In the early ears he was a puppet - who ISN'T when they 1st get signed to a label?? Ur 1st 2 albums are usually scripted - but his talent was ALWAYS there. It didn't show on vinly, but it DEF showed live even in the early years. I was in the Air Force band of the Pacific. I was at Kadena and we did 300 shows a year - (I think the Army band did about 320 that same year--? that's HUMPING and you def have earned my respect in that sense.) And there are lots of people that claim to have been a part of James' band. I have "sat in" w/ a lot of people - Wooten, Marcus Miller, even Dave Matthews (unplugged) in Denver. Hargrove is a strange name to me - doesn't mean he isn't legit, but just b/c u are a 1st call guy in a region doesn't mean you can lay claim to being a PART of the/a band. Adam Nitti (arguably the most notarized bassist in ATL* and THE 1st call guy in ATL for most genre's) doesn't claim bands. He is a 1st call/session guy - he does the work and goes home. Hargrove may have sat in a while - I am not so sure that he was on the roster - which I WILL admit, was VERY fluid for James' sets... he switched things up a lot and fired people just b/c he felt like it.

* Darryl Freeman may surpass Nitti locally - either way, you get my point.