Los Angeles, CA (CelebrityAccess) – Four-time GRAMMY nominee and multi-platinum selling sax-man Boney James continues his artistic evolution with the dynamic futuresoul. Fusing his love for vintage soul music with his mastery of modern production, Boney has created another genre-bending work following on the heels of his 2014 GRAMMY-nominated album The Beat.
“The forms I’m working with are rooted in my early influences,” says James, dropping names like King Curtis, the Stylistics and Earth, Wind & Fire. “But recently I’ve been listening to contemporary artists like Tinashé, Sam Smith and Ellie Goulding, and I’m inspired by the sound of their recordings. The production is so cool and evocative. As I started the new record, I was in my backyard studio messing around with this “gearhead” stuff I’ve collected. Ideas started flowing and it sounded like modern soul music to me. I thought to myself, ‘What is this?’… And then it hit me: ‘futuresoul.’”
His 15th CD, futuresoul contains 10 original songs produced and written or co-written by James. Released by Concord Records May 4, 2015, futuresoul features vocalist and Mint Condition frontman Stokley on “Either Way,” a collaboration enabled by Twitter. Says James, “Like my recent duet with Raheem DeVaughn, I was able to meet Stokley on Twitter and send him the music for this track. He wrote the brilliant lyric and sent me a finished vocal all via email!”
Also featured is rising-star trumpet player Marquis Hill (2014 winner of the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Trumpet Competition) on the plaintive “Far From Home.” Other notable collabs on the record are title-cut “futuresoul,” co-written and co-produced by neo-soul mainstay Dwele, and “Drumline” and “Watchu Gon’ Do About It?” with co-writer/co-producer Jairus Mozee (Anthony Hamilton, Robin Thicke).
futuresoul is the follow-up to The Beat (2013), nominated for the GRAMMY for Best Pop Instrumental Album, which prompted The New York Times to praise “The relaxed charisma of Mr. James’ tone…” The ‘analog’ tone of the sax combined with the ‘digital’ sounds of modern production contribute to the sonic tension that fuels futuresoul.
Born in Lowell, Mass. and raised in New Rochelle, NY, Boney became seriously interested in music in the mid ‘70s, a very vibrant and freewheeling period for popular music. “You could hear different genres all over the radio. It was a great time to be a young musician.”
Following early pro gigs, (including sideman stints with Morris Day, the Isley Brothers, Randy Crawford and Teena Marie) James released his debut album as a leader, Trust, in 1992.
Over the following 23 years James has racked up sales of more than 3 million records, four RIAA gold albums, four GRAMMY nominations, a Soul Train Award, nominations for two NAACP Image Awards and 10 CD’s atop Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz Albums chart. In 2009 Billboard magazine named him the #3 Contemporary Jazz Artist Of The Decade (trailing just Kenny G and Norah Jones).
What’s in the future for futuresoul? Already making inroads at radio with the funky “Drumline” and the sultry “Either Way,” Boney will hit the road mid 2015 and continue touring throughout 2016.
Known for blurring the lines between genres, with futuresoul, Boney is doing the same between eras.
Let’s just call it “retro music for a modern age.”
Boney James
Availability: Call for Availability
http://www.boneyjames.com
Worldwide Agency
ICM Partners – New York
730 Fifth Avenue, 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10019 United States
Phone: 212-556-5600
Fax: 212-556-6847
http://www.icmpartners.com
Music Department / Agent: Bob Zievers
E-Mail: bzievers@icmpartners.com
Worldwide Management
Barbara Rose Entertainment
14320 Venture Boulevard, Suite 450
Sherman Oaks, CA 91423 United States
Phone: 818-980-2899
Manager: Barbara Rose
E-Mail: br@barbararoseent.com
Worldwide Publicity
Concord Records
100 North Crescent Drive, Suite 275
Beverly Hills, CA 90210 United States
Phone: 310-385-4234
Fax: 310-385-4466
E-Mail:info@concordmusicgroup.com
http://www.concordmusicgroup.com
Publicity: Leah Price
E-Mail: leah.price@concordmusicgroup.com
Business Management / Attorney
GSO Business Management
15260 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 2100
Sherman Oaks, CA 91403 United States
Phone: 818-817-7423
Attorney: Jonathan Schwartz
E-Mail: jschwartz@gsogroup.com
Worldwide Record Label
Concord Records
100 North Crescent Drive, Suite 275
Beverly Hills, CA 90210 United States
Phone: 310-385-4455
Fax: 310-385-4466
E-Mail:info@concordmusicgroup.com
http://www.concordmusicgroup.com
