Music

José James may look every inch the suave, cool, neo-soul jazz star that he most certainly is, but there’s more going on behind those quietly meditative eyes than you may care to imagine. As his habit of rapping Digable Planets tunes over a drum ’n’ bass take on John Coltrane’s ‘Giant Steps’ at gigs shows, this is a risk-taking musician who thrives in the moment.

Thus James’ slick debut ‘The Dreamer’ finds the Minnesota-born, Brooklyn-based singer refined –  and sometimes restrained– throughout. Yet this is a far cry from the housewives’ jazz-lite of most (mainly white) jazz crooners today, as James deftly mixes intelligent originals and well chosen covers. While Jon Lucien and Andy Bey offer a starting point into James’ sound it’s Coltrane and Billie Holiday (both troubled yet ultimately transcendent spirits) and conscious hip hop that are the main grist to this man’s creative mill.

Framed within a simple trio of drums, an inspired Junior Mance on piano and the heavy Mingus-y bass work of Alexi David, JJ’s dark baritone floats through the opening title track like a calming entrée. Peaking with a triptych of songs – a vividly articulate take on Freestyle Fellowship’s ‘Park Bench People’, a hollering version of Rahsaan Roland Kirk’s blues spiritual ‘Spirits Up Above’ and the superb self-penned modal d ’n’ b pop of ‘Nola’ – José sounds like himself and no other. Like Soweto Kinch and Robert Glasper James’ diligently light touch with looped hip hop grooves is inspired by jazz but never hindered by it. Thus ‘The Dreamer’ brings back real soul wrapped in a personal vision that so many lack – and single-handedly grabs the creative gauntlet and runs with it. Catch him if you can.