We here in the AB will have just barely recovered from the impressive project ‘Facing East: The Music Of John Coltrane’ (with Jef Neve) when José James – still jazz's vocal hope – arrives again in early 2010 with a new feat: ‘Black Magic’ (release via Brownswood Recordings). ‘Black Magic’ will be the successor to the impressive debut ‘The Dreamer’ released in ’07, which was loaded with superlatives. Don't expect careless copy/paste work, because on ‘Black Magic’ José James extends his limits once again and flirts with the entire underground dance happening. So it was that he worked with the likes of Japanese hip-hop dj/producer DJ Mitsu, Moodyman and also Warp-act Flying Lotus and he effortlessly reworked Benga's dubstep classic ‘Warrior’ in his own idiosyncratic manner. Basically: José James is a man after our own heart. Might he be able to make his hat-trick in 2010, following the AB-highlights of ’08 (as opener to Joan As Police Woman) and’09 (with his Coltrane project)? We're certainly placing big bets.