José James ‘1978 Tour’

The American singer José James opens the 17th edition of the Jazz Voyeur Festival with his 1978 Tour, in reference to the year of his birth.

José James finds jazz limited. He has always said that its scene is too conservative. That it is like a straitjacket. That is why he has always liked to expand on compositions that also live off soul, hip hop or spoken word, despite recognizing that John Coltrane or Billie Holiday are sacred.

But also Marvin Gaye, Terry Callier or Gil Scott-Heron. Or even much later projects, linked to electronics, such as Basement Jaxx or Jazzanova, with whom he has collaborated on some of their albums. It could be said that his thing is black roots music with groove and sensuality, without too many suffixes or prefixes. And his label, Blue Note, on which he has published his last five works, must think the same.

The Balearic artists invited to this concert is the Yelfris Valdés Quartet, a group led by Cuban trumpet player and composer, resident in Mallorca, Yelfris Valdés. A master in the art of Cuban improvisation, arrangement and complex rhythms.