futuresoul Boney James

• 1 Drumline 04:18
• 2 Vinyl 04:07
• 3 A Little Attitude 04:02
• 4 Watchu Gon' Do About It? 03:39
• 5 Either Way 04:08
• 6 Hand In Hand 03:53
• 7 Fortuneteller 04:35
• 8 The Moment 04:24
• 9 futuresoul 04:07
• 10 Far From Home 04:16
• Total Runtime 41:29

Info for futuresoul

Four-time GRAMMY nominee and multi-platinum selling sax-man Boney James continues his artistic evolution with the dynamic futuresoul. Fusing his love for vintage soul music with his mastery of modern production, Boney has created another genre-bending work following on the heels of his 2014 GRAMMY-nominated album The Beat.

“The forms I’m working with are rooted in my early influences,” says James, dropping names like King Curtis, the Stylistics and Earth, Wind & Fire. “But recently I’ve been listening to contemporary artists like Tinashé, Sam Smith and Ellie Goulding, and I’m inspired by the sound of their recordings. The production is so cool and evocative. As I started the new record, I was in my backyard studio messing around with this “gearhead” stuff I’ve collected. Ideas started flowing and it sounded like modern soul music to me. I thought to myself, ‘What is this?’… And then it hit me: ‘futuresoul.’”

His 15th CD, futuresoul contains 10 original songs produced and written or co-written by James. Released by Concord Records May 4, 2015, futuresoul features vocalist and Mint Condition frontman Stokley on “Either Way,” a collaboration enabled by Twitter. Says James, “Like my recent duet with Raheem DeVaughn, I was able to meet Stokley on Twitter and send him the music for this track. He wrote the brilliant lyric and sent me a finished vocal all via email!”

„Title aside, there is something very familiar about Futuresoul, Boney James' follow-up to 2013's Grammy-winning Beat. With a modern production approach, there is a deliberate look back at his great inspiration, Grover Washington, Jr., in particular, the late saxophonist's groundbreaking period between 1975 and 1983. Washington, then recording for Kudu, was deeply influenced by vintage soul music and equally taken with funk. He melded them seamlessly with warm, melodic jazz in a welcoming tone and songlike phrasing that virtually created the 'smooth jazz' genre. Those tropes influenced and benefited James greatly; he's continued to evolve and transform the music since his 1992 debut album, Trust. His tone here is pure retro analog, while the rest of Futuresoul's sounds derive from the current production techniques of R&B and pop. He collaborated with several co-producers, including Jarius Mozee on the slinky club floor opener 'Drumline,' and with Dwele on the fingerpopping summertime groove in the title track. Stokley (Williams) makes a vocal appearance on the lovely crossover tune 'Either Way.' While the scratchy sample at the intro to 'Vinyl' is perhaps too obvious, the melody is low, sexy, and slow, with elegantly layered and harmonically staggered saxophones. Rob Bacon's chunky guitar and Nutty P Beats' loops and spacy synths are tastefully stitched into the backdrop. The ballad 'Hand in Hand,' with Darrell Smith's programmed loops and low-end keyboard bass, is lithe and romantic, though the earthy, Southern gospel tinge of Tim Carmon's B-3 adds roots and depth. Closer 'Far from Home' features the muted trumpet of Marquis Hill as a lyric foil for James. Carmon's acoustic piano fills, Vinnie Colaiuta's impressionistic drums, and Lenny Castro's illustrative percussion add a restrained yet cinematic feel to the track. While Futuresoul may not have the outward propulsive force of Beat, it is its flipside: a more lyrical outing that tastefully and thoughtfully melds grooves from the history of smooth and contemporary jazz to modern adult R&B.“ (Thom Jurek, AMG)

Boney James, tenor, alto and soprano saxophone, keyboards, piano, drum programming
Craig Brockman, keyboards
Jarius Mozee, guitar, bass, drum programming
Kennan Ephriam, live drums, drum programming
Lenny Castro, percussion
Gerald McCauley, electric piano, synthesizer
Rob Bacon, guitar
Omari Williams, drums
Nutty P. Beats, drum programming, synth bass, synthesizers
Alex Al, bass
Nikeita Crichlow, background vocals
Stokley Williams, vocals
Darrell Smith, keyboards, keyboard bass, drum programming
Tim Carman, acoustic piano, B3 organ, acoustic piano fills
Phil Davis, keyboards
Dwayne 'Smitty' Smith, bass
Dwele, keyboards, drum programming
Vinnie Colaiuta, drums

No biography found.

Booklet for futuresoul