Dianne Reeves once quipped, “Your voice is not your instrument. Your voice is the character that you build, your innermost feelings, the things that you want to say, and your instrument is the vehicle that you use to carry the message.” This beautiful phrase has undoubtedly inspired James Richardson’s passion and energy for creating and performing music that simply connects everyone in the room.

Drawing on his humble beginnings, applying the depth of a life seeped in faith and discovery, James blends and weaves the trials, struggles, and celebrations of our existence into each note, discovering complexities and providing the listener with an escape each time.

As you explore James’ music, listen for the compelling blend of jazz tradition and emotional rapture. James’ gift of music reinterpretation can revive even the dustiest of melodies bringing a new passion and perspective to a familiar song. While listening to his performance, James hopes to deliver a sense of joy, situational clarity, and peacefulness.

James grew up just miles from the aptly named “Motown, USA” Detroit, Michigan. So his appreciation for American Folk, Jazz, Soul, and Rhythm and Blues comes naturally since music was always a part of his life.

In the beginning, James performed with his brother and cousin in local coffee houses throughout Michigan, like The Ark in Ann Arbor. This community would serendipitously allow the paths of James and Neil Woodward, Michigan’s Troubadour, to converge. Neil influenced James’ love for folk music and his quest for storytelling through song. Jazz was the core influence that inspired James to perfect his craft by studying Jazz and Music Theory at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and performing with notable artists including Deborah Brown, Randy Brecker, Chico Pinheiro, and Ben Folds with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.

Combining the art of storytelling with rich instrumental and vocal textures and complex harmony to illustrate the colorfulness of a story has become his trademark arrangement style. Perhaps that’s why Peter Eldridge once described James as “one of those rare people who has it all going on - talent beyond measure, a uniquely compelling vocal sound, [and] an openness and creativity weaving through his singing and songwriting.”

Since relocating to Nashville in 2017, James has discovered a cozy niche of combining different music genres into the free-spiritedness of jazz, folk, and soul, creating a unique sound that has prompted many established artists and groups to collaborate. British composer, Jacob Collier, has lauded James’ arranging style as “inventive and agile” and American voice actor, Gabe Kunda as “fresh ear-candy”. In 2019, James joined Nashville’s cutting-edge contemporary choral group, SONUS, featured alongside Audrey Assad and Dave Barnes at the historic Ryman Auditorium.

Additionally, James is exploring co-writing with Nashville-based writers applying a unique perspective to each song lyric and melody, recognized by the Nashville Industry Music Awards (NIMA) in 2020. One such song is “Kaleidoscope” on his debut album titled Daydreams, a crossroads of Jazz and Americana, released in June 2023.