José James

One of my favorite Christmas albums of 2021 was Merry
Christmas from José James, which featured the jazz vocalist in a
classic quartet that included pianist Aaron Parks. 


We talked in 2021 and ran part of the conversation last holiday
season, but we covered a lot of ground, some of it COVID-related
but a lot of it focused on James and the way he bridges musical
genres. We chew on jazz, hip-hop, and some of the subtle
challenges involved in making Christmas music. The music's good,
but I also love the way he turns conventional narratives and
hierarchies on their head. It's tempting to give jazz musical
primacy--certainly here in New Orleans--but he talks about how
hip-hop set him on his jazz journey.


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