José James

José James

José James is a jazz vocalist, songwriter and recording artist from Minneapolis, United States. Born in 1978, he grows up in Minneapolis with the sounds of Prince, hip-hop and modern jazz, and he combines singing with creative writing from an early age. He performs jazz standards, original material and John Coltrane works with his quartet in the Twin Cities before joining the avant-garde performance poetry and jazz group Ancestor Energy, an experience that shapes his commitment to music, community and spiritual unity.

Career

James moves to New York City to study at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music. There, he studies with and records alongside drummer Chico Hamilton and pianist Junior Mance. He also meets the first group of musicians that becomes his studio and international touring band for his debut album, The Dreamer, which appears in 2008 on Brownswood Recordings after a chance meeting in London with DJ and tastemaker Gilles Peterson.

The Dreamer draws on influences including Freestyle Fellowship and Rahsaan Roland Kirk. It brings him international attention and leads to performances at venues and events including the North Sea Jazz Festival, Billboard Live Tokyo, the Hermitage Museum and Central Park Summerstage. The album is voted No. 21 in JazzTimes’ Critics’ Pick of the Top 50 Jazz Albums of 2008.

Recordings and collaborations

His second album, BLACKMAGIC, appears in 2010 on Brownswood and explores underground global sounds. It features production from Flying Lotus, Moodymann, Taylor McFerrin and DJ Mitsu the Beats. The record also includes his live band in a new setting, with a version of Benga’s “Emotions” and a soul and hip-hop interpretation of “Save Your Love For Me.”

Music from BLACKMAGIC and The Dreamer is later used in the film Our Family Wedding, including “Love Conversation,” “Save Your Love for Me” and “Desire.” In 2010, James signs to Verve/Universal and releases his third studio album, For All We Know, on Impulse! The album is a duo recording of jazz standards with pianist Jef Neve and is largely recorded in a single day at Galaxy Studios in Belgium.

Awards and later work

For All We Know wins both the Edison Award and the L’Académie du Jazz Grand Prix for Best Vocal Jazz Album of 2010. James promotes the record at venues including L’Olympia, Royal Festival Hall, De Roma, Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola and Cotton Club Tokyo, as well as at the Umbria Jazz Festival. He continues his collaboration with Jef Neve through the live project Facing East: The Music of John Coltrane, which he conceives and directs and which debuts at Ancienne Belgique before appearing at the North Sea Jazz Festival, Nice Jazz Festival, New Morning and Ronnie Scott’s.

As a guest performer, James records with Junior Mance, Chico Hamilton, Nicola Conte, Bassment Jaxx, Jazzanova, Toshio Matsuura, J.A.M., DJ Mitsu the Beats, Timo Lassy, Taylor McFerrin and Flying Lotus. He also performs with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra on A Tribute to Billy Strayhorn at Rose Theater, and tours internationally with McCoy Tyner’s The Music of John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman. In 2011, he is voted a DownBeat Critics Poll Rising Star Best Male Vocalist.

Labels and style

James records for Brownswood Recordings, Verve/Universal, Impulse!, Rainbow Blonde and José James Music. His work is rooted in jazz, with elements of soul, hip-hop, nu jazz, neo-soul and vocal jazz appearing across his recordings and collaborations.