Twenty-three-year-old pianist James Francies has had a meteoric rise through the music world, playing with such jazz royalty as Pat Metheny, Jeff “Tain” Watts and Terrace Martin, among others, and racking up impressive credits in hip-hop and R&B. Given his talents, it is no wonder that he is now the newest addition to the Blue Note roster and will release Flight, his debut album for the prestigious label, on October 19.
“Dreaming,” the lead single from the album, expresses what Francies writes he wanted to achieve: “I wanted Flight to have its own sonic identity, so I blended electronic-sounding stuff with acoustic playing, without compromising any of the compositions or the soloing.”
Flight is produced by Derrick Hodge and features saxophonist Chris Potter, guitarist Mike Moreno, vibraphonist Joel Ross, bassist Burniss Travis II, drummers Jeremy Dutton and Mike Mitchell, plus guest appearances by vocalists YEBBA, Chris Turner and Kate Kelsey-Sugg.
For more information, visit Francies’ website or check out Blue Note Records online.