José James and Jef Neve | For All We Know (CD Cover Art) | Coming May 11th, 2010


For All We Know
 is the title of the
first American album from José James (and Jef Neve). Now that the cover
art is in hand, it can truly be said that this is solidly in the
Impulse! tradition, both inside and out.  In fact, it’s the first album
of newly recorded music to be issued on the label in six years.  


José has been working
out of London for the past few years and has released two albums, 
The Dreamer and Blackmagic on Gilles Peterson’s
Brownswood label. He’s built an international following with
collaborations with a wide assortment of jazz, club and hip-hop acts,
including Basement Jaxx, Nicola Conte, Toshio Matsuura, Jazzanova,
Flying Lotus, Christian McBride, Elan Mehler, the Heritage Orchestra,
Robert Mitchell, Jazzy Sport and Simbad.

Originally from
Minneapolis, José moved to New York where he attended the New School’s
prestigious jazz program, studying with instrumental legends Junior
Mance and Chico Hamilton, both of whom subsequently invited him to
perform on their recordings. While his Brownswood
albums combine his deep-rooted jazz sensibility with elements of classic
soul, contemporary R&B, hip-hop and drum ‘n’ bass, 
For All We Know finds James applying
his warm, rich baritone to a sterling assortment of timeless jazz and
pop standards with piano accompaniment — nothing more — by Neve.  The
result is an eloquently spare, effortlessly expressive set, with James’
vivid performances and the intimate duo format lending new emotional
depth to such classics as “Tenderly,” “Body and Soul,” Billy Strayhorn’s
“Lush Life” and Gershwin’s “Embraceable You.”

For
All We Know 
was, for the most part, recorded in a single
informal six-hour session at Galaxy Studios in Mol, Belgium. James
recalled the experience: “It felt like we’d been playing together
forever.  I had the next day off, so I said ‘Let’s go in the studio and
try to capture some of this vibe.’  Jef booked this really nice studio,
we let the tape roll, and that’s the album.  There was no producer, no
overdubs, and most of the songs were first takes. It wasn’t anything
that we thought was gonna turn into a big release,” he continues. “It
was just something that we thought was really cool.  
We just played the
songs we love the way we felt them, with no constraints.  Playing as a
duo is very pure and honest; it’s just you, the piano and silence.” 

James is certainly
aware of the significance of his new label affiliation and on the cusp
of his first U.S. release noted,  “
“It’s so exciting, and
it’s a huge honor to be on Impulse; it’s Trane’s house.  I’m very proud
of this record, and I love being able to give back to the music that
nurtured me.”

Track listing and
credits follow.  

José James – vocals

Jef
Neve – piano

1. Autumn in New York (Vernon Duke)

2. Embraceable You (George Gershwin/Ira Gershwin)

3. Gee Baby, Ain’t I Good to You (Andy Razaf/Don
Redman)

4. Body & Soul (Edward Heyman/Robert
Sour/Frank Eyton/Johnny Green)

5. When I Fall
in Love (Victor Young/Edward Heyman)

6. Tenderly
(Walter Gross/Jack Lawrence)

7. Just Squeeze Me
(Duke Ellington/Lee Gaines)

8. Lush Life (Billy
Strayhorn)

9. For All We Know (J. Fred
Coots/Sam M. Lewis)

Produced by José James and
Jef Neve

Executive
producer: Dahlia Ambach-Caplin

Recorded at Galaxy Studios on November 18th, 2008 and
June 11th, 2009

Mixed by Scott Jacoby at Maze Studios, NYC with Assistant
Mix Engineer: Alex Bilowitz.

Mastered by Gene Paul, DB Plus Studios ,
NYC.

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