Harry Haag James (March 15, 1916 – July 5, 1983) was a popular United States musician and band leader, and a well known trumpet virtuoso.

Harry James was born in Albany, Georgia, the son of a bandleader of a traveling circus. By age 10 he was taking trumpet lessons from his father. His father had him on a very strict practicing schedule every day. He was given one page to learn out of the Arban’s book (a trumpet drill book) every day and could not do anything until he learned that page.