Saxophonist
Boney James came up in the late '80s backing funky pop and R&B performers like
the Isley Brothers,
Morris Day,
Randy Crawford, and
Teena Marie. These early experiences helped shape his own sound as he moved into soulful, instrumental jazz. It's an approach that helped earn him four Grammy nominations, and one he continues to hone almost three decades into his career on his robust 17th album, 2020's
Solid, which follows 2017's neo-soul-inflected Honestly (his 11th number one Billboard Contemporary Jazz album). Produced by
James,
Solid again finds him crafting a handful of lyrical and groove-based tracks that showcase his burnished tone and infectious sense of rhythm. Particularly engaging are cuts like the title track, "Full Effect," and "Tonic," ebullient and hooky numbers
James co-wrote with guitarist Kendall Gilder while they were on tour for Honestly. No less compelling is the celestial tropicalia of "Luna," as
James spirals harmonically colorful lines against a spacy keyboard and lush backing vocals. He also brings on board vocalist
Kenny Lattimore for the sultry, yearning ballad "Be Here." Both of these songs were co-written by
James and his longtime collaborator writer/producer
Jairus "J-Mo" Mozee. Elsewhere, he draws upon an early-'80s soft-soul vibe for "Just So," evokes synthy '90s New Jack Swing on "Sundance," and settles back into the dusky,
Barry White-esque slow jam "The Bottom Line." Part of what keeps
James' music sounding so vital, and makes him stand out among his smooth jazz peers, is his ability to evoke the grind and sweat of old-school R&B;
Solid has plenty of that to go around. ~ Matt Collar