[youtube id=”rwEXu3oo-xg”] [youtube id=”x80tq7lTlc4″] José James has two new videos for his ongoing tribute to Bill Withers with covers of “Hope She’ll Be Happier” and “The Same Love That Made Me Laugh.” It is the third song by Withers that James has covered following the premiere of “Better Off Dead” last month. The Lean On Me: José James Celebrates Bill Withers tour will begin January 11th in New York City. The band that appears in each video will be the same one to accompany James on tour. Don Was, president of Blue Note, connected James to Bill Withers after James asked for his opinion on doing a Withers tribute tour. He had lunch with his idol who gave the tour his blessing. James told Billboard,
“He’s the only artist I’ve met who has no time for flattery or compliments. He’s one of the greatest songwriters of all time; his influence on modern American music is massive. He’s seen it all but stays really humble and true to the music.â€
In February James will celebrate the 10-year anniversary of his debut album The Dreamer with a four-night run at the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York City.
