May 26, 2026 11:08 AM
Sonny Rollins Passes Away at 95
Sonny Rollins, the iconic saxophonist, composer and improviser whose career stretched from the origins of bebop to 21st…
James Francies is among the 25 artists DownBeat thinks will help shape jazz in the decades to come.
(Photo: Jati Lindsay)With Flight, his spirited debut album released by Blue Note in 2018, pianist James Francies avoided musical predictability with a compelling convergence of sounds and storytelling. The opening track, “Leaps,” begins with a classical piano feel tinted by gospel before erupting with keyboard/guitar unison lines. The program offers appealing eclecticism—straight-up lyrical beauties, r&b flavors and three divergent vocal tracks—which is precisely what the Houston native wanted his first album to do.
“I was coming from my own place by doing my own little thing,” the 25-year-old said from his home in New York’s Chelsea neighborhood.
Francies noted that he titled the Derrick Hodge-produced Flight for a reason. “Think of the Wright Brothers and how everyone called them crazy for thinking you could put a human in the air,” he said, laughing.
“It’s all about defying the odds. That is me. Some people think their first album should be straightahead, where you have to play ‘Giant Steps’ and a bunch of standards, you have to check off what you need to do, and then play a bunch of notes. But the big picture for me was to show myself as an artist and to express how diverse I can be—acoustically and electrically.”
He has became a highly sought-after collaborator, working with vibraphonist Stefon Harris, singer José James and drummer Questlove, as well as touring with Pat Metheny’s band Side-Eye during the past two years.
Francies laughed as he explained how he first met the iconic guitarist. “I got up the courage to introduce myself to [Metheny] on an airport tarmac,” he recalled. “I told him I was a huge fan and that his music had inspired me. And Pat replied, ‘I know who you are. I’ve been watching your videos since you were in high school. Stop over my house and let’s play.’”
Francies proudly recognizes that he is part of the next generation of significant alumni from Houston’s High School for the Performing Arts and Visual Arts, following in the footsteps of keyboardists Robert Glasper and Jason Moran. “I have big shoes to fill,” he said. “Houston is the city that has a hybrid of musicians whose music can’t be categorized. They just play music from their personalities. Jazz needs more people who are being themselves and not being shaped into what came before.” DB
This story originally was published in the November 2020 issue of DownBeat. Subscribe here.
Onstage, Rollins would move about restlessly, thrusting his tenor sax in the air as he blew.
May 26, 2026 11:08 AM
Sonny Rollins, the iconic saxophonist, composer and improviser whose career stretched from the origins of bebop to 21st…
“We thought it’s important that Ronin has a new statement,” said Nik Bärtsch of his band’s latest album, Spin. “The sound is differently produced, so it reflects more of who we are.”
Apr 21, 2026 10:00 AM
Nik Bärtsch cuts an imposing figure on stage. He’s unmistakable with his soul patch, shaven head and black attire.…
Dave King (left) and Reid Anderson offer insights into why The Bad Plus’ chemistry was cool, the accomplishments many and its longevity so fruitful.
May 12, 2026 11:42 AM
The scene still sticks with me. I had heard the oddball name of this new group being dropped around town, and…
Ava Preston, a 12-time DownBeat Student Music Award winner, is currently pursuing her master’s degree in jazz voice at Juilliard.
May 12, 2026 10:00 AM
Ava Preston, from Cleveland, Ohio, was named the winner of the ninth annual Ella Fitzgerald Jazz Vocal Competition on…
How best to mark Miles Davis’ centennial? By allowing the stories to flow, and cross-discussions to happen.
May 26, 2026 10:40 AM
Editor’s Note: The iconic trumpeter, composer and bandleader Miles Davis would have turned 100 today (May 26, 2026).…
