What’s cold-blooded mixed with black and white and better than turkey and dressing? Well, if you guessed a Boney James in concert right before Thanksgiving, you’re absolutely right!
As part of his cross-country whirlwind tour, saxophonist Boney James treated the Metroplex to a pre-Thanksgiving Eve treat when he played at Fort Worth’s magnificent Bass Performance Hall on Wednesday night.
Donned in a classic white shirt, black pants and a black brim hat, Boney took the stage for 90 minutes of pure, smooth jazz, complete with an energetic introduction by radio personality Lynn Briggs (107.5 FM The Oasis) and two fabulous, foot-stomping encores to end the evening!
Born James Oppenheim, Boney James’ musical influence and soulful R&B style is largely derived from such legendary artists/musicians as Grover Washington, Jr. and The Isley Brothers. Boney’s latest album is entitled “Pure,” but in this writer’s opinion, it should’ve been called “Better With Time,” which happens to be my favorite song from his new CD. Boney’s evolving sound and stage presence is proof positive that he is, in fact, getting better with time!
Among the “Pure” hits Boney delighted with throughout the course of the night were, “Here She Comes,” “2:01 A.M.,” and “Better With Time.” On the CD, R&B artist Bilal provides the vocals to “Better With Time;” in person, band member Norris Jones delivers an equally stellar performance to the smash hit.
Songs Boney treated us to were his funky rendition of “Ride” (from his 2001 Ride album) and “Grand Central,” which he affectionately named after his hometown, New York. Additional highlights of the evening were Boney’s “saxy” performance of “Bedtime Story,” from his 1999 Body Language album, and “Sweet Thing,” from his 1997 Sweet Thing album. In addition, Boney got “up close and personal” when he descended into the audience and treated a few lucky ladies to a dance. And what holiday concert would be complete without a jam from Boney’s 1996 Christmas album, Boney’s Funky Christmas – hence, “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.”
Now if you don’t already have it, you should definitely go out and get Boney’s latest masterpiece, “Pure.” In addition to producing the CD, Boney co-wrote every song and chose a variety of well-known artists like Joe Sample and Bilal, as well as newcomers like Debi Nova, to mix it up with.
Boney has this to say about Pure: “The great job of Pure is that I made all the decisions about everything. I was always confident in making music, but I was curious too, and a lot of times in the past, I couldn’t address that. . .”
One thing is certain, Boney James served up as the perfect precursor to the holiday season.
Say word.