Boney James, the multi-platinum jazz saxophonist, has released "I Belong To You," a collaborative single with the Grammy-winning R&B singer Ledisi, YouKnowIGotSoul reported on August 12. The song is a mid-tempo groove built around James's saxophone lines and Ledisi's vocal, which the outlet describes as bridging contemporary jazz and classic soul.
SoulTracks, in a review two days later, called James one of contemporary jazz's most in-demand R&B collaborators, pointing to past pairings with Stokley, Avery*Sunshine, Kenny Lattimore, Lalah Hathaway and October London that have earned him airplay on R&B radio in a segmented market.
The site said "I Belong To You" plays to Ledisi's strength as a singer who fuses jazz-inflected phrasing into a soulful ballad, describing the song as "a romantic monologue" about giving herself to a partner, with James's saxophone acting as a call-and-response voice alongside her.
The single is a preview of James's coming album, A Simple Man, which SoulTracks reported is set for an early October release. YouKnowIGotSoul framed the pairing as a meeting of two of the more consistent names in jazz and R&B and soul, aimed at adult contemporary and smooth jazz radio.
"I Belong To You" is available now on Spotify, Apple Music and other streaming platforms, ahead of the full album's release, now marked on the release calendar.
The facts
- The single is called I Belong To You
- Ledisi features on the track
- Boney James is a jazz saxophonist who has also recorded with Stokley, Kenny Lattimore and Lalah Hathaway
- Ledisi has won a Grammy
- The single previews his coming album A Simple Man, set for early October
How this checks out
Developing
Reported by 2 independent outlets
A few outlets have it so far, short of the bar we set for confirmed.
Cited sources 2
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