Bob James

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One of the biggest stars of smooth jazz.

—JazzTimes

At 86 years old, two-time Grammy winner Bob James has enjoyed a tremendously varied career. To some, he’s a hip hop icon because of the samples of his music that played a pivotal role in the foundation of rap; to others, he’s the godfather of smooth jazz.

Since the early 1970s, when he famously ignited his career with producer Creed Taylor’s CTI label, James has forged a reputation as a remarkable musical alchemist. His music erases the boundaries between disparate sonic elements—such as jazz, soul, funk, classical music, and, most recently, hip hop—and transforms them into a unique musical style. Simultaneously classic and contemporary, the Grammy-nominated Jazz Hands (2023) is packed with musical surprises, shifting between lively jazz-funk workouts, soft cinematic soundscapes, bouncy hip hop jams, and stomping disco grooves.