Professional mallet percussion player. Ever thought you needed Fender Rhodes or glockenspiel on a record? Try vibraphone instead. I can add vibraphone and marimba to your recording in a professional and musically sensitive way. I hold an advanced degree in percussion and can add melodic figures, chords, hits, ethereal sweeps, and more.
In Nashville, I am an in-demand session mallet player. I’m proficient in many styles and genres, including pop, jazz, and indie rock. I am a good reader and improviser with an excellent ear.
Vibraphone tracking - $150 per song with two edits
Marimba tracking - $150 per song with two edits
Send me a note through the contact button above.
Interview with Parker James
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: It's not a xylophone. It's ok, though, 75% of people think it is.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: I've found that smart arranging is key. Music that is well-arranged often records itself, so to speak.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: I play regularly in jazz groups in town. I also play in an Indie rock band, and with Bossa Nova and Americana outfits as well. In Nashville, versatility is an asset, so I find myself playing vibes in contexts not always associated with the instrument. I've even played bluegrass vibraphone!
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: I've spent years honing a pianistic style of 4-mallet playing. I am also proud of my ear and my ability to improvise on mallet percussion, in any key, at any tempo, at any time. I can play behind songs like a lead guitarist. I can accompany like a piano player. I can add ethereal FX like a synth. Or I can play rhythmically like a drummer.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: I bring a wealth of experience from my backgrounds in jazz and classical music, as well as my current career as a working musician in Nashville. I hope to use mallet percussion to serve the music above all else. I pay close attention to melody, harmony, musical form, and texture to arrange my parts. I make use of my graduate studies in percussion to understand the mechanics of music, but only as a tool to serve the artistry of music.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: Vibraphonists and marimbists: Gary Burton, Bobby Hutcherson, Joel Ross, Roy Ayers Artists: Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Radiohead, BADBADNOTGOOD, The Beatles, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, J Dilla, The Beach Boys/Brian Wilson Composers: Antonio Carlos Jobim, Steve Reich, John Cage, Pat Metheny, Wayne Shorter
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: I am often traveling around Nashville to do in-person sessions on vibraphone, but increasingly I am asked to track in my home studio. Often, clients add me as a layer or "sheen" on top, but I have also used vibraphone as the sole instrument on a song. As a 4-mallet player, I have no problem playing chords. Vibes are great for imbuing an airy sparkle, or a lush, organ-like pad. The tremolo motor is popular, and in my opinion it's what really makes a vibraphone "vibrate." I also get asked to track on marimba as well. I have a fantastic vintage rosewood marimba, that reaches all the way down into the bass clef. It's a rich, woody, and unmistakable sound. Marimba
