JOSÉ JAMES PRESENTS 1978: REVENGE OF THE DRAGON
- Montclair Jazz Festival
- Sep 8
- 1 min read
Updated: Sep 10
José James – Jazz, Soul & Modern Music Innovator
José James is both conductor and conduit. Across 17 years as a singer, songwriter, bandleader, and producer — and co-founder of Rainbow Blonde Records since 2018 — he has explored genres, eras, and traditions with the depth of a music historian and the confidence of a master performer.
With a silky baritone that adapts effortlessly across styles, James first made waves with his debut The Dreamer (2008), blending contemporary jazz with hip-hop textures. This fearless approach has fueled a discography with no boundaries: the breakthrough No Beginning No End (Blue Note, 2013); the standards collection For All We Know (2010); the genre-bending While You Were Sleeping (2014); and the R&B-forward Love in a Time of Madness (2017).
His tributes to legends Billie Holiday (Yesterday I Had the Blues, 2015), Bill Withers (Lean On Me, 2018), and Erykah Badu (On & On, 2023) highlight his ability to honor tradition while reinventing it. His latest release, 1978: Revenge of the Dragon (2025), fuses disco, funk, and soul into a vibrant statement of musical freedom.
Through bold collaborations, live performances, and studio innovation, José James has become a leading figure in modern jazz, soul, and R&B, shaping the future of music while staying rooted in its past.
JAZZ HOUSE KiDS’ presentation of José James is supported through a Chamber Music America Presenter Consortium for Jazz grant in collaboration with the DC Jazz Festival and August Wilson African American Cultural Center. A component of the Doris Duke Jazz Ensembles Project, Presenter Consortium for Jazz is funded by the Doris Duke Foundation.