much like most i found out about josé james via gilles peterson as he discovered & signed him to his label brownswood. i really liked his first album "the dreamer" where his voice set the mood for the type of jazz that he was bringing to the table. i want to say that he had a hiphop attitude to his work but there isn't anything hiphop about the music.
it was just soulful but moody jazz music that gave off an vibe instantly and it was clear that it was his vision as he produced & arranged the album mostly on his own. but on his second solo lp "blackmagic" that he started bridging out of the jazz as it was obvious on his collaborations prior to it that he wanted to do more than jazz. i'd say this where that hiphop attitude comes to mind.
the people he brought to his album included flylo, taylor mcferrin, dj mitsu and kenny dixon jr. of course james was highly involved with most of the tracks as i think it's part of his artistic & musical integrity but i'm also guessing that he was impressed with some of the work coming from the players in mind.
on "detroit loveletter" he collaborated with kdj/moodymann who prior to it made a really good remix of "desire". his remix took a track that felt impossible to remix but pulled it off and even kept the vibe of the original while being an original entity in itself.
for this track kdj works up something that starts of a soulful acid jazz ballad straight out the late '90's but then it goes into a groovy midtempo number. but it doesn't stay in that lovely groove for the rest of the song and he breaks it up and goes into stacatto jazz drums and bass.
this may sound like a choppy juxtapose but in the hands of moodymann and josé james it's an example of a great song and you should get it. and all of josé james' other works and kdj's as well.
buy here (junodownload)
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