James Polk

James Edwin Polk (September 10, 1940 – June 21, 2024) was an American jazz and blues pianist, Hammond organist, arranger, bandleader, and educator based in Austin, Texas who worked with Ray Charles as a pianist, organist, arranger, composer, and conductor. Over a career spanning more than five decades, Polk was widely regarded as one of the central figures in the development of the Austin jazz scene.

A performer, teacher, and mentor, Polk helped sustain Austin’s jazz community through his bands, educational work, and collaborations with younger musicians. He was inducted into the Austin Jazz Society Hall of Fame in 2016. He came from a musical family; his mother, Mattie Mae Polk, held a degree in music from St. Philip’s College in San Antonio and sang gospel professionally, while his father, Maryland Lethridge Polk Jr., was a self-taught pianist.

In 1958 he moved to Austin to attend Huston–Tillotson University (then Huston–Tillotson College), graduating in 1962 with a degree in music education. Although piano had long been present in his family home, Polk did not focus on it until after completing his undergraduate studies.

Work with Ray Charles

In 1978 Polk received a phone call from Ray Charles inviting him to join the Ray Charles Orchestra.

Later career and teaching

After leaving Ray Charles’ organization in the late 1980s, Polk returned to Austin. He pursued graduate study and later served as a lecturer in music history and jazz studies at Texas State University from 1990 to 1996.

Huston–Tillotson University awarded him an honorary Doctor of Music degree in 1995.

Polk continued performing regularly in Austin, leading the ensemble Centerpeace and performing with saxophonist Elias Haslanger in the ensemble Church on Monday.

Style and philosophy

Polk’s playing blended jazz improvisation with blues, gospel, and soul influences and reflected the broader Texas jazz tradition associated with musicians such as David “Fathead” Newman, Arnett Cobb, Don Wilkerson, Russell Jacquet, and Ornette Coleman.

He frequently told students:

Legacy

Polk was widely regarded as one of the central figures in the development of modern jazz in Austin. In addition to performing throughout Texas and internationally, he mentored generations of younger musicians through teaching and community programs.

His ensemble Centerpeace often included emerging players who viewed him as both a bandleader and mentor.

Honors and recognition

Honorary Doctor of Music, Huston–Tillotson University (1995) Professor Emeritus of Jazz Studies, Texas State University (2007) Inducted into the Austin Music Awards Hall of Fame (1999) Inducted into the Austin Jazz Society Hall of Fame (2016)

Discography

Albums You Know the Feeling…! – James Polk & Company (1984) When the Evening Comes (2001, Twink Records) Go with the Flow (2007, Twink Records)