There are certain times of year that I get these bursts of creativity. They are usually sparked by something I’ve read or something I’ve heard. Lately my creativity has been somewhat drained due to the release of my new shoes. But this isn’t the place or the time to talk about that… this is about why I’ve decided to do a Get To Know.
Jose James (http://www.josejamesmusic.com/)
There are symbols that generate a certain feeling. When I see a Blue Note logo, I automatically feel like snatching a Coltrane CD and putting it in the computer. I say this to make it clear that Blue Note is synonymous with classic music. Jose James is Blue Note continuing to remain a relevant force in creating music that matters (a little metonymy? yeah a bit). The album No Beginning No End is James fourth CD. I recommend you taking the time to purchase each CD, but instead of purchasing them in “order” I think NBNE is the perfect place to start.
I could spend the rest of this Get To Know repeating the about page from James’ website, but I don’t have to. Take the time to go to the page and read the information about this release. That should give you an idea of what to expect. I can tell you what I feel though: My wife and have a 5 year old and an 11 year old. Our lives are consumed with camps, business and we very rarely have those moments that remind us of why we made these kids (lol). We finally began this year to actually set aside date nights. We haven’t been very consistent, but when we have been, we look at it like prom night. I clean up the ride, we put on our grown up clothes and then I choose the music that we will ride out to on our way to the riverfront, or to dinner, or for our walk through downtown.
Jose James’ voice is a scented candle trapped in a room. Initially subtle and warm, and then deep and resonant. His voice lingers with you and instead of listening to a jazz standard, you find yourself hearing the musical love child of D Angelo and Cassandra Wilson. Instead of getting out of the car to begin dinner, you open the sunroof, turn the music up and just ride. You should definitely get to know Jose James.
Oh I forgot to tell you what my favorite cut is … Vanguard featuring Robert Glasper, then again the whole album is my favorite cut. Pick this up today, you can thank me later.
