1978: Revenge Of The Dragon

Jose James returns to his birth year for inspiration, crafting a follow-up to 1978 that further celebrates the multicultural pluralism of the era. At a glance, 1978: Revenge of the Dragon seems destined to suffer the same fate as most sequels. The basic concept is the same, and where 1978 was all-original, this is half-interpretive -- four of the eight songs were either first recorded or released in 78 -- indicating a shortage of ideas. However, its far from a rehash. A bit of new wave pluck and rock swagger are added to the gumbo of soul, jazz-funk, and disco. The feeling is all about romance, seduction, and joy, with nonstop feel-good energy no doubt fostered by an accompanying kung fu flick James and his band filmed daily before entering the studio. Additionally, the lineup here is a bit different. Instead of strings, there are sparingly deployed horn players: Ebban Dorsey and Ben Wendel respectively on alto and tenor sax, and Takuya Kuroda on trumpet. David Ginyard shares bass duty with Kyle Miles this time, and BIGYUKI is on keyboards and synthesizers. Altogether, the grooves, anchored again by Jharis Yokleys drums, are tougher. The covers mingle with the originals. "I Thought It Was You" doesnt glide and go off like Herbie Hancocks original (or the Kimiko Kasai version produced by Hancock), but James velvet baritone is at its understated finest, and Dorseys solo takes unexpected and pleasing turns. The Rolling Stones "Miss You" turns up the funk with a heavier groove signifying gnawing hunger; James, on the prowl, sounds as if hes under the influence of the Ohio Players Sugarfoot rather than Mick Jagger. "Rock with You," claimed by Michael Jackson after Rod Temperton had the song rejected by Heatwave, is done in a mellow, Soulquarians-like style with James tickling the ears over a meaty rhythm. The Soulquarian element is also in effect on one of the new songs, "They Sleep, We Grind (For Badu)," delightfully wonky and motivational hip-hop in slow motion. "Rise of the Tiger," another impelling number with James in total command of his wide range, utilizes some menacing low end. The opening and closing songs -- the breezy "Tokyo Daydream" (with nods to Marvin Gaye) and sweetly driving "Last Call at the Mudd Club" (chock-full of Steve Wonder references) -- are also uptempo winners. All in all, this is every bit the equal of the preceding LP in terms of fresh creativity and appeal. ~ Andy Kellman