José James Announces New Album 1978: Revenge Of The Dragon

First Single “They Sleep, We Grind (For Badu)” Arrives Today

Single Artwork

Photo Credit: Janette Beckman

Pre-Save 1978: Revenge of The Dragon:  https://www.rainbowblonde.co/revengeofthedragon

Listen to “They Sleep, We Grind (for Badu)”: https://www.rainbowblonde.co/theysleepwegrind

February 21, 2025 – José James, the genre-blurring jazz artist, announces his new album, 1978: Revenge of The Dragon, out May 16, 2025, via Rainbow Blonde Records. Recorded live to tape in one take at Dreamland Studios—a restored 19th-century church near Woodstock, NY—the album fuses the raw energy of punk with jazz, soul, and funk. While James’ latest LP, 1978 (released last year), captured the glitz of Studio 54, Revenge of The Dragon embodies the gritty, underground spirit of downtown’s Mudd Club, drawing inspiration from jazz fusion, kung fu cinema, and Blaxploitation films. The album features a mix of four originals and four reimagined classics, including The Rolling Stones’ “Miss You,” Herbie Hancock’s “I Thought It Was You,” the Bee Gees’ “Love You Inside Out,” and Michael Jackson’s “Rock With You.”

Arriving alongside the announcement, he drops the single and video for “They Sleep, We Grind (for Badu),” a hypnotic groove steeped in dub, funk, and sampledelia. Co-directed by José James and Joseph Digiovanna, the video is a tribute to classic 1970s Shaolin kung fu films, with James starring as Twin Tiger, a martial artist battling a series of foes—played by his bandmates Jharis Yokley, Ebban Dorsey, Marcus Machado, Brett Sanders, and Takuya Kuroda—in an action-packed woodland showdown. Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-g0-vFI_Edc

Blending deep basslines with raw percussion, “They Sleep, We Grind (for Badu)” delivers a mesmerizing rhythm, anchored by its mantra-like hook: “They sleep, we grind / Man, f--- your nine to five.” James delivers an artist’s rallying cry, weaving lyrical nods to Bob Marley and Nas while channeling influences ranging from George Clinton and J Dilla to the ethereal mysticism of Erykah Badu, whom he recently honored with through his On & On album.

“‘They Sleep, We Grind (for Badu)’ is my tribute to the iconic kung fu cinematography of late 1970s filmmakers like Yuen Woo-ping, Chang Cheh, and Lau Kar-leung, along with the legendary work of the Shaw Brothers and Golden Harvest studios,” José James shares. “It’s also a tribute to musician and fashion icon Erykah Badu, one of the greatest living artists of our time. The phrase ‘They Sleep, We Grind’ is something that she posts a lot on social media and it inspired the song—along with her amazing martial arts and boxing videos. She has a killer right cross!”

Featuring José James and Taali on vocals, 1978: Revenge of The Dragon brings together a powerhouse ensemble. BIGYUKI commands the keys and analog synth, while Jharis Yokley drives the rhythm on drums. Bass duties are split between David Ginyard (Blood Orange, Terence Blanchard) and Kyle Miles (Meshell Ndegeocello, Nick Hakim). The all-star brass section includes trumpeter Takuya Kuroda, rising alto saxophonist Ebban Dorsey, and the versatile Ben Wendel on tenor sax.

This spring, James embarks on a U.S. tour, bringing his electrifying live show to cities across the country. Fans can catch previews of Revenge of The Dragon at upcoming shows in Washington, D.C. (Coolidge Auditorium, Library of Congress), Cincinnati (Caffè Vivace), Indianapolis (The Jazz Kitchen), New York City (Blue Note Jazz Club), and Truro, MA (Payomet Performing Arts Center), with more dates to be announced soon. For tickets and the most up-to-date information please visit www.josejamesmusic.co

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 US Tour Dates

Feb 28 – Washington D.C. - Coolidge Auditorium @ Library of Congress

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 6 – Truro, MA @ Payomet Performing Arts Center

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.”

Photo Credit: Janette Beckman  JOSÉ JAMES ON SOCIAL MEDIA Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter / X | YouTube