Fiesta de la Merce - Catalan, Barcelona
Date: 9/22/08
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It’s always nice to witness an artist onstage whose prolific musical output pushed him safely past that point in his career path that some like to call “making it”. Only this time around, Jose James is cruising down that path at two miles per hour, so everybody can take note as his stereo pumps out the smoothest shit produced in the industry. He arrived at the annual Fiesta de la Merce, for the weeklong party in the Catalan capital. Then on a wet Monday evening, Jose took to the Sala Bikini stage with his minimal three-piece band that really turned it out and created a near-perfect room sound.

With a voice compared to the likes of Gil Scott Heron (and rightly so) the Brooklyn based Panamanian-Irish jazz singer breezed through an array of modern classics from his own catalog like “Park Bench People” and “Velvet” as well as covering a few classics like Marvin Gaye’s “I want you”· and Rashaan Roland Kirk’s “Spirits up above.” James had traveled to Barcelona with keyboard player, Robert Mitchell whose style ranged from classic jazz to Charles Earland and Herbie Hancock all hammered, tickled and teased through a beautiful Fender Rhodes. Mitchell’s keys were complemented by the hip-hop beats of Richard Spaven’s drums and the bass of Neville Malcolm, famous for touring with U.K soulsters, Incognito and US3.

The show was in support of James’ recent release, the ultra-smooth lp titled, The Dreamer on Brownswood Recordings (owned by DJ legend, Gilles Peterson.) James drew strongly from ardent influences like Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans and a myriad of Motown classics to create a distinguished and educated album that already broke the market to encompass a wide array of music lovers, including younger listeners. With a heavy international touring schedule, James will be hitting places from Japan to Lithuania in the coming months and sharing the stage with veterans, Jazzanova. It’s clear the buzz is big, and there is certainly nothing better than a refreshing soul buzz.

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For more on the artist and details on his upcoming tour, visit: www.myspace.com/josejamesquartet

via Rick Heffernan, 3 October 2008 6:56 pm | 1 |