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» Talking Freedom with José James » iRock Jazz

Since his arrival to New York, Minneapolis native, José James, has used his beautifully robust baritone to freely traverse through jazz, hip-hop, and soul music. Apparently unbound my the musical shackles that often confine artists to one genre, he is admittedly comfortable gigging in a two piece suit at The Blue Note with jazz titan, McCoy Tyner and later trading the Ermenegildo Zegna for a Yankee baseball cap, leather jacket, and kicks engaged in a soulful cipher with longtime collaborator, Taylor McFerrin in an East Village barbershop. This drive for musical and creative freedom is a quest often attempted often failed, yet the successful have birthed some of the most celebrated music ever to grace listening ears—think, Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On and Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life. José’s new perspective, continued musical freedom and enlightening journey over the last year and half has produced a new album, No Beginning, No End he considers his best so far. Enlisting some of jazz, hip-hop, and soul music’s most brilliant sonic architects and songwriters, such as Robert Glasper and Emily King (more on that later) this new work is definitely one to watch.

As you can see, writing an article based upon one’s interpretation of a conversation and creating a story is what journalists do. However, the first few minutes into my stimulating conversation with José James, it was clear that no one was better suited to tell the story than the man DownBeat Critics Poll named “Rising Star Best Male Vocalist” in 2011.

iRJ:  Let’s talk about the new album No Beginning, No End.  What was the inspiration?

JJ:   Leon Ware. Leon Ware helped a lot. I met Leon Ware and other soul legends like Al Green, who are outside of jazz, but use an improvisational approach and harmonic tendencies like jazz. When I was living in London I met Pino Palladino and he gave me a lot of confidence. He really likes the new direction of my music. This is definitely not a “jazz” album. I approached it differently with a pop kind of production and song writing. This album is definitely beyond category.

iRJ:  Musically you have managed to pull together some of the most brilliant young musicians, writers, and artists and the timing seem perfect.  Robert Glasper’s new album is buzzing, Emily King’s recently released EP was a hit and led to touring with Maroon 5, Chris Dave and Pino Palladino are playing on D’Angelo’s tour. How did you do it? What kind of confidence does that give you?

JJ: The music was really that good. That attracted Pino, and once Pino signed on he brought in other artists. He’s been heavily involved in writing and production. He really believes in the project and that has given me confidence. Everything was just happening really organically, nothing forced. My first session was in New York and Russ Elevado (D’Angelo) engineered the session and eventually his former assistant Brian Bender engineered a lot of the project at Motherbrain Studios. My drummer introduced me to Emily King, who is a great songwriter. We met for coffee one day and the next day she sent me a song. I consider her a modern day Carole King. I’m really fascinated by that time in American music, like the freedom in Roberta Flack’s music for instance.

iRJ: This will be you’re first major release without a record label? Why did you choose to go in that direction for this album?

JJ: I’ll probably still release the project with a label mainly from a distribution and licensing perspective.

iRJ: But you paid for this project out of your own pocket and essentially produced the project, correct?

JJ: Yes. Going in this direction for this album was an unexpected gift of freedom. A little more than a year ago I was signed to Verve Records. Verve talked about reviving the Impulse label and that I would be the first vocalist to be released on Impulse since Alice Coltrane. But everything changed after the economic crash. Something like fifty people [were] fired and six of those fifty were working on my album (For All We Know, 2010). It wasn’t a good situation. Verve is not invested in jazz anymore. Their expectation is major sales, which means more control. So we eventually parted ways. With this project I can do songs I want to do and not worry about the jazz police. Now I own the album, all the music. This is really the time of the artist.

iRJ: It seems as if jazz musicians have some of the most creative freedom when recording with a label. Is there a misconception that when you are signed to a label you have creative freedom?

JJ: The freedom process was already there while working on the Verve project, but when the crash happened they deviated from what I wanted to do. But in general, it’s different for singers. As soon as you add a vocalist the more commercial the music becomes. There is less of an expectation for instrumental music.

iRJ: When I interviewed Lalah Hathaway, she told me with conviction that she would never relinquish creative control of her music again. Now looking back since you have produced your project where you have full control over the creative output, would you ever do it any different?

JJ: No. Music is my life. This is what I’m going to do. You can’t blame the labels; they are doing what they do. As an artist a lot of times we just want to be accepted, but ultimately I have to be okay with myself. There’s no way that I’m going to go back to please people.

iRJ: Your last three albums, The Dreamer (2008), Blackmagic (2010) and For All We Know (2010) were released internationally. Why did you choose to release your newest album in the States?

JJ: Well, it isn’t an attractive deal to license the album in the United States being on a European label. The exchange rates were not favorable. Now was a good time too because now I am an international touring artist, so I know where my markets and audiences are. Since the live show is more important than the album anyway, I go right to my audience, which a lot of the times are overseas. The programming is great in Europe. There are over 450 jazz festivals in France alone. There is a huge investment in the arts from the government.

iRJ: We have been impressed by the caliber of artists of which you have been able to collaborate with from Taylor McFerrin, McCoy Tyner, and the members of the all star cast assembled for you album. What do you attribute to your versatility?

JJ:  I belong in both worlds and I am passionate about both worlds.  I’m just as passionate about Coltrane as I am about A Tribe Called Quest.  I believe McCoy Tyner understood there was a need for someone like me.  There’s not a lot of people singing jazz.

iRJ:  So, is jazz at the center of your musical foundation?  What makes jazz the core?

JJ: Yes. Definitely. Jazz is at the center. That’s how I would identify myself as a jazz singer who sings soul, hip hop, and more. But my meaning is different. Jazz is the core because it inspires me the most—the complexity, the history. Sometimes it is a limiting word in American culture unfortunately, but it’s the music I come back to the most.

iRJ:  Why is the jazz vocalist important? More often people are drawn to the instrumental side of jazz, but what about vocalist like Al Jarreau, Dinah Washington, Ella Fitzgerald, Billy Strayhorn and others?

JJ: I believe people respond to the human instrument. You are a human being and you have a voice—that’s an important connection. The vocalist is no different than the songwriter. The vocalist has always been the counterpart to popularize a certain style like Betty Carter and Dinah Washington and Ella Fitzgerald with more of the bebop style music. There is a legitimate musical need for the jazz singer. My role is to be a jazz singer of the hip hop generation.

José James is putting the final touches on his now highly anticipated album set to release in September 2012 and will debut No Beginning, No End live at Harlem Stage Feb. 10^th and 11^th.

Also, along with Robert Glasper Experience and Taylor McFerrin, José James will hit select cities this fall as part of the Future Now  tour.

Visit José James at josejamesmusic.com for more information on upcoming shows, music, and videos.

By Johnathan Eaglin