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Jazz Articles about José James

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Album Review

Ben Wendel: All One

Read "All One" reviewed by Claudio Bonomi


Classe 1976, canadese di nascita, cresciuto a Los Angeles e attualmente residente a Brooklyn (New York), Ben Wendel è considerato un astro nascente del jazz contemporaneo da diversi anni. Sassofonista e compositore, oltre ad essere stato nel 2001 tra i fondatori dei Kneebody, si è costruito negli anni una solida reputazione di solista e leader firmando ben sette album che hanno suscitato l'attenzione di pubblico e critica. Questo All One non fa eccezione. È stato concepito in tempi ...

4
Album Review

Ben Wendel: All One

Read "All One" reviewed 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 ...

10
Catching Up With

José James: Why The Female Of The Species Is Groovier Than The Male

Read "José James: Why The Female Of The Species Is Groovier Than The Male" reviewed 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) ...

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Album Review

José James: Lean On Me

Read "Lean On Me" reviewed 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 ...

3
Live Review

Lean On Me: José James Celebrates Bill Withers @ NYC Winter Jazzfest

Read "Lean On Me: José James Celebrates Bill Withers @ NYC Winter Jazzfest" reviewed 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 ...

Album Review

José James: Love In A Time Of Madness

Read "Love In A Time Of Madness" reviewed 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 ...

Lyrics

José James: una grande voce per la Black Music

Read "José James: una grande voce per la Black Music" reviewed 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 ...


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