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.
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.com
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
