Singer José James Creates Loving Tribute To His Idol Bill Withers

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – José James is a genre-blending artist set to perform in Los Angeles at the Troubadour on Wednesday, November 7. His first full-length album was released in 2008, and in the past ten years James has seamlessly blended jazz, soul, hip-hop and R&B in a new, refreshing way.

His new album "Lean on Me" was released in late September, and is a loving tribute to one of his idols Bill Withers in honor of the legendary singer/songwriter's 80th birthday year.

“Bill wrote the songs you love your whole life,” he said. “I didn't want to put hip-hop beats under his music or deconstruct it with 10-minute bebop solos. There was only one right move here: show up with a killer band, run the tape, capture the vibe. We just played the songs.”

Patch caught up with José James to talk about his influences, what he's listening to now and how he knew music was what he wanted to do with his life professionally. To check out more of José James, visit his website or buy tickets to his Los Angeles show here.

Emily Holland: How would you describe your music to someone that’s never heard it?

José James: I’d say if Marvin Gaye had a jazz singer son who was raised on hip-hop, that’s me.

EH: Who are your biggest musical inspirations/influences (lyrically or otherwise)?

JJ: Marvin, Billie Holiday, John Coltrane, Kurosawa and Madlib.

EH: How do you keep jazz, an old genre with a lot of history, new and fresh?

JJ: I don’t think about labels. I just think about music, and music is as old as humanity. It’s the sound of our creative expression and life force so there’s never any old or new. Jazz has influenced nearly every style of American music, so I hear it in almost everything.

EH: How young were you when you figured out music was something you wanted to do professionally? How did you develop your personal style/sound?

JJ: When I was 17, I got paid for my first concert as José James. I was supposed to go to college but instead I decided to just perform as much as possible to grow as an artist. Minneapolis is a great city to get started as a musician and a performer, so I played wherever I could and listened to all the records I could find – it was a very old school approach. Ten years later, I got my first record deal in London.

EH: What are you listening to right now?

JJ: The Internet, Drake, Taali, Ben Williams, The Isley Brothers and of course Bill Withers.

José James is performing at the Troubadour on Wednesday, Nov. 7. Doors open at 8 p.m. and show starts at 9 p.m. Buy tickets here.

Photo courtesy of Cherry Chill Will/Missing Piece Group