José James, Jharis Yokley at Lodge Room Highland Park

José James – the forward-looking, genre-defying Jazz singer for the hip-hop generation – has done it again. “1978” (his 12th studio album since 2008’s “The Dreamer”) announces an instant classic, combining James’ deep love of jazz and hip-hop with songwriting and production nods to R&B heroes Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson and Leon Ware. “I had a writing session with Leon Ware back in 2009 in LA at his house in Marina Del Rey. He rolled one and we talked for hours about jazz, Motown and Marvin. At one point in the middle of working on a song he said ‘you remind me of me.’ That stayed with me...

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José James – the forward-looking, genre-defying Jazz singer for the hip-hop generation – has done it again. “1978” (his 12th studio album since 2008’s “The Dreamer”) announces an instant classic, combining James’ deep love of jazz and hip-hop with songwriting and production nods to R&B heroes Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson and Leon Ware. “I had a writing session with Leon Ware back in 2009 in LA at his house in Marina Del Rey. He rolled one and we talked for hours about jazz, Motown and Marvin. At one point in the middle of working on a song he said ‘you remind me of me.’ That stayed with me. Of course I asked him a million questions because ‘I Want You’ is my all-time favorite album. I wanted 1978 to feel like he and J Dilla made an album for me.” Produced by James and featuring an all-star ensemble including Grammy nominees Pedrito Martinez (Camilla Cabello, Eric Clapton), Marcus Machado (Daniel Ceasar, Pharoahe Monch) and David Ginyard (Solange, Blood Orange), “1978” pulsates with the socially conscious feel-good vibes of Marvin Gaye, Prince and Stevie Wonder. James also skillfully explores the boundaries of Black music beyond his own backyard, featuring Brazillian rising star and recent Latin Grammy nominee Xenia França as well as the Congolese-Belgian rapper/filmmaker Baloji.

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