José James
Yesterday I Had the Blues: The Music of Billie Holiday
Album - Jazz, Music, Vocal Jazz, Vocal
After the edgy electronic rock of 2014’s While You Were Sleeping, singer Jose James is back in ballad mode to celebrate the Billie Holiday centennial with a heady team of pianist Jason Moran, bassist John Patitucci, and drummer Eric Harland, as well as producer Don Was. “Good Morning Heartache” and the dynamic “Lover Man” are straight blues, and “I Thought About You” is a stunning but delicate duet with Moran. As with the original, the peppy “What a Little Moonlight Can Do” breaks the ballad spell and really highlights the band's power, but the haunting work-song version of “Strange Fruit” is a study in taut dynamics.
Yesterday I Had the Blues: The Music of Billie Holiday
José James
After the edgy electronic rock of 2014’s While You Were Sleeping, singer Jose James is back in ballad mode to celebrate the Billie Holiday centennial with a heady team of pianist Jason Moran, bassist John Patitucci, and drummer Eric Harland, as well as producer Don Was. “Good Morning Heartache” and the dynamic “Lover Man” are straight blues, and “I Thought About You” is a stunning but delicate duet with Moran. As with the original, the peppy “What a Little Moonlight Can Do” breaks the ballad spell and really highlights the band's power, but the haunting work-song version of “Strange Fruit” is a study in taut dynamics.
