The Dreamer

José James - "The Dreamer"

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

"The Dreamer" é o álbum que aguardo com mais entusiasmo neste inicio de 2008, com data de lançamento para dia 28 deste mês de janeiro.

...quando na casa da música José James entra em palco, acompanhado pelos Heritage Orchestra, o impacto foi de tal ordem que o pensamento imediato foi "esta é daquelas vozes que já julgava não poder ouvir ao vivo!!", uma voz forte, quente, um instrumento capaz de seduzir qualquer ouvido.

José James é um artista com uma vibrante abordagem vanguardista ao legado dos grandes mestres do Jazz, detentor de uma voz extraordinária, de uma presença em palco muito própria que fazem dele o meu cantor preferido!

Press Release

The Dreamer

Released on Brownswood Recordings 28th January 2008 "Brooklyn based jazz singer José James took a pretty direct route to getting Gilles Peterson’s attention. He flew over to London went out clubbing and slipped the hugely influential DJ and prescient A&R man a copy of his demos! Intrigued by the hip young singer’s attitude, Gilles took a listen, and blown away by his stunning vocal version of Trane’s classic tune Equinox, immediately signed him to his thriving young indy label Brownswood. Early tracks (including an IG Culture remix) were circulated by word of mouth and on the internet, and earlier this year Cargo in trendy Shoreditch was crammed to the rafters as the slightly built young man with the smokey baritone had a packed house hushed in appreciation.

James is more than just another cool stylist though, still in his mid-twenties, he is a young singer committed to pursuing a deeply soulful, vocal jazz tradition which includes the likes of Babs Gonzales, Billie Holiday, Joe Williams, Mark Murphy, Jon Lucien and Leon Thomas, and his live shows find him as likely to scat his way through Moanin’ as to present his own richly sonorous music. Indeed his debut album, The Dreamer reveals him as a growing songwriter and composer, who rather than plunder the Great American Songbook prefers to tell his own tales of love and life. Seven of the ten songs on his debut album are self-penned including the haunting trumpet flavoured beauty of the title track and the low-slung groove of Love. Elsewhere on the album his version of the Freestyle Fellowship's Park Bench People shows his love of contemporary hip hop (an influence that like pianist Robert Glasper he wears lightly) while his take of Rashaan Roland Kirk’s Spirits Up Above has an emotional depth and spiritual force reminiscent of the great Andy Bey.

The Dreamer was recorded in New York with José’s regular band and guests, including legendary pianist Junior Mance who he met while studying at the prestigious New School for Jazz & Contemporary Music NY and he also works with pianists Nikki Yeoh and Elan Mehler. The Dreamer is released on 28th January 2007 on Brownswood"