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BOB JAMES TINY DESK CONCERT FEATURING DJ JAZZY JEFF AND TALIB KWELI


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You can watch it here: https://www.npr.org/2024/05/20/1250056328/tiny-desk-concert-bob-james?utm_campaign=later-linkinbio-nprmusic&utm_content=later-43120603&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkin.bio  He starts discussing Hip-Hop (and DJ Jazzy Jeff + Fresh Prince at 14:30).

Tiny Desk Premiere: Bob James

MAY 20, 20245:00 AM ET
 

Headshot of Bobby Carter

Bobby Carter

Bob James' Tiny Desk concert is a manifestation of freedom and collaboration. "I have youth represented here," he says before introducing his band. "I don't have that myself, but I can hire it." The joke is tinged with a certain degree of truth. Still, curiosity and openness fuel his fresh spirit and keep his fanbase wide-ranging. The jazz pianist, composer and producer took his opportunity at the Desk to highlight his iconic discography, spanning over five decades.

Quincy Jones discovered Bob James in the 1960s and signed him to a record deal. He then arranged for other jazz greats like Sarah Vaughan and Grover Washington Jr. before releasing his album One in 1974. That album featured "Feel Like Making Love" and "Nautilus," one of the most sampled records in hip-hop. While James has released dozens of projects with his contemporaries, hip-hop has been the bridge to younger generations.

Before the new, improvised version of "Nautilus" with DJ Jazzy Jeff and Talib Kweli — seriously, they mapped it out and tried it once before we hit record — James played other highlights from his catalog, including "Westchester Lady," "Angela (Theme from Taxi)" and "The Secret Drawer" from his Grammy-nominated album, Jazz Hands.

SET LIST

  • "The Secret Drawer"
  • "Westchester Lady"
  • "Angela (Theme from Taxi)"
  • "Nautilus (feat. DJ Jazzy Jeff and Talib Kweli)"

MUSICIANS

  • Bob James: piano
  • James Adkins: drums
  • Michael Palazzolo: bass
  • Andrey Chmut: saxophone
  • DJ Jazzy Jeff: DJ
  • Talib Kweli: vocals

TINY DESK TEAM

  • Producer: Bobby Carter
  • Director/Editor: Joshua Bryant
  • Audio Technical Director: Neil Tevault
  • Videographers: Joshua Bryant, Kara Frame, Maia Stern, Michael Zamora
  • Audio Engineer: Carleigh Strange
  • Photographer: Elizabeth Gillis
  • Tiny Desk Team:  Ashley Pointer, Hazel Cills
  • Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
  • Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
  • VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins

 

 

Edited by JumpinJack AJ
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Posted (edited)

https://rockthebells.com/articles/dj-jazzy-jeff-and-talib-kweli-join-bob-james-tiny-desk/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1Rao-_wnMAmqehVa0IKAxLcQfCwnvt-bucQCBl4DpRxwF3JcYZU-04uuM_aem_AbIrod5ZkO8HjRWfRjGzntPE0i8fG2GUlxyZib8DOE4aonTM6sevXTKFxSMea2D-C9FFah8eUyWziSXGGNOdCM85

DJ JAZZY JEFF AND TALIB KWELI JOIN BOB JAMES FOR A RENDITION OF 'NAUTILUS' FOR TINY DESK

By Jay Quan

Published Mon, May 20, 2024 at 2:45 PM EDT

DJ Jazzy Jeff and Talib Kweli recently joined legendary Jazz pianist Bob James for a rendition of his heavily sampled classic "Nautilus". Debuting in 1974 on James' debut album, One, "Nautilus" became an instant favorite of Hip-Hop DJ's. It became the backing track for rap records as early as 1983 with Rock Master Scott & The Dynamic Three's "It's Life". In Hip-Hop's sample heavy "Golden Era" Run-DMC, Eric B. & Rakim, Ghostface Killah, King Sun, Onyx and dozens more would sample various portions of the record.

 

In a recent exclusive interview with Rock The Bells, DJ Jazzy Jeff spoke of his musical relationship with Bob James, and shared that he would soon be performing with James for his Tiny Desk Concert. "Bob James actually sued us many years ago for sampling 'Winchester Lady' on 'Here We Go Again'," Jeff shares. "Hip-Hop was new and we were using ****, and people didn't know. During the pandemic, I was forced to shut down and spend a lotta time in the studio and I've never been more creative. During that time I got a call to remix some Bob James classics.

I was excited initially then I thought, Bob James isn't dead. Instead of remixing something, I'd like to do something new with him. So we got on the phone and the first thing he said was 'Is this the DJ Jazzy Jeff that we had an issue with?' We laughed about it, and I explained to him why we sample in Hip-Hop. I explained to him that I was able to produce Jill Scott and Musiq Soulchild because I went down the rabbit hole and discovered who played on his records, and he loved it!"

Edited by JumpinJack AJ
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  • JumpinJack AJ changed the title to BOB JAMES TINY DESK CONCERT FEATURING DJ JAZZY JEFF AND TALIB KWELI

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