Jazz Articles about Boney James

About Boney James

Interview

Boney James: A Simple Man And A Lifetime Study

by Sherry Rubel
October 2, 2026

Thirty-five years and twenty albums into his career, saxophonist Boney James is still thinking about melody, sound and how to get better at his instrument. On A Simple Man (Concord Jazz, 2026), he draws on the R&B and soul music that shaped him while continuing to explore the jazz vocabulary that has long been part of his musical life. In this conversation, James discusses the labels that have followed him throughout his career, the singers and saxophonists who ...

Album Review

Boney James: Detour

by Jeff Winbush
November 22, 2022

The thing about a new Boney James album is that it is the same old Boney James album. James has skillfully found his niche as a musician and doggone if he's going to stray far from it. Detour is the saxophonist's 18th album as a leader, but the formula (and the songs) remain the same. Start off with that buttery sweet tenor sax right upfront, add some keyboards, programmed drums, and quietly strummed guitars, throw in a vocal track or ...

Album Review

Boney James: Futuresoul

Read "Futuresoul" reviewed by Jeff Winbush

by Jeff Winbush
May 30, 2015

At this point, with 15 albums under his belt, it's been established what Boney James does and does not do well. If you are in search of an adventurous artist who is constantly pushing the envelope and challenging himself and the listener by daring to deviate from expectation, keep looking: this is not the saxophonist you are looking for. James is an extremely impressive master of the good groove. That is something he is at the top of ...

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Boney James: The Beat Goes On

by Belinda Ware
October 4, 2014

Saxophonist Boney James is a prolific musician and songwriter gifted with an ear for creating music inspired by artistic expressionism. As an architect of original songs, James is an intellectual man of modest demeanor who has established himself as a musical pioneer in his intuitive discovery of the formula for longevity in his mellifluous career spanning three decades. At the root of his professional success is his meditative passion for exploring uncharted paths as a songwriter and interpreter of songs. ...

Album Review

Boney James: The Beat

Read "The Beat" reviewed by Jeff Winbush

by Jeff Winbush
May 2, 2013

In the crowded field of 50,000 smooth jazz saxophones, only a handful are blessed with a distinctive sound of their own and if Boney James isn't first in his class he should be high on the list. James can play with both raw power and gentle, soulful restraint. There's more restraint than power on The Beat, the 14th album by the New York-born saxophonist, but James has always opted for underplaying a bit than roof-raising soloing.James' background in ...

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Album Review

Boney James: Pure

by Brian Soergel
September 3, 2004

Saxophonist Boney James is one of the few smooth jazz artists who is able to cross over into the R&B genre, which is one reason why his latest CD, the follow-up to 2001's Ride, entered the Billboard Top 200 charts at No. 66. He's able to do this party because he picks either established artists or up-and-comers to sing on his vocal tracks. But James is also savvy enough to actually make sure that his vocal tracks are memorable, instead ...