Boney James

Boney James picked up the saxophone at age 10 after a teacher asked him to swap instruments because there were too many clarinets in the school band. ∙ When he was 19, he began gigging around L.A. with his fusion band Line One, opening for such jazz artists as Yellowjackets. ∙ He got his first big break when he nailed a 1985 audition to become keyboardist (and eventual saxophonist) for Morris Day’s backing band. ∙ The nickname “Boney” was given to him during a tour with Randy Crawford, after James joked that he was going to save money on the road by not eating. ∙ He’s been nominated for Grammy and NAACP Image Awards, and he won a Soul Train Award for his 1997 album, Sweet Thing. ∙ James doesn’t sing, but he has recorded with guest vocalists Al Jarreau, Angie Stone, Anthony Hamilton, and Mario. ∙ Eleven of his studio albums have hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Jazz Albums Chart.