Boney James
Four gold albums, four GRAMMY nominations, two NAACP Image Award nominations, a Soul Train Music Award and a nomination, sales totaling more than 3 million records. Chart-topping saxophonist Boney James embodies the phrase horn of plenty.”
I'm always thinking about making music,” he says. It's still my consuming passion.”
That passion reverberates throughout James' latest project, The Beat. The April 9 release marks his 14th album as well as his return to former label Concord Records. It's a penetrating fusion of R&B, jazz and Latin rhythms given voice by James' emotive saxophone and such guests as trumpet hitman Rick Braun, R&B singer Raheem DeVaughn and spoken word phenom The Floacist.
There was no sense that this had to be a certain thing,” recalls James, who was between labels when he began recording the album. I was recording for fun, experimenting with this hybrid R&B and Latin sound, two genres I love. So my playing on this album has a different energy. I think it's one of the best records I've ever done.”
Sergio Mendes' Batucada (The Beat)” provided the initial inspiration for the genre mash-up. Re-imagining the Brazilian tune with a percolating funk backbeat, James reunites with longtime colleague Braun—a combustible teaming he describes as possessing a certain edge that creates a really cool vibe.”
That natural, organic vibe courses throughout the rest of the 10-track album produced by James, who also wrote/co-wrote eight songs. Those tunes include lead single Maker of Love,” a sexy flamethrower sparked by the soulful Raheem DeVaughn. A longtime fan of the R&B singer, James says their collaboration came to fruition after they began following each other on Twitter. I sent him the track, and he came back with an incredible lyric and finished vocal that he'd done in one night,” recalls James.
Read moreTags
February 28, 2014
Jazz And R&B Stars Set To Groove Memorial Day Weekend In San Diego
June 25, 2012
Soul-jazz Saxophonist Boney James Set To Make “Contact” With...
July 08, 2010
Jazz This Week: Boney James, Linda Presgrave, Good 4 the Soul, Mardra...
July 04, 2010
STLJN Saturday Video Showcase: The Return of Boney James
June 10, 2010
Notes from the Net: "First Times" with Miles; Oliver Lake's New CD;...
May 18, 2010
Jazz Artist Boney James Grammy-Nominated Saxophonist Struck by...
March 23, 2010
Boney James Performing Thursday, July 8 at Bottleneck Blues Bar
March 24, 2009
Notes from the Net: When Lester Met Fela; Eric Person in Iowa; Boney...
March 19, 2009
Saxman Boney James Tops Billboard Charts for 5th Consecutive Week
March 20, 2009
Jazz This Week: Dr. Lonnie Smith, Duke Ellington Orchestra, Boney...
Photos
Boney James Concerts
Date | Detail |
---|---|
Apr15Thu | |
Apr16Fri | |
Apr17Sat | |
Apr19Mon | |
Apr20Tue | |
Sep11Sat |
Albums
Watch
Similar

guitar

saxophone

guitar, acoustic

saxophone

piano

bass, electric

keyboards

band/orchestra

saxophone

saxophone

saxophone

saxophone

saxophone

trumpet

saxophone

voice / vocals