Jazz

Boney James - Christmas Present (2007)

2016-12-03T15:25:27Z

Boney James - Christmas Present (2007)


01 — Skating
02 — Santa Baby
03 — O Tannenbaum
04 — River
05 — The First Noel
06 — Merry Christmas Baby
07 — My Grown Up Christmas List
08 — Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
09 — Silent Night
10 — Auld Lang Syne

Acoustic Guitar – Dean Parks, Paul Jackson, Jr.
Arranged By – Boney James, Darrell Smith, Eric Daniels, Phil Davis, Tim Carmon
Bass – Alex Al, Tony Maiden
Drums – Dave Weckl, Teddy Campbell
Guitar – Dean Parks, Paul Jackson, Jr.
Keyboards – Boney James, Darrell Smith, Tim Carmon
Keyboards, Electric Piano – Eric Daniels, Phil Davis
Percussion – Lenny Castro
Producer – Boney James
Soprano Saxophone – Boney James
Tenor Saxophone – Boney James

‘Tis is the season to be jolly and few people capture the joyful Christmas spirit as well as Boney James, as he showed very well on 1996’s “Boney’s Funky Christmas”. 2007’s outing, if anything, is even more enjoyable.

You sail into holiday mode with Vince Guaraldi’s beautiful Skating and that soaring, effortless soprano sax tells you that it’s a Boney James outing – and a good one. The lilting, ¾ time song is a perfect vehicle for him to solo over a lovely jazz trio setting. I think Boney James gets the urban smooth jazz vibe right more times than most and on Santa Baby he hits it right. It’s slow, sexy and has a luscious vocal courtesy of Chanté Moore. Lenny Castro’s tricky seasonal percussion provides the finishing touch, as it does with almost all of the songs on the CD.

Throw another log on the fire, cuddle up for O Tannenbaum. It starts out smoky and slow then picks up pace and leaves you smiling all over. Paul Jackson Jr.’s guitar solo is very slick and I just love this version, especially when it subsides into a peaceful lullaby at the end. Joni Mitchell’s River is sprinkled with fragments of a “jingle bells” theme. It’s a tender ballad and has a sweet melody – no drums, no bass, no guitar – just that soprano sax and Tim Carmon’s restrained piano. It’s exquisite.

The mood stays relaxed for The First Noel, which receives a nice, unadorned treatment. Rick Braun’s flugelhorn solo adds just the right touch. I’m not sure holiday music has ever sounded quite this good, and I’ve been listening to lots! The BJ backbeat is back for Merry Christmas Baby. Angie Stone’s vocal is outstanding on this version. Alex Al on bass and Tony Maiden on guitar keep the pot boiling.

A change of pace for My Grown Up Christmas List and Boney is back to the ballads which he does so well. I never seem to be able to resist picking out from most CD’s I review a track that belongs on a movie soundtrack – well, here we are again and it’s this one. If they make another Bridget Jones sequel I want to hear this on there.

Let’s get back to more familiar territory: the melody on Hark the Herald Angels Sing is as clear as a bell on a frosty morning and you’d expect that for a classic like this. Castro’s percussion gently drives this and it’s all it should be. Silent Night features a vocal by Anthony Hamilton and his church music roots show on this bluesy, gospel slow-burner. Auld Lang Syne is very purposeful and measured. Dean Parks’ country-rock guitar touches on this song lend it a real drama and turn a song I don’t normally like into something truly original and bewitching.

If you want to sing, dance or just sit by the fireside during the holiday season, this CD has something for you and I hope it’s among some good things under your tree! ---Chris Mann,smooth-jazz.de

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Boney James - Contact (2011)

2013-06-29T15:51:11Z

Boney James - Contact (2011)


1. Contact 3:51 
2. Close To You (Ft Donell Jones) 4:15 
3. Spin 4:20 
4. When I Had The Chance (Ft Letoya Luckett) 4:06 
5. Cry 4:09 
6. That Look On Your Face (Ft Mario) 4:48 
7. Deep Time 4:57 
8. I'm Waiting (Ft Heather Headley) 4:13 
9. There And Back 5:10 
10. Everything Matters 5:00

Personnel:
Boney James - Composer, Key Bass, Keyboards,  Producer, Programming, Saxophones
Tareq Akoni - Guitar
Alex Al - Bass
Rob Bacon - Guitard
Leon Bisquera - Composer, Keyboards
Johnny Britt - Composer, Keyboards
Teddy Campbell - Drums
Tim Carmon - Composer, Guitar (Acoustic), Keyboards
Sue Ann Carwell - Vocals (Background)
Lenny Castro - Percussion
Gary Grant - Trumpet
Heather Headley - Vocals
Jerry Hey - Horn Arrangements
Dan Higgins - Saxophone
Jimmy Johnson - Bass
Donell Jones -  Vocals
Kleber Jorge - Guitar (Rhythm)
LeToya Luckett 	- Vocals
Mario - Vocals
Jason Morales - Vocals (Background)
Dean Parks - Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic)
William Frank "Bill" Reichenbach Jr. - Trombone
Mark Stephens 	- Composer, Keyboards
Michael Thompson - Guitar
Freddie Washington - Bass, Composer

It's an interesting question: would Boney James have recorded Contact if he'd never had a car accident that damaged his teeth and fractured his jaw? In May, 2010, he was rear-ended while stopped by a driver traveling at high speed. Though he was back on-stage in three weeks, the accident caused James to think back on where he'd been in his career. He reflected on the period he spent backing the Isley Brothers, Morris Day, Randy Crawford, and Teena Marie before his solo offering, 1992's Trust, catapulted him onto the contemporary jazz scene. Contact -- his debut for Verve Forecast -- indulges those influences. James produced and co-wrote every cut here, including the four vocal numbers. The first of these, "Close to You," features a stellar performance by Donell Jones; it is one of the album's true highlights. James plays plays his soprano, interweaving those silky vocal lines with gorgeous fills. Former Destiny's Child member LeToya Luckett sings on the lilting ballad "When I Had the Chance," Heather Headley appears on the slippery-grooved Latin-tinged "I'm Waiting," and Mario does a magnificent job on the dancefloor stepper "That Look on Your Face." James' own chops are fine as ever On the instrumental title track, he lets a slightly angular, syncopated, B-3-led rhythm section groove assert itself before smoothly entering and laying down the melody amid Rob Bacon's guitar fills and a bright-sounding, tightly arranged horn section. On "Cry," Dean Parks plays a nylon-string guitar, giving the cut an exotic flamenco feel before James breathily lets the melody flow from his tenor. With percussion work by drummer Teddy Campbell and Lenny Castro on congas and timbales, it streams forth in a rich, sensually arrayed meld of colors and textures. "There and Back" is a soul ballad where the saxophonist is the singer. It's lithe, silky groove is colored by hand percussion as James, with his canny sense of timing, tells a story on his horn. On "Everything Matters," the laid-back album closer, he plays tenor and alto, aided by Parks on electric guitar, Jimmy Johnson's keys, Campbell, and Castro. It's sweet and slow, but not sentimental, one almost hear Ron Isley singing to its melody. Contact is a bright spot in James' catalog, and underscores his welcome return to recording. ---Thom Jurek, Rovi

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Boney James - The Beat (2013)

2013-07-02T16:02:16Z

Boney James - The Beat (2013)


1. Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing
2. Sunset Boulevard
3. Missing You
4. Batucada (The Beat)
5. Maker Of Love
6. Mari’s Song
7. Powerhouse
8. The Midas (This Is Why)
9. Acalento (Lullaby)
10. You Can Count On Me

Personnel: 
Boney James: soprano, tenor and alto saxophone, flute, keyboards; 
Brandon Coleman: keyboards (1, 2); 
Vinnie Colaiuta: drums (1, 9, 10); 
Lenny Castro: percussion (1-4, 6-10); 
Rob Bacon: guitar (2, 4, 7, 10); 
Dewayne “Smitty” Smith: bass (2, 10); 
Omari Williams: drums (2, 4, 7); 
Jarius Mozee: guitar, keyboards, programming (3);
Abi Mancha: vocals (3); 
Tim Carmon: keyboards, keyboard bass (4, 6, 8); 
Alex Al: bass (4, 6, 7, 9); 
Rick Braun: trumpet (4); 
Raheem DeVaughn: vocals (5); 
Phil Davis: keyboards, programming (5); 
Mark Stephens: keyboards (7, 9); 
Natalie “The Floacist” Stewart: vocals (8)

After a brief sojourn for Verve Forecast with 2011's Contact, Boney James returns home to Concord for The Beat. Aptly titled, this is the recording where the composer and saxophonist weds his love for both R&B and Latin music, weaving them together in his trademark brand of contemporary jazz. Besides James, the other star on this date is all-star percussionist Lenny Castro, whose use of congas, timbales, bongos, and numerous other instruments adds dimension, flavor, and punch to most of these cuts. A cover of Stevie Wonder's "Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing," is the opener. It's played as a lithe bossa nova. Drummer Vinnie Colauita and Castro exchange accents in all the right places as James uses his soprano to glide through the melody. Another highlight is the cover of the Sergio Mendes classic "Batacuda," with longtime friend and collaborator Rick Braun lending his trumpet. In James' arrangement, this is 21st century jazz funk with the two-horn frontline backed by Rob Bacon's stinging guitar, Alex Al's bassline, Tim Carmon's keyboard washes -- including a second bassline -- and keen interplay between punchy drummer Omari Williams and Castro. Braun's solo is short but very tight. Soul crooner Raheem DeVaughn appears on the slippery meld of old-school soul and laid-back funky jazz on "Maker of Love." Natalie "The Floacist" Stewart offers her rhyming and signing skill to "They Midas (This Is Why)." It simmers with a sexy, nocturnal feel and illustrates modern club jazz at its best. "Sunset Boulevard" wanders into the jazz fields more, with lovely piano work from Brandon Coleman and a low-end strutting bass by Dwayne "Smitty" Smith. "Powerhouse" melds Latin funk to fingerpopping contemporary jazz, while "You Can Count on Me" -- with one of James' most memorable melodies in ages -- weds Brazilian MPB, languid R&B, and emotive smooth jazz, and sends it all out on a high note. His tenor playing here is wide open and sultry. While The Beat is not as uptempo as its title might imply, it more than compensates with the layers of rhythms inherent in its tunes. There are no low points on the set, only grooves galore. --- Thom Jurek, Rovi

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Boney James – Futuresoul (2015)

2017-05-18T15:46:36Z

Boney James – Futuresoul (2015)


01. Drumline
02. Vinyl
03. A Little Attitude
04. Watchu Gon Do About It?
05. Either Way
06. Hand In Hand
07. Fortuneteller
08. The Moment
09. Futuresoul
10. Far From Home

Boney James - Leader, Saxophone, Piano
Darrell Smith - Keyboard Bass
Lenny Castro - Percussion
Vinnie Colaiuta - Drums
Phil Davis - Keyboards
Dwayne Smith - Bass
Stokley - Vocals
Alex Al - Bass
Dwele - Keyboards
Rob Bacon - Guitar
Marquis Hill - Trumpet
Craig Brockman - Keyboards
Nutty P Beats - Synthesizer
Omari Williams - Drums, Toms
Tim Carmon - Hammond B3, Piano
Jarius Mozee - Guitar, Keyboards, Bass
Gerald McCauley - Electric Piano, Synthaxe

A studio and stage veteran with an enviable talent for composition and finesse on the tenor sax, Boney James' musical dexterity has carried him far beyond the realm of contemporary jazz. Ever since his 1992 debut, he’s become a stylistic chameleon of sorts, tweaking a pop ditty here or weaving in Latin-flavored grooves there with a dash of funk....or smoothing it all out to flip it into a new genre altogether. While almost anyone with enough persistence can learn to play the sax, few have been able to finesse it to the point of gold-selling albums, NAACP and Grammy noms, a skill set that fans will remain in awe of and further appreciate hearing on his fifth CD for Concord, futuresoul.

Departing slightly from 2013's The Beat, futuresoul feels leaner and more urbanized than its predecessor, omitting covers this time around for songs written or co-written by James and flush with modern-edged, retro-fitted grooves. Boney wields his sax the way a skilled singer would convey a melody, adding verve, angst and other emotional undercurrents: some numbers serve up familiar echoes from R&B's not-too-distant-past, such as the (1980s-era) Janet Jackson-like chorus on the saucy, come-hither ballad, "Whatcha' Gon Do About It," as well as on "A Little Attitude," a mid tempo romp with decisive bass, glib keys and sax notes from James that that bob and weave like gossipy, animated conversation. Boney's "The Moment," co-written with Phil Davis, opens with anticipation and slow-boils into ecstasy, while "Far From Home" feels both soothing and somber, thanks to its languid pace and the lilting twists and turns by each plaintive note.

It's actually hard to quantify anything from Boney James as a 'better than' or a 'best of', but his prowess is especially magnified when paired up with equally-versatile players. The title track is one standout, co-created with Andwele Gardner (AKA Dwele) and combining James' supple sax tones alongside neo-soul-styled keyboards with a cool hip-hop cadence that multiplies its swagger and grit. Another exhilarating merger, "Either Way," was composed with Mint Condition's front man Stokley Williams; it may seem like an odd pairing on the surface, but instead of the men's disciplines clashing against one another, Williams' vocals interact with, mimic and even feed off of Boney's notes, stretching the range of his distinctive tenor into richer and more resonant dimensions than he would likely encounter with conventional R&B: "You need to tell me either way (say you will), can no longer be afraid (say you won't)/You need to say it either way (how you feel), gotta tell me if you will or you won't, will you stay."

Energetic, innovative and always willing to push past his comfort zone, Boney James endowed futuresoul with hints of influence from his formative years (Bobby Caldwell, Grover Washington), previous tour mates (the late Teena Marie, The Isley Brothers, Morris Day) and peers (Rick Braun), all while retaining his signature flair as a producer, composer and instrumentalist. Its polish will enthrall those who are just getting familiar with Boney, but if you are already a fan of his previous fourteen albums, there's no doubt that futuresoul will be a nice addition to the rest. Highly Recommended. ---Melody Charles, soultracks.com

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