slow burn: noun, informal
A feeling that grows with a slow but deliberate intensity.
For saxophonist and composer Boney James, these words perfectly describe the music he has crafted for his new Concord Records album, Slow Burn, released on October 18, 2024.
“When I mentioned that phrase to people as a possible title, they said, “That also refers to your whole career in a way” James says with a laugh. “This is my 19th record and I feel like I’m just hitting my stride.”
Slow Burn is a new high point in a remarkable career that now spans more than three decades and includes a long list of accolades; four GRAMMY nominations, three NAACP Image Award nominations, a Soul Train Award for Best Jazz Album and four RIAA Gold Record certifications. In 2009, Billboard named James one of the Top 3 Contemporary Jazz Artists of the decade. In 2024 year Boney became the first ever artist to score 20 number one singles on the Billboard Smooth Jazz chart.
But Boney James has never been one to look backwards and Slow Burn, which the artist produced, marks several firsts. Beginning with the album’s opening track, ‘Arcadia.’ The very first notes on the album are the acoustic bass playing of the legendary Marcus Miller. It’s one of the few times that Miller, known for his electric bass guitar work, has committed his standup bass playing to a recording and the first time that James has incorporated an upright bass into his own music.
Next is James’ intriguing interpretation of the classic ‘Butterfly.’ Co-written by master keyboardist Herbie Hancock and Bennie Maupin, the track features Marcus Miller again as well as young lion Cory Henry’s inspired electric piano. “This beautiful melody got stuck in my head” explains James. “I have never covered a tune by a legend like Herbie before and I hope we did him justice.”
The title track, ‘Slow Burn,’ is one of four tunes on the album that James co-wrote and co- produced with multi-instrumentalist Jairus Mozee (known for his work with Anderson Paak, Anthony Hamilton and Nikki Minaj etc.).
Another prominent guest artist, rising-star R&B vocalist October London, best known for his 2023 hit The Rebirth Of Marvin is featured on the first single from the album, ‘All I Want Is You.’ Says James, “It’s one of the most exciting vocal collaborations I’ve ever recorded.”
The funky ‘Slide’ features Boney on tenor saxophone and keyboards, backed by all the member of his crack touring band. “This song has a little Minneapolis feel,” says James. “I got my start as a professional musician touring with Morris Day, but this is the first time I’ve copped this groove.”
The Slow Burn continues with ‘A Little Romance,’ which James calls “a very heartfelt performance from the saxophone; it’s romantic, hence the name.”
Both ‘Gonna Have a Good Time’ and ‘The Bounce’ keep the mood upbeat. Says James about the latter, “When I listen to it, I start doing this little bounce. It just puts a big smile on my face.”
The penultimate track on Slow Burn is ‘Between the Lines,’ followed by a grooving take on saxophonist Stanley Turrentine’s ‘Sugar,’ featuring longtime friend and collaborator Rick Braun on trumpet. “I’ve always loved this song. It was a really fun and special way to pay homage to Stanley Turrentine, who was a definite influence on me,” says James.
Slow Burn follows two of the most successful albums of James’ career, 2020’s Solid and 2022’s Detour which debuted in the Top 10 on the Billboard Pop Albums Chart.
James is, of course, thrilled that his music continues to reach new audiences more than thirty years after he released his debut album, Trust, in 1992. “It’s always been my goal to be one of those guys that would just keep doing it at a high level,” he says, “and to have that connection with the audience.”
That’s what it’s always been about for Boney James. Growing up in New Rochelle, New York, James played clarinet in his school band, but two years later, he says, “The teacher needed a sax player. As soon as I switched, playing it became my favorite thing to do.”
By the time he entered his teens, James was already gigging with bands, and he turned pro at 19. After years of paying his dues with artists like The Isley Brothers, Teena Marie and many more, Boney cut his first album on an independent label, which led immediately to a major label deal and a string of increasingly successful recordings and nonstop touring.
Now, James says, “I wake up each day and try to play a little better. To quote the cellist Pablo Casals ‘I think I’m making progress.’ I am really proud of my playing on this new record. And I absolutely love the songs and the sound I achieved.”
Some might say it has a Slow Burn: a deliberate intensity.