Singer José James grew up in Minneapolis but left for New York after finishing high school. He had wanted to obtain a contract with one of the big record companies, but returned to his birthplace after numerous attempts - bereft of his illusions and many years later. Although James kept entering various jazz competitions, he never went home with the first prize. For this reason he decided to try his luck in England. He had heard that demos were really listened to in that country. It turned out to be the move of a lifetime. His demo ended up on the turntable of Gilles Peterson, the influential DJ and record label owner, and he offered him a contract instantly. So now James demonstrates his special talent on his debut CD The Dreamer. His sound is remarkably jazzy, although intended for the current generation of music lovers, but without the explicit addition of hip-hop and dance elements. He has a lovely low, dark and warm baritone and tries to steer clear of any jazz clichés in contemporary tunes. The album received a lot of critical acclaim in this country.
