Jose James: "The Dreamer"

[Elano]

http://www.myspace.com/josejamesquartet

1. The Dreamer 
2. Velvet 
3. blackeyedsusan 
4. Park Bench People 
5. Spirits Up Above 
6. Nola 
7. Red 
8. Winter Wind 
9. Desire 
10. Love 


Sometime during the early Nineties, Radio One DJ and owner of the Brownswood record label Gilles Peterson gave an interview with a British jazz magazine commenting that his ideal venue would be a small rough and ready dive above a minicab office or similar. The description of the venue perfectly reflected Peterson's take on jazz - more street savvy than the airwaves would allow, a little rough around the edges (and all the better for it) and an air of illicitness. So imagine the scene of walking through a bare taxi office with battered seating, radio receiver static soundtracking the experience and a crudely blu-tacked London map on the wall. You walk to the back of the room and knock on a plain heavy set door. The door opens and you hear.......the dulcet tones of a classic jazz vocalist with a slightly edgy twist. Except the latter requires no imagination, the singer is Jose James.
As 2008 slowly creeps in after 2007, Jose James' smooth and velvety tones slowly seep into the consciousness. Minneapolis-born and Brooklyn-living James' 'The Dreamer' puts a sudden spring in the air for cold, grey January - a soundscape of muted notes with funky bright splashes.
Make no mistake - James has a first class pedigree. The vocalist (and frequent visitor to London) boasts an aged, whisky-tinged voice which knocks you away. He is softly spoken and easy going in nature and has produced a classic jazz vocal album with a modern twist of an impeccable band. It would have been easy (but bland) and more commercially viable to take the retro Radio 2 route, but James has skilfully executed an engaging jazz album for seasoned jazz heads whilst producing quality singing and musicianship which should give the album wider appeal.

Jose James is signed to Radio One DJ, Gilles Peterson's label. What Peterson does best is to discover the new and the different and to promote jazz (new and old). If he has been guilty of slightly resting on his laurels in recent years, both on his show and his club gigs, the Brownswood label answers the criticism. James sits happily with Peterson's patronage and with the label's roster - and it's because of the high standard he has already achieved on this album (remember - only his debut) that he can comfortably be the forebearer of both the type of music that Peterson plays (a scene hard to define - which makes for rich pickings) and, remarkably, of jazz as a whole.

The album works as a complete body of work, so rare in this download age, with James' vocal prowess and tight musicianship sounding easy on the ear without ever hitting smooth jazz territory. The title track is mesmeric in delivery - almost whispered vocals glide over a sweet piano refrain with a haunting trumpet, conjuring up images of a nocturnal, speakeasy basement dive. 'Velvet' is beautiful. Strong enough lyrically to became a jazz standard, Jose James sings with a hint of hurt and conversely hope. Short bursts of drums (at times reminiscent of The Roots' drummer ?uestlove's London-inspired drum n' bass drumming) ease themselves next to strong but sensitive basslines.

Other stand out tracks - Roland Rashan Kirk's 'Spirits Up Above', big with the jazz dance cognoscenti and championed by Gilles Peterson - is a lazy, almost chanty vocal with a touch of the avant garde and an air of a late Sixties nocturnal Harlem jazz session - all blurred images with a riot of colour. 'Nola' is a track which, if you are in the know, is the 'secret key' to an underground jazz world. Originally released on Spike Lee's debut film 'She's Gotta Have It', the track is almost unique by being ignored by the old, more traditional jazz heads and the new more hipper cats. Composed by Spike Lee's dad and Strata East recording artist, Bill Lee (who being a traditionalist refused to ever record with an electric bass), the original soundtrack offers three versions: a stunning vocal version with Ronnie Dyson; and two instrumentals featuring Strata East great Stanley Cowell and Cedar Waton. Jose James' version is almost the equal and is brilliant in execution. 'Park Bench People' is a cover of the groundbreaking Los Angeles based, Hip Hop collective Freestyle Fellowship who criminally lasted just the one album, but fused spoken word and rap with serious jazz overtones. Again James rises to the challenge of covering an established great, if slightly lesser known track, and offers a near match in standard but whilst offering a different refrain.

Finally 'Love' is utterly engaging, with haunting keys, funky drums and the best vocals and is an appropriate end to a scene stealing debut album. Now think of a little rough and ready dive above a mini cab office or similar................

Check out this fantastic live gig @ the paradiso (amsterdam)
http://www.fabchannel.com/jose_james_concert/