Name: José James

Nationality: American

Occupation: Composer, singer, guitarist
Current Release: José James's new full-length album 1978 is out now via Rainbow Blonde. José James will also present 1978 live at the legendary ronny scott's club in May / June 2024. For more information and tickets, go here.

If you enjoyed this José James interview and would like to stay up to date on his music and releases, visit his official homepage. He is also on Instagram, and Facebook.



Do you think that some of your earliest musical experiences planted a seed for your interest in your voice and singing? How and when did you start singing?

I think that everyone is sort of generally interested in singing because it’s something that anyone can do. It’s a natural and powerful way to express ourselves as human beings and we do it all the time at birthday parties and social hangs.

My mom listened to a lot of music and I think I just picked up on that naturally. She loved folk, rock and funk like Peter, Paul and Mary, The Beatles and the Ohio Players so I was introduced to great storytelling as well.

I started just like any other kid, singing pop songs of the day. In my case that was mostly Michael Jackson.

If you're also playing other instruments, how does the expressive potential of these compare to your own voice?

I play a little guitar, both acoustic and electric. The thing about that is it feels pretty natural to me to run a guitar through pedals and amps, even an acoustic guitar. So the instrument is really expanded and the expressive potential is literally unlimited.

You can technically make a guitar sound like anything you want, whereas a natural voice has a relatively set range and tone. In a way that’s much easier because dealing with infinity vs. limitation is daunting.

Vocally I sound the way that I sound and more or less that will never change. The challenge with singing is accepting or even liking how you sound.

Singing is an integral part of all cultures, and traditions. Which of these do you draw from – and why?

I don’t honestly know “why.” I never really think about it. I feel that I was called to sing, I didn’t necessarily choose it.

I respect the tradition and the role of a griot in West African cultures. Storytelling is a huge part of what I do. And I think of honoring the greats like Billie Holiday, John Coltrane, Marvin Gaye and Bill Withers. That’s important to me, remembering the people who told the stories that keep us strong.

But singing goes very deep for humanity. I think it allows us to express and to feel the inexpressible, or to encapsulate a human experience an emotion.

What were some of the main challenges in your development as a singer/vocalist? Which practices, exercises, or experiences were most helpful in reaching your goals – were there also “harmful” ones?

Well I didn’t have any technique at all until high school in Minneapolis. Someone recommended a local jazz singer at MacPhail Center for the Arts for technique and we had one lesson that I didn’t enjoy.

She correctly summarised that I was trying to sound like Billie Holiday which was right and that it can be harmful trying to sound like someone else which is also right. However the message and information was not delivered in a kind way and I was a fragile teenager so I stopped seeing her. I asked the school for a teacher who just taught technique because I wanted to explore my own sound and that of others safely. They recommended a young opera singer who taught me basic operatic technique and that served me well until 2016 or so.

Then I wanted to take my voice to another level and I started studying with the master Jim Carson in New York. Working with him has provided the foundation for everything that I do now whether in the studio or on the road. The thing about jazz is that everyone starts by singing or sounding like someone else. That’s the tradition.



How do you see the relationship between harmony, rhythm and melody? Do you feel that honing your sense of rhythm and groove has an effect on your singing skills?

Performing a song in a different key can radically alter the entire vibe and meaning. Same goes for harmony, even just how the chords are voiced. Of course one can always reharmonize a song as well which is common in jazz. Harmony and chord voicing is like travelling in time to different periods of harmonic development.

Of course rhythm and tempo are crucial to delivering a lyric and evoking a feeling in someone’s body. Whether it’s a ballad or an uptempo song you want people to feel it.



What are the things you hear in a voice when listening to a vocalist? What moves you in the voices of other singers?

It’s hard for me to listen to music for pleasure. A singer has to be at a professional level for me to be able to relax because otherwise I get distracted by lack of technique, poor storytelling or lack of energy. I feel that the vocal energy and intent in a song is underrated.

By energy I don’t mean loud volume or belting per se, more like confidence, ease, dynamics and pocket. Frank Sinatra, Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone - their personalities leap off the album and into our souls. If that’s not happening then I tend to get clinical while listening.

How would you describe the physical sensation of singing? [Where do you feel the voice, do you have a visual sensation/representation, is there a sense of release or tension etc …]

Well when I’m performing I try to let go and trust my technique. Just put as much emotion into my storytelling. When I’m tired or not feeling well I will focus more on vocal placement while I’m onstage so that I don’t over sing or strain.

When I’m doing my vocal warmups I’m hyper focused on where I’m placing my tone, how it’s resonating in my head and my vowel/muscle control. It’s kind of like a boxer training in the gym vs. fighting in the ring. You do the technique beforehand so that you can be free and confident in the moment.



What kind of musical settings and situations do you think are ideal for your own voice?

Any stage, anywhere. I do like larger venues vs. smaller clubs because there’s so much space to project one’s voice and emotion. That’s exciting.

We have a speaking voice and a singing voice. Do these feel like they are natural extensions of each other, ends on a spectrum or different in kind?

Well all vocal sound, whether singing or speaking, is produced by the vocal cords. And you can pitch and use your speaking voice in ways similar to singing.

The key is to speak in a healthy way, because it’s easy to over talk and to wear your voice out.

From whispers to screams, from different colours to dynamics, what are the potentials and limits of your voice? How much of your vocal performance can and do you want to control?

Good question. In my early career many producers and collaborators wanted me to belt and really push my voice for what they thought was an authentic Black vocal sound. By that I guess they meant James Brown or Otis Redding, something like that.

Truthfully my voice isn’t built for that kind of singing and I prefer smoother styles. I honestly don’t push myself too hard, I’m more interested in the communication and sensual part of singing vs. the showy stuff.
 


When you're writing song lyrics, do you sense or see a connection between your voice and the text? Does it need to feel and sound “good” or “right” to sing certain words? What's your perspective in this regard of singing someone else's songs versus your own?

Yeah when Talia Billig and I write lyrics we often have me just sing syllables that come naturally. Then it’s easier and more comfortable to write words that fit that syllabic pattern. Some vowels are harder to sing high notes on because it creates a tighter muscle shape.

But every voice is different. For example the way that Bill Withers sang the vowel sound “ay” (eh) on the chorus of "Lovely Day" is very unique to him. So I had to find my own technique and way to do it.



Strain is a particularly serious issue for many vocalists. How do you take care of your voice? Are the recipes or techniques to get a damaged voice back in shape?

I speak quietly and talk as little as possible in general. When I’m on tour I do warm ups everyday but not as many exercises as when I’m not performing. My voice coach Jim Carson teaches that when we’re on tour we’re using our voice quite a lot so the voice just needs to be warm before performing. Overstrain is real.

There are many techniques to get a damaged voice back in shape but everyone should definitely consult with a qualified otolaryngologist (ENT).

Also a very overlooked part of touring is getting enough sleep. The older your body gets the more it needs rest between shows and tours.

How has technology, such as autotune or effect processing, impacted singing? Has it been a concrete influence on your own approach?

I think there’s always a trend toward a “sound” in music. Singers in each decade tend to sound similar overall, and their voices are treated or processed in a similar way.

Autotune is a cool effect and to me it’s no different than a guitar or keyboard running through a pedal to achieve a sound. I’ve used autotune and I like it personally, but purists tend not to.



For recording engineers, the human voice remains a tricky element to capture. What, from your perspective, makes voices sound great on record and in a live setting?

To be honest, a great voice can sound good on a bad microphone but a bad voice can’t sound good on a great microphone. I know singers who just record with SM58s in the studio or directly into their iPhone. The key is sounding good vocally.

That being said I love tracking vocals and I pretty much only use vintage Neumann mics like U47, U57 and U49s. They sound killer.

I’m more interested in how a space makes me feel when I’m recording. If I’m relaxed it doen’t matter where I am as long as the engineer knows what their doing.

For live shows I used to use a Neumann 104 stage mic for more intimate things and an Shure SM58 Beta for louder gigs, but I now exclusively use a Sennheiser MD 435. For my voice it sounds incredible.



Motherese may have been the origin of music, and singing is possibly the earliest form of musical expression, and culture in general. How connected is the human voice to your own sense of wellbeing, your creativity, and society as a whole?

To be honest, I don’t examine it too closely. I just follow my spirit.

Singing is holy, personal, crass, radical, traditional, reflective, explosive. It reflects humanity, personality and society.