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Boney James

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Boney James
Boney James in 2013
Boney James in 2013
Background information
Birth nameJames Oppenheim
Born(1961-09-01)September 1, 1961(age 63)
Lowell, Massachusetts,U.S.
GenresJazz, contemporary jazz, R&B
OccupationMusician
InstrumentSaxophone
Years active1970s–present
LabelsConcord
Websiteboneyjames

Boney James(bornJames OppenheimSeptember 1, 1961) is an American saxophonist (tenor, alto and soprano), songwriter, record producer and recording artist.

He is a four-timeGrammy Awardnominee (Best Pop Instrumental Album, 2001, 2004, 2014 and Best Traditional R&B Performance, 2009) and aSoul Train Awardwinner (Best Jazz Album 1998). He has also received threeNAACP Image Awardnominations for Best Jazz Album.[1]James has sold over three million albums,[2]and has accumulated four RIAA Certified Gold Records. In 2009,Billboardmagazine named James one of the Top 3BillboardContemporary Jazz Artists of the Decade. In 2024 James became the first artist to notch twenty #1 singles on theBillboardmagazine SJ Chart.[3]

Biography

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James took up the clarinet at the age of eight, switching to sax when he was ten[4]having spent his early teen years inNew Rochelle, New York.He became musically influenced by the R&BMotowngenre and saxophonistGrover Washington, Jr.When he was fourteen his family moved toLos Angeles,where he joined a fusion band that opened for acts likeFlora Purimand theYellowjackets.Another member of this early band wasJohn Shanks,now a successful pop producer.[5]James eventually received a degree in history fromUCLA,but began playing music full-time after graduation. James learned to play keyboards and in 1985 he joinedMorris Day's band. His R&B influence was further strengthened by seven years of touring and sessions as a sideman with Day,The Isley Brothers,Bobby Caldwell,Randy Crawford,Teena Marieand others. It was on the road with Crawford in 1986 that he earned his now-famous moniker, when his physique led a bandmate to joke "We'll have to start calling you 'Boney' James!"[6]

In the early 1990s, while on tour withBobby Caldwell's band, he met engineer and producer Paul Brown, beginning a 10-year period of collaboration. In 1992 he released his debut album as a leader,Trust,on theindependent record labelSpindletop Records. Following the record's success, he was signed by the Warner Brothers label in 1994, on which he released the RIAA Certified Gold RecordsSeduction,Sweet ThingandBody Languagealbums.

In 2000 he collaborated with trumpeterRick Braunon an album calledShake it Up.Their duets include the now classic updated version of Hugh Masakela's "Grazin' in the Grass".Both have appeared regularly on each other's solo albums and the two have toured internationally a number of times. Other artists to have made guest appearances on Boney's records includeLalah Hathaway,Raheem DeVaughn,Faith Evans,George Benson,George Duke,Dwele,Al Jarreau,Philip Bailey,Anthony Hamilton,Jaheim,Eric Benét,Dave Hollister,Stokley Williams,Avery*Sunshine,Kenny LattimoreandAngie Stone.

James began co-producing his records with Brown in 1997, and assumed the role of sole producer starting with his Grammy-nominatedPurealbum in 2003.Following a string of chart-topping albums, in 2006 James moved toConcord Records[5]and releasedShinewhich posted his highestBillboardPop Chart positions to that date (No. 44 on the Top 200). His 2009 album,Send One Your Loveearned him a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional R&B Performance. His 2013 albumThe Beatreceived a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Instrumental Album.

Returning home from a concert performance on May 15, 2010, his car was rear ended by a drunk driver, causing him a fractured jaw, two shattered teeth and facial lacerations which sidelined his career for two months.[7]

In 2014, he produced two songs on Al Jarreau's George Duke tribute albumMy Old Friend,"No Rhyme No Reason" (feat.Kelly Price) and "Bring Me Joy" (feat. George Duke).[8]

In 2015, he releasedfuturesoulwhich spent eleven weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Chart and was the best selling Contemporary Jazz Record of 2015.[9]In August 2015, James made his first appearance onThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

2017 saw the release ofHonestly,his sixteenth album (which also featured production from Nutty P Beats) which became his eleventh No. 1 on the Billboard Jazz Albums Chart. It also reached No. 22 on the Billboard Current Albums Chart, his highest pop chart debut to date.[10]

June 2020 he released his seventeenth studio albumSolid,describing it as "a reaction to how stressful the world feels these days. Music is a respite, it’s always ‘solid’ and never lets me down."[11]The CD broke his previous Pop Chart record, debuting at #10 on the Billboard Top Albums Chart.[12]His eighteenth albumDetourwas released on September 23, 2022.[13]

James is married to actress and directorLily Mariyeand in 2012 he contributed an original score to her directorial feature film debut,Model Minority.[14]

Discography

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Number-ones

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The following hit number-one on theBillboardSmooth Jazz Airplay chart.[15]

No. Initial peak date Title Weeks Ref.
01. November 11, 2006 "The Total Experience"(featuringGeorge Duke) 4 [16]
02. June 9, 2007 "Hypnotic" 3 [17]
03. January 19, 2008 "Let It Go" 3 [18]
04. March 7, 2009 "Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart)" 8 [19]
05. May 7, 2011 "Contact" 5 [20]
06. October 8, 2011 "Spin" 4 [21]
07. October 27, 2012 "Magical"(Jonathan Fritzénfeaturing Boney James) 3 [22]
08. April 13, 2013 "Batucada (The Beat)"(featuringRick Braun) 8 [23]
09. October 12, 2013 "Powerhouse" 2 [24]
10. May 23, 2015 "Drumline" 6 [25]
11. November 7, 2015 "Vinyl" 2 [26]
12. April 30, 2016 "A Little Attitude" 1 [27]
13. October 14, 2017 "Tick Tock" 4 [28]
14. April 7, 2018 "On the Prowl" 3 [29]
15. September 1, 2018 "Up All Night" 4 [30]
16. May 23, 2020 "Solid" 1 [31]
17. October 17, 2020 "Full Effect" 2 [32]
18. December 25, 2021 "Sundance" 1 [33]
19. October 1, 2022 "Bring It Back"(featuring Dontae Winslow) 1 [34]
20. April 20, 2024 "Cigar Lounge"(Big Mike Hart featuring Boney James) 3 [35]

References

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  1. ^"Complete list of nominees for the 45th NAACP Image Awards".Los Angeles Times.January 9, 2014.
  2. ^"SAN MANUEL: Boney James takes 'The Beat' to the stage".Pe.7 February 2014.Retrieved4 January2018.
  3. ^Trust, Gary (April 15, 2024)."Boney James Becomes First Artist to Notch 20 No. 1s on Smooth Jazz Airplay Chart".Billboard.
  4. ^"Boney James 2007".Smoothjazznotes.Retrieved4 January2018.
  5. ^ab"Boney James".Billboard.Retrieved4 January2018.
  6. ^Kohlhaase, Bill (December 23, 1994)."No Plain James: Boney, a nickname he got during lean years as a Touring Musician, stuck; Now he wants to make his name as a saxman With 'Backbone'".Los Angeles Times.
  7. ^Rodgers, Larry (May 18, 2010)."Sax man Boney James hurt in car crash".The Arizona Republic.
  8. ^"Al Jarreau Salutes George Duke on New Star-Packed Album".Billboard.Retrieved4 January2018.
  9. ^"Contemporary Jazz Albums: Jan 04, 2018 - Billboard Chart Archive".Billboard.Retrieved4 January2018.
  10. ^"Boney James' New Album HONESTLY Debuts at #1".Broadwayworld.Retrieved4 January2018.
  11. ^"Q&A with Boney James: A Smooth Jazz Icon's 'Solid' Sound Stands the Test of Time".Jazziz.13 March 2020.RetrievedDecember 11,2023.
  12. ^Cantor, Brian (23 June 2020)."Chloe x Halle, Gone West, Boney James Debut On Billboard Artist 100 Chart".Headlineplanet.RetrievedDecember 11,2023.
  13. ^"Jazz/R&B Sax Icon Boney James to Release 18th New Album" Detour "on Sept. 23rd, 2022 – on Vinyl Jan. 13th, 2023".The Urban Music Scene.August 26, 2022.RetrievedOctober 27,2012.
  14. ^"Model Minority: The Movie".Modelminoritymovie.Retrieved4 January2018.
  15. ^Trust, Gary (April 15, 2024)."Boney James Becomes First Artist to Notch 20 No. 1s on Smooth Jazz Airplay Chart".Billboard.RetrievedApril 18,2024.
  16. ^"The Total Experience" – Nov 11 / Dec 2 / Dec 9 / Dec 30:
  17. ^"Hypnotic" – Jun 9 / Jun 16 / Jun 23:
  18. ^"Let It Go" – Jan 19 / Feb 2 / Feb 16:
  19. ^"Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart)" – Mar 7 / Mar 14 / Mar 21 / Mar 28 / Apr 4 / Apr 11 / Apr 18 / Apr 25:
  20. ^"Contact" – May 7 / May 14 / May 21 / May 28 / Jun 4:
  21. ^"Spin" – Oct 8 / Oct 15 / Oct 22 / Oct 29:
  22. ^"Magical" – Oct 27 / Nov 3 / Nov 10:
  23. ^"Batucada (The Beat)" – Apr 13 / Apr 20 / Apr 27 / May 4 / May 11 / May 18 / May 25 / Jun 1:
  24. ^"Powerhouse" – Oct 12 / Oct 19:
  25. ^"Drumline" – May 23 / May 30 / Jun 6 / Jun 13 / Jun 20 / Jun 27:
  26. ^"Vinyl" – Nov 7 / Nov 14:
  27. ^"A Little Attitude" – Apr 30:
  28. ^"Tick Tock" – Oct 14 / Oct 21 / Oct 28 / Nov 4:
  29. ^"On the Prowl" – Apr 7 / Apr 14 / Apr 21:
  30. ^"Up All Night" – Sep 1 / Sep 8 / Sep 15 / Sep 22:
  31. ^"Solid" – May 23:
  32. ^"Full Effect" – Oct 17 / Oct 24:
  33. ^"Sundance" – Dec 25:
  34. ^"Bring It Back" – Oct 1:
  35. ^"Cigar Lounge" – Apr 20 / May 4 / May 11:
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