James Wylie was born in 1986 and was raised in Wellington, New Zealand. He started being involved with music very early with classical piano and violin lessons. During his teens he turned his interest into jazz and devoted himself in playing the saxophone. He studied at the music school of New Zealand in Wellington and became an active member of the local as well as the international scene, performing in many countries.

He received scholarships from the Aotea Performing Arts Trust and the Woolf Fisher Trust. Due to the latter one he continued his studies at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, where he received a postgraduate degree in jazz performance in 2010.

In 2011 he moved to Berlin, where he participated in dance and theatre performances. He has also performed with Anthony Coleman, Gunther Schuller, Sam Rivers, Wayne Shorter, Cecil McBee and many more.

Currently he lives in Thessaloniki and since his settlement he has collaborated with great Greek musicians such as Michalis Siganidis, Giannis Aggelakas and Antonis Anissegos. Along with his interest in jazz and improvisational music he has indulged in the music tradition of Greece, Armenia, Turkey and the Near East.