artist info

The celebrated jazz vocalist explores the legacy of one of the greatest American voices of all time.

For internationally renowned jazz singer José James, this project is fate. In 2016, James was called by Universal Pictures to perform Sinatra's version of "I've Got You Under My Skin" for the blockbuster film 50 Shades Darker. James, a devoted student of Sinatra accepted the role and soon found himself in the hallowed halls of Capitol's Studio B, behind the very microphone Sinatra used to record his most celebrated catalog for Capitol Records.

James will release his 14th studio album in the fall of 2026 The Best Is Yet to Come, a groundbreaking reexamination of one of America's greatest voices from the most exciting male jazz singer of the moment. For James, this project is a reclamation, both live and on record of Sinatra's brilliance as a jazz singer, a rhythmic improviser from the schools of Billie Holiday and Tommy Dorsey. With big band arrangements by the legendary John Clayton, this is no mere nostalgia trip, but a deeper look into the craft and mastery of the Chairman of the Board.

José James is both conductor and conduit. A jazz artist for the hip-hop generation. José James artfully blurs the lines between traditional and contemporary jazz, hip-hop, soul, funk, pop and rock. Across 18 years as a singer, songwriter, bandleader, and producer he's dived deep, over and over again, into genres, eras, scenes, and songbooks, exploring with the verve of a reverent musicologist, and then churning it all up with the confidence of a master practitioner.

Blessed with a silken baritone that sounds classic against any backdrop, James first turned heads on his 2008 debut The Dreamer by subtly swirling contemporary jazz with hip-hop instrumentation. As it turned out, mixing those two fluid, frenetic, and frequently time travelling strains set off a deeply soulful discography that knows no bounds.

He has released 13 critically-acclaimed studio albums in as many years for labels such as Brownswood, Impulse, Blue Note and his own co-founded Rainbow Blonde Records, and is the recipient of both the Edison Award and L'Académie du Jazz Grand Prix. James has collaborated with many notable artists such as Flying Lotus, Robert Glasper, Lalah Hathaway, Ledisi, Aloe Blacc and Jason Moran.

A celebrated international performer, James has presented his work at venues such as The Kennedy Center, Hollywood Bowl, Ancienne Belgique and Billboard Live Tokyo, and has performed as a guest artist with McCoy Tyner, Laura Mvula and the Jazz at Lincoln Center, Melbourne Symphony and Royal Concertgebouw Orchestras.