Contact (Boney James album)
Contact is the thirteenth studio album by jazz saxophonist Boney James, released in 2011.[1][2]
| Contact | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 29, 2011 | |||
| Recorded | 2010 | |||
| Genre | Smooth jazz | |||
| Length | 48:15 | |||
| Label | Verve | |||
| Producer | Boney James | |||
| Boney James chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background and recording
James was part way through the recording of the album in 2010 when he was rear-ended by a drunk driver while sitting in traffic, suffering a fractured jaw, facial cuts, and losing two teeth.[1] He was unable to play sax for six weeks as a result, and used this time to focus on writing for the album.[1][3]
Of the album's title, James stated "Some of these songs had more of an energy even as I was starting, which is the first reason why I called it Contact. I thought of an airplane propeller being spun around."[3]
The album features vocals from LeToya Luckett (on "When I Had the Chance"), Mario (on "That Look on Your Face"), Heather Headley (on "I'm Waiting"), and Donell Jones (on "Close to You").[2] It also features Dean Parks on guitar, and Mark Stephens on piano.[2]
Two singles were taken from the album, "Contact" and "When I Had the Chance".[1]
Reception and chart performance
Contact received positive reviews from JazzTimes and Allmusic (Thom Jurek calling it "a bright spot in James' catalog").[2][4]
The album reached no. 1 on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart, and no. 53 on the Billboard 200.[5][6]
Contact was nominated for Best Contemporary Jazz Album at the Soul Train Awards.[7]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Contact" | Boney James, Johnny Britt | 3:51 |
| 2. | "Close to You" | James, Tim Carmon, Rex Rideout | 4:15 |
| 3. | "Spin" | James, Carmon | 4:20 |
| 4. | "When I Had the Chance" | James, Carmon, Lily Mariye | 4:06 |
| 5. | "Cry" | James, Mark Stephens | 4:09 |
| 6. | "That Look on Your Face" | James, Jon B. | 4:48 |
| 7. | "Deep Time" | James, Britt, Freddie Washington | 4:57 |
| 8. | "I'm Waiting" | James, Carmon, Mariye, Rideout | 4:13 |
| 9. | "There and Back" | James, Stephens | 5:10 |
| 10. | "Everything Matters" | James, Leon Bisquera | 5:00 |
References
- Mitchell, Gail (March 28, 2011). "Boney James: Contact Sport". Billboard. Retrieved February 9, 2018.
- Soergel, Brian (September 6, 2011). "Boney James: Contact". JazzTimes. Retrieved February 9, 2018.
- Jordan, Mark (2011) "Life's sweeter for James, his music", The Commercial Appeal, December 2, 2011.
- Jurek, Thom "Contact Review", Allmusic. Retrieved February 9, 2018
- "Boney James Chart History: Jazz Albums", billboard.com. Retrieved February 9, 2018
- "Boney James Chart History: Top Album Sales", billboard.com. Retrieved February 9, 2018
- Webb, Genea L. (2013) "Boney James: Making Good Music His Life's Work", New Pittsburgh Courier, May 1, 2013.