played in show bands backing up stars like Julie Andrews, John Davidson and Charo. He also played for bands like The Regular Boys, The Blues Disciples and Art of Fact.

Chris Emmerson is a multi-instrumentalist from Detroit, with hundreds of performances over the past 25 years in the area. He has gained recognition as a lead guitarist and singer-songwriter, being featured on local radio and television sharing his blend of soulful, bluesy rock.

Chris Emmerson is a multi-instrumentalist from Detroit, with hundreds of performances over the past 25 years in the area. He has gained recognition as a lead guitarist and singer-songwriter, being featured on local radio and television sharing his blend of soulful, bluesy rock.