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José 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 ...
Continue ReadingJosé 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 ...
Continue ReadingSun 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 ...
Continue ReadingJosé James: Yesterday I Had the Blues: The Music of Billie Holiday
by Mark F. Turner
There are many reasons why singer Billie Holiday is so admired--her captivating beauty, crafted phrasing, and the singular way she imbued emotion through each note. Yet the jazz legend known as “Lady Day" not only sung the blues, she lived it. In a storied life filled with heartaches, hardships and personal demons that included a long struggle with substance abuse, she eloquently articulated and expressed many of those sentiments in albums such as Lady Sings the Blues (1956, Verve) and ...
Continue ReadingJose James: While You Were Sleeping
by Mark F. Turner
Jazz has always had a soft spot for pop music. Icons like trumpeter Louis Armstrong blessed the masses with his positivity and raspy voice in 1967's “What a Wonderful World" and saxophonist John Coltrane transformed Rodgers and Hammerstein's 1960 musical smash “My Favorite Things" into a swinging affair. Fast forward to 2014 as singer, songwriter and producer Jose James continues the practice with a fine rendition of 1972's “Simply Beautiful" by the one-time prince of R&B, vocalist Al Green.
Continue ReadingJose James at Dazzle
by Geoff Anderson
Jose James Dazzle Denver, CO April 23, 2014 Al Green, Marvin Gaye, Bill Withers, Gil Scott-Heron. Mix them together, bring them into the 21st Century and you end up with something that sounds a lot like Jose James. Wednesday night at Dazzle, 36-year-old James brought his band and updated soul sound to Denver. He also brought along a plethora of other influences like R&B, jazz, funk, some rock and a touch of hip hop. ...
Continue ReadingJose James: No Beginning No End
by Enrique Turpin
Tal vez no sea intención de José James (Mineápolis, 1978) reemplazar a D'Angelo en el reinado del neo-soul que se empezó a fraguar a mediados de los años 90, pero puede que lo logre sin proponérselo. En su cuarto trabajo --y primero para Blue Note-- ha recuperado el testigo que seguía en el suelo a la espera de un digno candidato a continuar la carrera en pos de la evolución R'n'B. Es cierto que por ahí andaban Bilal, Rahsaan Patterson ...
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