José James reflects on 40 years of SummerStage ahead of opening night with Ledisi
Singer José James returns to the Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage on June 10, joining powerhouse vocalist Ledisi to kick off the 40th season of the iconic New York City institution with a special opening night performance on Wednesday, June 10. The post José James reflects on 40 years of SummerStage ahead of opening night with Ledisi appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.
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Singer José James returns to the Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage on June 10, joining powerhouse vocalist Ledisi to kick off the 40th season of the iconic New York City institution with a special opening night performance on Wednesday, June 10. “To me, SummerStage is New York,” said James in an exclusive interview with the Amsterdam News ahead of opening night. “It’s showcasing some of the finest established and up-and-coming voices in the scene today.”
James, who has recorded albums for Blue Note and is well known for injecting elements of hip hop and soul into jazz, has fond memories at the Central Park stage both as a past performer and a fan. “The first show I ever performed there was presented by Giant Step — it was Janelle Monáe, myself, and Jamie Lidell. I’ve seen so many amazing shows there. … It’s a huge honor to kick it off and be a part of the 40th anniversary,” said James. “For those who really know, seeing artists at SummerStage is so special because the audience is New Yorkers — so you know you have to bring the level way high…and you never know who’s going to come onstage.” Ledisi’s opening night performance will consist of a special tribute to Dinah Washington, and the season lineup includes lots of exciting artists, including performances by Shaggy, Mavis Staples, De La Soul, and more. “I think Erika [Elliott] and the team do an incredible job and I want to shout them out for the programming, and for being one of the first festivals to say we need to do gender equality to,” said James, referencing an initiative by Elliott and her team to produce a balanced, representative lineup. “The music business — I’ve been in it for a long time. It has been decidedly lopsided in terms of men being represented in shows, festivals, band leading, sidemen…I love that step. I’m also trying to hire more women in my band and mentor more young women as well. I’ve got an incredible alto sax player playing with me — she’s 21 from Baltimore — Ebban Dorsey — she’s a superstar.” In preparation for the show, James aims to complement Ledisi’s set, whom he’s known for some time as they were labelmates on Verve Records. “It’s kind of a retrospective moment for me…I want to do stuff from “No Beginning, No End,” which was my first Blue Note album, and kind of my first big ‘New York moment,’” James explained. “For me, I’m not doing my job if at least most of the people in the audience aren’t transformed — if they don’t feel better — because music is medicine, it’s healing. … If you put on a Stevie Wonder album, you’re going to feel better; that’s just how it is. It’s spiritual, it’s emotional, it’s scientific. I want to transform the audience, I want them to forget about the cares of the day — give them that sacred time to let it all go, reconnect with their higher self, with their community — laugh, have a good time, take some photos, see the family, maybe fall in love…to me that’s the highest form of what music and art can be — bringing people together.”
You can view the full SummerStage lineup, and find out more information about opening night on June 10 at cityparksfoundation.org/summerstage/ and stay up to date with José James on Instagram @JoseJamesMusic.
The post José James reflects on 40 years of SummerStage ahead of opening night with Ledisi appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.
