José James Kung Fu Short Film Revenge Of The Dragon Out May 9

Exclusive Pop-Up Screenings To Be Held At Brooklyn’s 651 Arts On May 9 And

The Grammy Museum In Los Angeles On May 12

Watch the official trailer for Revenge of The Dragon: 

https://youtu.be/UrY8-a4xsrE

Pre-Save the album:  

https://www.rainbowblonde.co/revengeofthedragon

April 29, 2025 — Today, José James announces Revenge of The Dragon, a new short film premiering May 9, executive produced by James and Talia Billig. Created as a cinematic companion to his upcoming album 1978: Revenge of the Dragon (out May 16 via Rainbow Blonde Records), the film pays tribute to the cultural landscape of 1978—James’ birth year—when audiences flocked to theaters for kung fu and Blaxploitation double features. Written by James and co-directed with Joseph Digiovanna, the 17-minute short features José and his real-life bandmates—Jharis Yokley, BIGYUKI, Ebban Dorsey, Marcus Machado, Brett Sanders, and Takuya Kuroda—as stylized action heroes battling it out in the woods. The film expands on the album’s themes through a playful, cinematic lens and captures the energy that inspired James’ most adventurous project to date.

The project was born from James’ deep admiration for classic ‘70s kung fu films — especially those from the legendary Shaw Brothers studio — as well as a personal journey into Shaolin Kung Fu and Qi Gong. After being diagnosed with pre-diabetes despite a healthy lifestyle, James began training at a Shaolin Temple in Temple City, CA. Immersed in a disciplined environment where classes were taught almost entirely in Chinese, he found renewed focus, humility, and a spiritual connection to movement. These experiences, combined with the cinematic influence of films like The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, Drunken Master, and Enter the Dragon, provided a new creative lens to explore themes of transformation, self-discipline, and cultural legacy. He also drew meaningful parallels between Shaolin practice and jazz — both grounded in tradition, repetition, and the pursuit of individual voice within form.

James will host exclusive Revenge of The Dragon screenings this spring in New York City and Los Angeles. James will appear in person at each event, with special Rainbow Blonde merchandise available on site.

Tickets are on sale now for the May 9 World Premiere of Revenge of The Dragon at 651 ARTS in Brooklyn, featuring a screening of the film, cast and director Q&A, and a special DJ set by Donwill: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/revenge-of-the-dragon-film-premiere-tickets-1331527638009 

Tickets for the May 12 Reel To Reel screening, Q&A, and performance at The GRAMMY Museum’s Clive Davis Theater in Los Angeles are also available now: https://grammymuseum.org/event/reel-to-reel-1978-revenge-of-the-dragon-with-jose-james

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, drawing inspiration from jazz fusion, kung fu cinema, and classic Blaxploitation soundtracks. The album features four new bold originals, paired alongside bold reinterpretations of late-’70s staples — including Michael Jackson’s “Rock With You,” The Rolling Stones’ “Miss You,” Herbie Hancock’s “I Thought It Was You,” and the Bee Gees’ “Love You Inside Out” — alongside fiery originals. 

James will embark on a global tour in support of the project, with stops including New York’s Blue Note Jazz Club, Cincinnati’s Caffè Vivace, and The Jazz Kitchen in Indianapolis. Festival dates include San Jose Jazz Summer Fest, Love Supreme Festival (UK), and Joy of Jazz (South Africa), as well as a special guest appearance alongside Lionel Richie at Jazzopen Stuttgart in Germany.

For tickets and tour updates, visit josejamesmusic.com.

Revenge of The Dragon Pop-Up Screening Dates

May 9 - Brooklyn, NY @ 651 ARTS

May 12 - Los Angeles, CA @ The GRAMMY Museum

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 

About José James

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.”

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For more information on José James, please contact:

josejamespr@shorefire.com at Shore Fire Media