New York, NY (Top40 Charts) José James returns with a fresh, soulful reimagining of Michael Jackson's '70s disco anthem "Rock With You," featuring Takuya Kuroda—the latest single from his forthcoming album, 1978: Revenge of The Dragon, out May 16, 2025, via Rainbow Blonde Records. The track rekindles James' longtime creative partnership with Kuroda, a Japanese-born, Brooklyn-based trumpeter and composer who has been collaborating with James for over a decade.
Their musical journey began with "Promise in Love" from James' sophomore album, Blackmagic, and has since spanned multiple projects, including No Beginning No End, James' fourth album, and Kuroda's Blue Note debut, Rising Son (2014)—produced by James. Their "seminal iteration" (Hypebeast) of Roy Ayers' "Everybody Loves The Sunshine" became a streaming-era favorite, amassing over 50 million streams to date.
With James' signature velvety vocals, deep grooves, and Kuroda's expressive trumpet, the duo breathes new life into "Rock With You," embracing its romantic, carefree essence. The result is a lush, rhythmic fusion of jazz and disco—honoring the original while feeling undeniably modern.
James shares, "Working with Takuya Kuroda is always electric—he's one of the most versatile and soulful trumpet players on the planet. Roy Hargrove first introduced me to his genius, and we've been making magic together since 2010. 'Rock With You' is our classic vibe—jazz meets soul with that Tokyo-NYC bounce. We had to bring the heat for this one. The fans have been asking, and we're finally delivering!"
Recorded live to tape in a single take at Dreamland Studios—a restored 19th-century church near Woodstock, NY—1978: Revenge of The Dragon captures the rebellious underground spirit of the late '70s. While its predecessor, 1978 (2024), channeled the glitzy disco energy of Studio 54, this new album embodies the raw, countercultural edge of the Mudd Club, drawing inspiration from jazz fusion, kung fu cinema, and Blaxploitation films.
The album blends original compositions with bold reinterpretations of classics, including Herbie Hancock's "I Thought It Was You," The Rolling Stones' "Miss You," and the Bee Gees' "Love You Inside Out."
An all-star ensemble brings the music to life: Taali (vocals), BIGYUKI (keys & analog synths), Jharis Yokley (drums), and a powerhouse brass section featuring Takuya Kuroda (trumpet), Ebban Dorsey (alto sax), and Ben Wendel (tenor sax). Bass duties are split between David Ginyard (Blood Orange, Terence Blanchard) and Kyle Miles (Meshell Ndegeocello, Nick Hakim).
To celebrate the release, James will embark on a global tour this year, giving fans the chance to experience Revenge of The Dragon live. His scheduled stops include New York City's Blue Note Jazz Club, Cincinnati's Caffè Vivace, and The Jazz Kitchen in Indianapolis, along with festival performances at San Jose Jazz Summer Fest, Love Supreme Festival (Glynde, UK), and Joy of Jazz in Sandton, South Africa, among others. Additionally, he will join Lionel Richie as a special guest at Germany's Jazzopen Stuttgart. For tickets and the latest updates, visit www.josejamesmusic.com.
1978: Revenge of The Dragon Track Listing
1. Tokyo Daydream (feat. Taali)
2. Rock With You (feat. Takuya Kuroda)
3. Rise Of The Tiger
4. They Sleep, We Grind (for Badu)
5. I Thought It Was You (feat. Ebban Dorsey)
6. Miss You
7. Inside And Out (feat. Ben Wendel)
8. Last Call At The Mudd Club
José James 2025 Tour Dates:
May 15 - Cincinnati, OH @ Caffe Vivaci (2 shows)
May 16 - Indianapolis, IN @ Jazz Kitchen (2 shows)
May 17 - Indianapolis, IN @ Jazz Kitchen (2 shows)
May 19 - New York, NY @ Blue Note Jazz Club (2 shows)
May 20 - New York, NY @ Blue Note Jazz Club (2 shows)
May 21 - New York, NY @ Blue Note Jazz Club (2 shows)
May 22 - New York, NY @ Blue Note Jazz Club (2 shows)
June 5 - Truro, MA @ Payomet Performing Arts Center
June 8 - Columbia, MD @ Capital Jazz Festival
June 14 - Santa Teresa, Brazil @ Bossa & Jazz Festival
June 16 - São Paulo, Brazil @ Blue Note
June 20 - Rio Das Ostras, Brazil @ Jazz & Blues Festival
June 21 - Rio Das Ostras, Brazil @ Jazz & Blues Festival
June 27 - Apen, CO @ Jazz Aspen Snowmass
July 6 - Glynde, United Kingdom @ Love Supreme Festival
July 9 - Rome, Italy @ Casa del Jazz
July 10 - Gent, Belgium @ Gent Jazz
July 13 - Stuttgart, Germany @ Lionel Richie at Jazzopen Festival
July 14 - Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Paradiso
August 8-10 - San Jose, CA @ San Jose Jazz Summer Fest September 26 - Sandton, South Africa @ Joy of Jazz
José James is both conductor and conduit. Across 17 years as a singer, songwriter, bandleader, and producer — not to mention co-head of the fearless Rainbow Blonde Records since 2018 — he's dived deep, over and over again, into genres, eras, scenes, and songbooks, exploring with the verve of a reverent musicologist, and then churning it all up with the confidence of a master practitioner. Blessed with a silken baritone that sounds classic against any backdrop, James first turned heads on his 2008 debut The Dreamer by subtly swirling contemporary jazz with hip-hop instrumentation. As it turned out, mixing those two fluid, frenetic, and frequently time-travelling strains set off a deeply soulful discography that knows no bounds. There was his stunning Blue Note breakthrough No Beginning No End (2013), recorded with fellow genre upsetters like Pino Palladino and Robert Glasper. There was an album of standards, For All We Know (2010); the rock-addled While You Were Sleeping (2014); and that time he ditched the bands and became a modern R&B star for Love in a Time of Madness (2017). He's also taken a Method approach to covers projects — even matching his wardrobe to his subjects' worlds — like 2015's Yesterday I Had the Blues (Billie Holiday), 2018's Lean On Me (Bill Withers), and 2023's On & On (Erykah Badu). He's released dynamic live LPs, a Christmas set, and a four-album series inspired by hooky, funky, disco-dipped songcraft of the '70s, culminating in his latest, 1978: Revenge of the Dragon (2025). That last one is as immediate, unpredictable, and vibrant as anything James has made, affirming the mantra in the lead single's title: "They Sleep, We Grind."
