Jazz for the hip-hop generation

From the same city (Minneapolis) that gave the world Prince, José James is an artist who like Prince has drawn on different genres while having become referred to as a jazz singer for the hip-hop generation.

Having released his first album in 2008, he signed to the most famous jazz label of all, Blue Note, in 2012, then finding some inspiration from bands he had listened to when growing up, e.g. Nirvana and Radiohead, neither of which were from the jazz field. From jazz, soul and hip-hop, other inspirations have included John Coltrane and Gil Scott-Heron.

Born in 1978, his twelfth album is entitled 1978, not just because it was the year of his birth but as it was also a year when various styles of music - soul, R&B, funk, rock, disco and jazz - clearly started to merge. Songs from the album will be showcased at the Jazz Voyeur Festival.