TOKYO MOON Jose James Special!

Matsuura: Let’s go back in time. How did you first encounter jazz?

JJ: My very first encounter with jazz was through hip-hop music samples. I listened to artists like Ice Cube, A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, and Beastie Boys from a young age, and I had those samples in my head. I started checking the sources of those samples, wondering, “What is this?” and became captivated by the charm of jazz.



After that, I started listening to jazz radio, discovering Duke Ellington’s “Take the A-train,” Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, and eventually John Coltrane. His song “Equinox” was what definitively drew me into the world of jazz.

At that time, I was only 17, so I took the first step without thinking about whether it was possible to pursue a career as a jazz singer. I might have thought about it more now, but my youth gave me the push.

Matsuura: You travel the world performing live. I imagine you gain inspiration from that. Do you have any future plans?

JJ: I’m very interested in the approach that Corinne Bailey Rae embodies now – something soulful, yet with a singer-songwriter sensibility.

For example, Stevie Wonder, but perhaps a bit quieter, with a more classical touch. Alicia Keys is in that vein but leans more towards pop. For me, it might be something like Nina Simone. I really love “Killing Me Softly,” and I feel drawn to that direction. I don’t know yet if my next recording will go that way, but I’m interested in that musicality.



Finally, in one word, what is music to you?

JJ: In one word, “Universal.” A universal form of expression, a universal way of communication. I believe it conveys fundamental aspects of who we are, who others are, and where we are. Ultimately, it leads to the realization that all human beings are the same.

Even if language doesn’t translate, rhythm and music can be felt as a spirit, and I think that’s what’s important.

Matsuura: Thank you very much.

— To Jose James × Toshio Matsuura Interview (Part 1)