Sax player Boney James to bring jazz-flavored R&B to Southern Theatre on Aug. 2
Belinda M. Paschal
Grammy-nominated saxophonist, songwriter and producer Boney James, who has played in Columbus numerous times, including as a headliner at the 2022 Columbus Jazz & Rib Fest, is to jazz up the Southern Theatre on Aug. 2.
Tickets, which start at $54, went on sale April 26, and can be purchased at the CBUSArts Ticket Center at the Ohio Theatre, 39 E. State St., by phone at 614-469-0939 or online at capa.com or cbusarts.com.
James began playing clarinet at age 8, switching to sax when he was 10, and was influenced by the Motown genre and saxophonist Grover Washington Jr. in his early teens. He later earned a degree in history from UCLA but began playing music full-time after graduation.
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Turning pro before his 20th birthday, James was an in-demand touring sax and keyboard player for many R&B and jazz artists, including Morris Day, The Isley Brothers, Bobby Caldwell, Randy Crawford and Teena Marie.
Yearning to play his own music, he launched his solo career with 1992's "Trust" on the independent label Spindletop Records. Since then, James has released 17 more albums, a dozen of which reached No. 1 on Billboard’s contemporary jazz album charts.
Born James Oppenheimer, the musician was nicknamed by bandmates while touring in Norway after jokingly threatening to starve himself on a meager per diem.
James and his band are touring in support of his latest album, "Detour," largely recorded at his home studio in L.A. and offering up the 62-year-old musician's trademark blend of blues, soul, classical, roots and hip-hop.