A ROMANTIC EVENING WITH JOSÉ JAMES

José James’s debut album, "The Dreamer" (2007), revealed a serious talent. Here was a young man of Panamanian-Irish descent whose ageless baritone placed him in a rich lineage of jazz vocalists, including Mark Murphy, Leon Thomas and Jon Lucien. A paean to the fertile post-bop period of jazz, "The Dreamer" featured savvy reconstructions of John Coltrane and Rahsaan Roland Kirk, as well as several tunes penned by James himself.

"Blackmagic", James's new album, fills out the sound adumbrated on "The Dreamer". The smoky, nostalgic feel of his earlier songs has been traded for a more extensive and assertive sonic palette that draws on hip hop, dubstep and techno. This time James worked with a hand-picked collective of underground innovators, including Flying Lotus (aka, Steven Ellison, an LA hip hop alumnus); Moodyman, a Detroit house/techno veteran; and Taylor McFerrin, a beatboxer-producer.

Ellison’s influence is immediately apparent on "Code", the album's sensual neo-soul opener, which James overlays with highly rhythmic, half-whispered pseudo-raps. Cuts such as “Lay You Down”, the feel-good “Promise In Love”, the late-night voodoo of “BlackMagic”, and a gorgeous duet with Jordana de Lovely called “Love Conversation”, all blend James’s jazz-accented vocals with crunchy beats and deep basslines more reminiscent of J Dilla than John Coltrane. But James doesn't completely ignore the bass, drums and piano combinations that made his first album such a classic. The ballad “Beauty” wouldn’t be out of place on "The Dreamer".

Slightly less impressive are the excursions into acid-jazz, such as “Touch” and “Detroit Loveletter”, both of which sound strangely dated. The same can’t be said for “Warrior” (a reworking of “Emotions”, a track from Benga’s revered album "Diary Of An Afro Warrior"). Coiled and claustrophobic, its fusion of off-kilter riddims and dark jazz currents allow James to delve into the darker side of our emotions. This potent track makes for a formidable (if lonely) counterpoint to what is otherwise an unashamedly romantic album.

The result is a slightly uneven soundtrack, but also an exciting product of experimentation. The constant is James’s resonant voice—always classy, impeccably cool.

"Blackmagic" (Brownswood), by José James, out now

~ PAUL SULLIVAN