Jose James & Jef Neve | For All We Know
Jose James & Jef Neve – For All We Know
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There are two young jazz lions making a lot of noise all over the world. Jose James’ cool as a cucumber baritone is totally at ease mixing jazz sensibility with soul, DJ beats, hip-hop and blues. The Minneapolis, Minnesota-born vocalist draws upon his exposure to A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul and other hip-hop icons, and his father who was a jazz musician in Panama. James is also deeply enamored with John Coltrane, thanks to a support system of musicians called the AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians). When James moved to New York,he studied under legends Chico Hamilton and Junior Nance at the New School’s jazz program. His first big break came when he was sought out by Gilles Peterson after a vocal competition in London, England. The U.K.- based DJ then signed him to the independent label Brownswood Recordings in 2006. After signing on the dotted line, James would soon be heralded as the next soulful jazz ambassador of the millennium in the vein of Joe Williams and Jon Lucien. That seemed like a major load of pressure for a talent just coming out of the box. The following year, James dropped a taste of what the world would be in store for with “Equinox,” a shear genius vocal interpretation that matched the intensity and tone of Coltrane’s classic 1960 recording.
What turned out to be a deep admiration for jazz’s rich history turned into a fascinating professional journey which brought James overwhelming international success. His debut, The Dreamer, in 2008 was a brilliant mix of James’ smooth vocal swagger sifting through R&B, hip-hop and drum & bass climaxed with a reworking of Freestyle Fellowship’s “Park Bench People”; all backed by a modern jazz ensemble. Two years later, James pushed more boundaries into DJ friendlier territory on Black magic. Through his relationship with Peterson, James connected with other producer/composers like Flying Lotus and Taylor McFerrin, who bridged the language of jazz with hip-hop, chilled out funk, classic soul and dubstep. Besides his work as a solo recording artist, he has collaborated with a wide array of musicians: from the dance duo of Basement Jaxx, to jazz bassist Christian McBride and bossa nova DJ/producer Nicola Conte. James’ unique approach to the art of jazz has brought him to numerous international jazz festivals from Japan to Russia.
It seems fitting that James would enter into what he affectionately calls Trane’s (Coltrane’s) house. Now on his latest project and first U.S. release on Impulse! Records, James joins another promising talent, Jef Neve, on For All We Know. This totally intimate setting features familiar jazz, pop and blues material. Neve was undoubtedly the perfect choice for this pairing with James because of their unbridled joy in communicating those timeless standards. The Belgian born, classically-trained pianist cut his teeth in his earlier years playing funk (Mr. Zebedee) and pop (Belgian boy band Get Ready). Neve balances his many musical hats: classical (his preparations and performances of the Goldberg Variations by J.S. Bach), writing soundtracks (Dagen Zander Lief-English translation With Friends Like These) and meshes the best of both into his mesmerizing brand of modern jazz with his trio (Jef Neve Trio). Like James, Neve has studied under great names of jazz like Toots Thielemans and Billy Hart, and has developed international acclaim throughout various jazz festivals.
As for the music, it is not important to pick highlights or even pick apart For All We Know under the circumstances. But let me advise those who decide to invest in For All We Know that they will be touched by a soulful man with a jazz heart and a lyrical pianist with an equal amount of passion. The jury is officially out. For All We Know is clear cut evidence that Jose James and Jef Neve are more than worth the critic’s and fan’s praise.
Tracks:
1. Autumn in New York
2. Embraceable You
3. Gee Baby, Ain’t I Good to You
4. Body and Soul
5. When I Fall In Love
6. Tenderly
7. Just Squeeze Me
8. Lush Life
9. For All We Know
Peggy Oliver
The Urban Music Scene