Posted on 04/18/2008
Jose James might come off as somewhat of an anomaly. At first glance of this young half Panamanian half Irish singer, with his fitted baseball cap, t-shirt, and jeans one might falsely label him as an R&B singer. On the radio one might hear his eerily refined baritone jazz voice and think mistake him for one of the greats of years past. But 28 year-old Jose James has managed to fuse the two together for his The Dreamer album, taking a hefty nod from the past but on select tracks infusing those classic sounds with a modern swagger. The result being ten tracks of magic reminiscent of being the perfect shade of tipsy in a dimly lit smoke-filled lounge. The Dreamer exemplifies the sexy side of acoustic jazz: stripped down to its bare necessities, making every note count and his velvety voice all the more prominent. The title track, a dedication to Martin Luther King is soulful and smooth, while his version of Freestyle Fellowship's "Park Bench People" demonstrates his love of contemporary Hip Hop.

Truth be told, The Dreamer may be a little too old-school jazzy for the tastes of some, and for that reason probably won't appeal to anyone not already appreciative of jazz. But with that being said, anyone who does appreciate classic jazz singers can easily place him as a new force to be reckoned with. 

Mostly produced and arranged by James ( he wrote seven of the 10 tracks on the album) and executive produced by the legendary Giles Peterson,  The Dreamer  is sure to be the staple CD for a "grown n' sexy" midnight rendezvous.

- Aliya Ewing