Jazz Hands: At the Piano with Bob James

84 years, 36 solo albums, and one new piano for the jazz legend

By Ross Boissoneau | Aug. 3, 2024

There aren’t many musicians who have found success for as long as Bob James. Nor are there many with his musical gifts or openness. He’s played straight-ahead jazz, soul jazz, fusion, smooth, acoustic, electric, and is stunningly (at least to him) one of the most sampled artists in the world of hip-hop.

The 84-year-old jazzman and Traverse City resident continues to ride high with recording projects, tours, and the success of Jazz Hands, his most recent recording. The Grammy-nominated album includes, among others, singer CeeLo Green, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Dave Koz, his producer and engineer David Marchione, and his standing band: bassist Michael Palazzolo, drummer James Adkins, and Ukrainian saxophonist Andrey Chmut.

Jazz Hands is also—amazingly—James’ 36th solo album. It’s as fresh as ever, and has been met with praise from all quarters. Such as this, from All About Jazz: “The meticulously crafted sounds go down easy, from the opening with the percolating ‘Mambalicious’ to the soft cinematic soundscape of a closer, ‘Sea Goddess,’ that serves as an achingly beautiful, save-the-best-for-last symphonic smooth-jazz jewel.”

Building Musical Bridges

The album’s success, like that of his entire career, is due to James’ gifts, from his fleet piano playing to his continued ability to craft engaging compositions. It also showcases his decision to explore adding elements of hip-hop to his music, after his compositions produced such an impact on the genre.

Over the years, numerous rappers and hip-hop artists have used his recordings, from “Nautilus” to “Angela” to produce their own sounds—much to James’ surprise, and often without permission or credit. The latter didn’t sit well. “I made sure my copyright was protected,” James says seriously. “I always encourage them [other musicians] to protect theirs like I protect mine.”

One of the first such transgressors was DJ Jazzy Jeff, who sampled “Westchester Lady” on his 1988 album with Will Smith, He’s the DJ, I’m the Rapper. Now, years after coming to an agreement regarding James’ copyright claims, James and Jeff have recorded together. James says Jeff sent him some loops to work with, and the end result was the tune “That Bop.”

After not having any voice in what was done to and with his music by those sampling it, James decided the best way to fuse the genres while maintaining some control was by collaborating directly with some of those artists. So Jazz Hands includes Jeff, and he brought in Green, who co-wrote the title track with James as well as provided the vocals.

The desire to continue the experiment led to including Jeff and Talib Kweli when James and his band appeared on the popular National Public Radio feature “Tiny Desk Concerts.” James still sounds excited about the experience, which took place late this spring and continues to generate views, with over 400,000 to date.

“You only get 20 minutes. It’s a complete challenge, and the band rose to the occasion,” says James.

Present, Past, and Future

Speaking of concerts, a recent post on James’ Facebook page regarding a show in New Hampshire reads, “Two nights of smooth, grooving jazz from one of the genre’s most influential artists.” One could take issue with that—his music is certainly grooving, but in many quarters, the label “smooth” is a pejorative.

When it’s suggested that some so-called smooth jazz artists don’t get the respect they deserve—including James—he disagrees.

“I can’t complain. You get stereotyped in art,” he says matter-of-factly. With millions of sales and countless sold-out tours, it’s obvious his fans and fellow musicians don’t care about the labels. They simply enjoy the music.

The good news for his legion of fans is the end isn’t in sight. “I’m not giving up. I’m not dropping out of the race,” James says with a smile.

The octogenarian acknowledges his age, noting it’s harder for him to memorize pieces. But he continues to write, record, and simply play during the day. He’s also buoyed by the fact his daughter Hilary and her husband Kevin DiSimone, both of whom are also musicians, have moved next door.

So how much longer will he continue a career that started when he was discovered by Quincy Jones at the Notre Dame Collegiate Jazz Festival in 1962? “As long as I can still do it.”

Among his upcoming projects is recording with his friend Dave Koz. The two previously recorded a couple tunes as a duo, just acoustic piano and saxophone, and James will be performing as part of one of Koz’s popular jazz cruises later this year. Before that happens, they will get together again at James’ home studio and record some more tunes. Ultimately the goal is to produce an entire album.

Those hoping for a reunion of Fourplay, the popular band comprised of James, bassist/vocalist Nathan East, drummer Harvey Mason, and a rotating cast of guitarists, are likely out of luck. At age 84, James is still looking forward, not backward.

The Instrument That Started It All

If James is looking to the past at all, it’s likely right there next to his grand piano. “Even though I’m so identified with the sound of the Fender Rhodes, I never owned one,” he says almost wonderingly. It was his producer/engineer David Marchione, who also revamped the acoustics of his home studio, who finally convinced James to get one.

The sound of that electric piano became part of the bedrock of Creed Taylor’s CTI label in the 1970s, where James served as a performer and arranger. He helped usher in the crossover jazz of the era, with elements of soul, pop, and rock, and performers ranging from Grover Washington Jr., Freddie Hubbard, and Hubert Laws to George Benson, Ron Carter, and a multitude of others.

In fact, he arranged what became Washington’s theme song, “Mr. Magic.” The original version was spare and downtempo, but by adding an emphasis on spicy guitar, backing horns, and his own Fender Rhodes, James helped “Mr. Magic” become one of the genre’s biggest hits.

And he was just getting started. His first five solo efforts established him as a star in the crossover jazz market, and his 1978 release Touchdown soared into the stratosphere on the basis of his track “Angela” being used as the theme to the popular sitcom Taxi. His recordings continued largely in the same vein, including duo or co-billed albums with Earl Klugh, the late, great David Sanborn, and Kirk Whalum.

James’ jazz bent was interrupted occasionally by excursions into the classical realm, with Rameau and The Scarlatti Dialogues. Other adventurous recordings include Altair & Vega, in which he and fellow pianist Keiko Matsui played four-handed pieces; and In the Chapel In the Moonlight, a duo with Interlochen flute instructor Nancy Stagnitta.

And then there’s 2080, where he joins forces with Sam Franz (the son of his personal trainer) on a set mixing James’ pianistic forays with Franz’s electronica and DJ skills. The French music site Paris Move calls it a radical, courageous work, but it’s really James just keeping his ears open and his fingers moving.

And now here we are with the Grammy-nominated Jazz Hands and James’ continued live performances, which included a recent cameo with his daughter Hilary and son-in-law Kevin at the Civic Center. There aren’t any other local gigs currently scheduled, but he’s hoping to do a date at the Traverse City venue The Alluvion in the future.

“I want to do The Alluvion. I’m so happy to see that,” he says of the space. “I want to bring my quartet, [but] the timing hasn’t been quite right.” Stay tuned!

A Tiny Desk Interview

We could spend all day talking with Bob James about his music, but if you only have a few minutes to read his responses, here’s what he has to say about eight rapid-fire topics:

On his status as a legend and his legacy: “It’s age-related.”

On being looked down upon by jazz traditionalists: “We get exactly the respect we deserve.”

On the spirit he gets from his youthful bandmates: “I love the energy I get from them.” As he said at his Tiny Desk Concert, “I don’t have that [youth] myself, but I can hire it.”

On his current recording label, evosound: “They’re great at letting me do my own thing.”

On his own hit music: “‘Angela’ has been a good friend to me. It’s romantic, a nice melody.”

On other musicians he admires: “Keith Jarrett. His complex improvisations, and also the way he plays melodies. For me, he’s up in the stratosphere. And Glenn Gould.”

On the younger collaborators in his orbit: “I’m happy, happy, happy with the kids I work with. It’s been a highlight.”

On his own ability: “I’m never gonna be Erroll Garner. I [sometimes] look at my fingers, and it’s like they’re moving of their own accord. That’s the good stuff.”

To keep up with the latest concerts and albums, head to bobjames.com.