The echoes of Appalachia resonate through the canyons of Eastern Oregon thanks to lifelong touring bluegrass musician, singer and bandleader Phillip James and his group the James Gang Band.

From an early age, James embarked on a musical journey that would take him across America, playing with some of the genre’s greats.

While most children are beginning to learn to talk, James was playing the fiddle. Born into a family rooted in bluegrass musical tradition, the Oklahoma native began playing professionally at the age of 3 in 1984, with his father’s band.

“I was actually touring with my dad’s band when I was 3 years old,” he said. “I started out playing the fiddle at the age of 3 with the Back Porch Bluegrass Boys. They were well known in the area I was in. I got to be on stage with Bill Monroe, the ‘father of bluegrass.’”

At the age of 8, he began playing in a band composed of his mom, dad, older and younger sisters and his brother: Phillip James and the James Family. The family played together until he turned 18, after which he moved to Alabama to play with David Davis and the Warrior River Boys.

“I’ve known David Davis since I was 8 — we opened for him,” James said. “There’s a photo of him with his arm around me (on stage). He said, ‘One of these days, you’re gonna be my fiddle player.’ And it happened.”

James played with the Warrior River Boys for three years, then moved to Kentucky to play with the Cumberland Mountain Boys. He played with those bands for about three years each before moving to Little Rock, Arkansas, and meeting his future wife, Levana James, who auditioned for him as a fiddle player. James stayed in Arkansas for five years, performing with his wife in the Phillip James and New Generation band.

“My wife and I ended up moving to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and I still kept my band name there as Phillip James and New Generation,” James said. “We just had a different lineup of people. We were there for four and a half years and we moved to New Market, Alabama, and I went back on the road with David Davis and the Warrior River Boys again.”

Five years ago, James and his wife moved to Grant County, where they formed the James Gang Band with other county residents. Levana James is from Bear Valley and is the music director at Grant Union High School and Humbolt Elementary. The couple live in John Day.

“She’s always wanted to teach where she went to school, and her mom and dad are up in years and they wanted to be able to spend time with their grandkids,” James said.

The band, which plays about 20 to 30 shows a year, performs at local venues such as 1188 Brewing Co., Bare Bones, Sels’ Brewery and the Grant County Fair. In addition to Levana James (fiddle, guitar, mandolin, vocals), the James Gang Band is composed of Aaron Finley (vocals, mandolin, electric and acoustic guitar, fiddle), Janita Finley (keyboard, vocals), Dustin Wilson (bass, acoustic guitar, vocals) and Tim Webb on drums. James plays fiddle, guitar, mandolin, bass and banjo.

“There’s a lot of people who like the country-style music here,” James said. “Our style of music here seems to fit really well with the people and goings-on of Grant County. It’s a whole lot like where I was raised. It has a small town atmosphere, which makes it a great place to live in.”

The James Gang Band just cut a record of country covers called “Land of the Pines” on a label based in John Day, which is now available for purchase at canyonmountainstudio.com/jamesbgang. The full album is $20 and individual tracks are $2. Interested listeners can use the password James at the site.

“This album is all covers,” he said. “It’s songs that we love and songs that people have requested.”

James also said he plans to cut a solo record at Canyon Mountain Studio with a release sometime before Christmas.

It will probably be called “The Basement Sessions,” he said. “They’re gonna produce it for me. It was all recorded in my basement and we’re gonna produce it in the studio. I’m actually playing fiddle, guitar, mandolin, bass, banjo and (I’ll be singing) all four vocals.”

The James Gang Band will perform at the Grant County Fair on Aug. 9 at 8 p.m. and at Sels’ Brewery on Aug. 19 at 6 p.m.

“I just really enjoy seeing the people having a great time and making the people enjoy themselves,” he said.

NAME: Phillip James

AGE: 42

OCCUPATION: Salesman at John Day Polaris

FAMILY: Wife Levana and two boys ages 14 and 9

HOBBIES: Repairing instruments and doing upholstery