Album review: Jose James, No Beginning No End (Blue Note)

Sunday 27 January 2013 01:00 GMT

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The danger with US jazz-meets-R&B singer James is that he can sound like D'Angelo-lite.

Whether this Blue Note debut featuring Robert Glasper is better than his two albums with Brownswood is moot, but the best tracks – "Trouble", "Heaven on the Ground", "Do You Feel" – are very good indeed. A strong UK contingent includes bass from Pino Palladino, broken-beat drumming from Richard Spaven and strings by Jules Buckley on the Nick Drake-influenced "Tomorrow".

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Album review: Jose James, No Beginning No End (Blue Note)

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