A North American singer who rose to fame with his performances of sounds ranging from modern jazz to hip-hop pays tribute to one of the greatest female singers in jazz history: Billie Holliday.
The year that marks the centenary of the birth of Billie Holiday, a voice from the new generation pays tribute and shows that now, as always, Lady Day continues to be an essential reference in the history of American music. José James explains that, whilst he was growing up at home, that voice, "magnificent, warm, intimate and absolutely unique," could be heard all the time. Strangely enough, those are all adjectives that can also be applied to a versatile baritone voice distinguished by its rich, expressive quality. James discovered the voice of Lady Day in his teenage years, when he was also listening to Nirvana, De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest. No wonder, then, that all the latest beats are fused here with the musical mark left by an artist that, as he says, opened to doors of jazz to him and showed him the path he should follow. After a career in which he has fused sounds ranging from neo-soul, jazz, hip-hop and funk to experimental rock, James now performs, in his inimitable style, nine songs that were written or popularised by Billie Holiday, including Body and Soul, Fine and Mellow, Lover Man and God Bless the Child.
Veu i guitarra: José James ; Baix: Solomon Dorsey ; Teclats: Leo Genovese ; Bateria: Nate Smith ; Producció executiva: The Project; Fotografia: Sylvain Gripoix;
