José James sets controls for the heart of the sun(glasses), Live From KCRW’s Annenberg Performance Studio.
José James sets controls for the heart of the sun(glasses), Live From KCRW’s Annenberg Performance Studio.
Video directed by Angie Scarpa. All photos by Rommel Alcantara.

José James: KCRW Live from HQ

Intimate performances, fresh sounds, and candid conversations with a view.

Written by Marion Hodges

Minnesota-born, New York-based soul-jazz artist José James emerged as a striking musical presence in the late ‘00s — his resonant croon and light-touch use of hip-hop production techniques established him as an artist with a timeless sound still very much in line with contemporaries like Gnarls Barkley, Mayer Hawthorne, and Corrine Bailey Rae. It’s no wonder that British DJ, label head, and tastemaker-supreme Giles Peterson was an early adopter, signing James to Peterson’s then-nascent record label, Brownswood Recordings, to release James’ first LP The Dreamer in 2008. 

In the ensuing years, James has graced some of the world’s most renowned stages, including the Kennedy Center and the Hollywood Bowl. He’s collaborated with heavy-hitters like Jazzanova, Kris Bowers, and Laura Mvula, and his albums have continued to run the gamut from his soul-jazz-hop signature, to faithfully executed songbook standards, to playful-yet-reverent takes on the catalogs of some of his favorite artists including Erykah Badu and Bill Withers.

KCRW has been along for the whole ride, and we’re thrilled to host James’ fifth(!) session with us. Despite being a frequent KCRW guest, this marks José James’  Annenberg Performance Studio debut. Armed with his finely-honed vocals and stage presence, James leads his band — Taali (vocals), J Hoard (vocals), Jharis Yokley (drums), Asar the Ambassador (keys), Marcus Machado (guitar), and Ben Williams (bass) — through highlights from his new album 1978. It’s James’ most straightforwardly soulful, funky, and political record to date. 

Get transfixed via the full session video and the top of this page. Click into the interview below with DJ Ro “Wyldeflower” Contreras, in which James explores crate-digging for musical inspiration, getting personal and political with his art, being part of a creative power couple with his wife Talia Billig (Taali), and the deep spiritual kinship he feels with fellow Minnesotan, Prince. 

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Credits:

KCRW Music Director: Anne Litt
Interviewer: Ro “Wyldeflower” Contreras
Director/Editor/Colorist: Angie Scarpa
Director of Photography: Kylie Hazzard
Camera operators: Milana Burdette, Kylie Hazzard, Angie Scarpa
Recording / Mix Engineer: Nick Lampone
Assistant Engineers: Hope Brush and Katie Gilchrest
Executive Producer: Ariana Morgenstern
Producers: Anna Chang and Liv Surnow
Digital Producer: Marion Hodges
Digital Editorial Manager: Andrea Domanick
Lighting Design: Jason Groman
Art Director: Evan Solano

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