James Francies

Since his debut album Flight entranced listeners in 2018, pianist & producer James Francies has expanded personal explorations of sound bending and orchestral approaches to the music. Collaborations across stylistic realms - including those with Childish Gambino, Pat Metheny, Mark Ronson, The Roots, YEBBA, Chris Potter, Common, Eric Harland, Marcus Miller, DJ Dahi and Ms. Lauryn Hill - have enhanced his development and refined his sound. In issuing Purest Form, his second Blue Note release, Francies accesses intimate chambers of his artistry across 14 tracks, interpreting love, grief, frailty, and fortitude…

22-year old Houston-born NYC-based pianist and composer James Francies makes his debut with Flight, an album that presents a bold new vision from one of the brightest young stars in Jazz. Francies, who frequently sits in with The Roots on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, has already performed with a wide array of artists including Chris Potter, Pat Metheny, Stefon Harris, José James, Ms. Lauryn Hill & Nas. He brings that broad range of influences to this set featuring special appearances by saxophonist Chris Potter and vocalists YEBBA, Chris Turner & Kate Kelsey-Sugg, along with a cast of Jazz youngbloods including vibraphonist Joel Ross, guitarist Mike Moreno, bassist Burniss Travis II, and drummers Jeremy Dutton and Mike Mitchell.

For more than two decades, Chris Potter’s limitless creativity, effortless virtuosity and vibrant sense of swing has wowed critics, musicians and fans alike, who cite him as one of the most influential saxophonists and inventive improvisors of the modern day. His new album, Circuitsis immediate and uplifting, rooted in a strong sense of groove and intense improvisation. Featuring an all-star band of 23rd year keyboard and Blue Note Artist James Frances, drum virtuoso Eric Harland and bassist Linely Marthe. Blending a vibrant sound world of electronics, memorable hooky melodies and surprising turns of phrase, Circuits is sure to delight both the dedicated Potter fans and new listeners alike.

More than twenty years ago, when the first episode of the Verve & Blue Note Today compilation came out, no one would have thought that the CDs would be so popular to this day. Then as now, the compilations are not only suitable for finding out about new tracks and artists from the jazz scene, they are also great listening pleasure. The colorful mix of well-known jazz artists and young talents this time includes the Blue Note artists Marcus Strickland, Kendrick Scott Oracle and James Francies, the Hollywood star Jeff Goldblum, Earth, Wind & Fire singer Philip Bailey, World Music Diva, who shone for the first time as a jazz pianist Angélique Kidjo, jazz prodigy Jacob Collier, the British high-flyer The Comet Is Coming etc.

New Gospel Revisited is the new album from the fearless and formidable American composer and trumpeter Marquis Hill. A live recording that revisits and reinterprets his debut 2012 album New Gospel, this time round employing a band of super-heavyweight musicians including Walter Smith III, Joel Ross, James Francies, Kendrick Scott and Harish Raghavan. Marquis Hill’s rise over the last few years has been striking and there’s no letting up. Since winning the prestigious Thelonious Monk Institute Jazz Composition award he has demonstrated full command of his art and built a reputation for synthesizing what he describes as the essential elements of the Africa-American creative heritage including contemporary and classic jazz, hip-hop, R&B, house and neo-soul.