Jazz Articles about José James
About José James
Instrument: Voice / vocals
Article Coverage | Calendar | Albums | Photos | Similar ArtistsBen Wendel: All One
by Jerome Wilson
Saxophonist Ben Wendel came up with a unique approach for this album of duets. He plays with a different musician on each of these six tracks, but while his guests stick to their primary instruments, Wendel fills in the space around them with multiple saxophone and bassoon parts, electronic effects, and percussion. The most conventional results of this approach are heard in the two vocal tracks. Cecile McLorin Salvant's sensitive singing on “I Loves You Porgy" and Jose ...
read moreJosé James: Why The Female Of The Species Is Groovier Than The Male
by Peter Jones
Jazz singer José James considers Erykah Badu to be the Joni Mitchell of his generation, a woman who has constructed a world of her own in order to tell her own alternative story. To prove the point, earlier this year he released On & On (Rainbow Blonde), a whole album of Badu songs, which he has been performing on tour. This tribute to Badu's songwriting follows previous albums dedicated to Billie Holiday (Yesterday I Had the Blues, Blue Note, 2015) ...
read moreJosé James: Lean On Me
by Franz A. Matzner
Already known for his crisp production values, astute musicianship and eclectic presentations, Jose James delivers again with his tribute to Bill Withers, Lean on Me. The album reaffirms James' signature attention to stylistic pastiche while further refining his thematic focus on the subtleties of human relationships. Here James' narcotic blend is simultaneously steeped in tradition and floats at the horizon of modernity. The beats penetrate with unabashed eroticism. James' voice coos with soul and cuts with the dirty ...
read moreLean On Me: José James Celebrates Bill Withers @ NYC Winter Jazzfest
by Dan Bilawsky
Lean On Me: José James Celebrates Bill Withers Le Poisson Rouge NYC Winter Jazzfest New York, NY January 1, 2018 By the time José James took to the stage for his headlining slot on a quadruple-bill event that served as the second stand-alone concert in the 2018 NYC Winter Jazzfest schedule, three hours of music had already come and gone. Knower's electro-pop, complete with an expletive-laced introduction, ushered in the evening; the No ...
read moreJosé James: Love In A Time Of Madness
by Angelo Leonardi
Chi conosce José James a partire dal recente disco dedicato a Billie Holiday (Yesterday I Had the Blues , Blue Note, 2015) rimarrà sorpreso da quest'incisione, quarta per la Blue Note su un totale di sette album. Love in a Time of Madness consta di 12 brani incisi tra Los Angeles e New York, e prodotti principalmente da Antario Holmes, operante nell'area di confine tra soul, rap ed elettronica. Il lavoro è profondamente intriso di quell'estetica ma non ...
read moreJosé James: una grande voce per la Black Music
by Angelo Leonardi
La recente pubblicazione per la Blue Note di Yesterday I Had the Blues -The Music of Billie Holiday , torna a collocare José James in una piena cornice jazzistica. È una commemorazione della cantante e un approccio tradizionale che oggi James affronta senza paura d'apparire prigionero del passato. L'altro esempio riguarda l'album For All We Know, (Impulse! 2010) realizzato in duo col pianista Jef Neve. La permanenza in casa Blue Note si rivela fruttuosa. Il suo presidente, Don ...
read moreSun and Stars at Montclair Jazz Festival
by Gloria Krolak
At the 2015 Montclair Jazz Festival, the sun broiled and the stars sparkled over some 6,000 jazz fans, that number announced by emcee Gary Walker, a popular WBGO radio on-air personality. Emmy and Golden Globe winning actor S. Epatha Merkerson, best known for her 17 seasons as Lieutenant Van Buren on NBC's “Law and Order," was back as the festival's Mistress of Ceremonies. The annual one-day event, free to all comers, was held at Nishuane Park and produced by the ...
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