Traveling the world inspires Jose James’ music. The down-to-earth, Minneapolis-born baritone normally likes to scope out a city’s mood and architecture, but it’s through personal conversations with audience members after James’ shows where he truly finds his muse.
“Everyone has a different reaction to the same music,” says a troubadour-styled James following sound check at Atlanta’s Variety Playhouse. “It gives me a global sense of how my music can actually help people.”
James’ sixth studio LP, Yesterday I Had The Blues: The Music of Billie Holiday, is a nine-song interpretation of Lady Day’s standards and songs she penned. The alumnus of The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music was accompanied entirely throughout Yesterday I Had The Blues by pianist Jason Moran, bassist John Patitucci and drummer Eric Harland.
The quartet updated Holiday’s lush arrangements and painstaking vocals into more relaxed, down tempo renditions. “I really didn’t want to sing her torch songs,” says James. “I needed to show love my way. I knew there was gonna be a lot of different versions or tributes, so I felt like there was something special that I had to say, too.”
James’ homage to Holiday, who died in 1959, stems from a special performance he gave at Ancienne Belgique in Brussels. The charismatic singer, like the venue’s Artistic Director, Kurt Overbergh, deeply admires the gardenia-donning singer.
Coincidentally, James was compelled to acknowledge his “musical mother’s” centennial birthday, which was on Apr. 7. “It’s really a project, not necessarily an album,” says James sipping from a bottle of water.
“It’s important to acknowledge your influences, and she taught me everything I know about jazz. I wanted to sing songs that I could personally connect to emotionally. Art gives us the opportunity to speak to each other in ways that feel immediate.”
Don Was, Blue Note Records’ President, produced Yesterday I Had The Blues. Was gave James his full blessing even though the veteran Grammy-winning producer was concurrently producing new material for legendary rock act, The Rolling Stones.
“It’s a dream come true,” proclaims a smiling James resting his chin on his left hand. “He knows what’s great, so there’s nowhere to hide. When he comes in, he puts everybody at ease. He makes everybody bring their A-game.”
James’ five previous studio efforts are rooted in jazz and blues but meld together elements of hip-hop, electronica, soul, R&B, rock and funk. Despite James’ uncompromising musical evolution and iconoclasm, the easygoing singer with rich and buttery wails, shares some of his personal issues.
“I’ve been going through a real rough divorce in the last two years,” reveals James, “so I was ready to sing some blues. I was ready to talk about heartache.” James simultaneously made a few lifestyle changes along the way.
Last year, he stopped smoking and drinking, committing instead to a six-day-a-week exercise regimen because of his demanding touring schedule. “Your body is your instrument,” urges James during one of the few times he wasn’t conjoined to his acoustic guitar. “It’s not about how many warm-ups you do if you only get three hours of sleep. Your voice gets tired, too.”
No stranger to Holiday’s highly publicized personal struggles with drugs along with racial and sexual discrimination, James says he recorded Yesterday I Had The Blues because he wants audiences to view Holiday as a symbol of empowerment. “It’s time to just call her a genius and let her personal life be what it was,” asserts James.
“There’s nobody that comes close to what she’s accomplished then or since. If we talk about Miles [Davis], we never say he was a junkie or unstable with his relationships. We talk about his tone and band leading.”
James goes onto unveil that he inherited Holiday’s uncompromising persona and vocal clarity. The experimental artist draws a parallel between Holiday’s critics and the people who attempt to categorize his musical output. “She stuck to her guns,” he says. “I admire that she didn’t change her style. She got deeper and deeper into singing what she wanted to the way she wanted to.”
“It’s a different path to walk if you make that decision,” continues James. “It’s definitely one that I’ve made, too. Artistically in the long run, the rewards are greater.”
Yesterday I Had The Blues is a project James considers to be his “most personal album to date.” His band was extremely supportive of his efforts. The vocalist thinks his cognac-smooth voice sounds great because he pushed himself to reinvent his sound.
More importantly, this phase of James’ career allows him to strengthen his spiritual connection to Holiday. “Here we are 50 years after she passed and still talking about her legacy,” insists James. “I feel like she’s here right now. It’s like time travel.”
This post was written by Christopher A. Daniel, pop cultural critic and music editor for the BurtonWire. He is also contributing writer for Urban Lux Magazine and Blues & Soul Magazine. Follow Christopher @Journalistorian on Twitter.
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