Black Music Month: James Poyser Part 1

Black Music Month: James Poyser Part 1 | Questlove Supreme

Рет қаралды 3,993

3 ай бұрын

Questlove Supreme's Black Music Month programming continues with a special interview with James Poyser. In Part 1, the incredible musician, producer, and member of The Roots retraces his steps from an English-born child of Jamaican parents to West Philadelphia. He also recalls cutting his teeth in Gospel music before ultimately getting down with DJ Jazzy Jeff's A Touch Of Jazz production team. Along the way, James remembers meeting Ahmir and making a line-skipping series of cameos on The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air.
0:00 Questlove Supreme rollcall with James Poyser
2:00 Small talk and catch-up; James Poyser was born in England to Jamaican parents and he grew up in West Philadelphia
10:00 James Poyser grew up in the church, and it informed his musical sensibilities - including time at drums and bass guitar
13:00 - James Poyser speaks about his West Philly upbringing
18:30 - As a child of immigrants, James Poyser chose music when his parents wanted him to become an engineer. Poyser even went to college at Drexel University to become an engineer
20:00 - James Poyser reflects on his days learning instruments and getting comfortable and confident as a musician - including his evolution into piano
23:30 - James Poyser recalls the competition among musicians in the Philly church circuit
32:00 - James Poyser worked retail at the onset of his music career, before getting down with DJ Jazzy Jeff's A Touch Of Jazz and Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff's Philadelphia International Records
36:00 - James Poyser illustrates a week in the life of a working Gospel musician in the late 1980s or early 1990s
39:00 - James Poyser recalls a pre-fame Mark Morrison
41:30 - James Poyser and Team Supreme speak about Philadelphia musician Vikter Duplaix aka Grandmaster Vik
45:50 - James Poyser began working with DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince around the time of the ...In This Corner album. He also made cameo appearances on The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air
48:30 - James Poyser on working at Philadelphia International Records, and collaborating with some of the Philly legends
51:30 - James Poyser recalls writing Gospel songs, and he and Phonte also recall collaborating on Little Brother's Minstrel Show album
55:00 - James and Phonte pay one another compliments
56:00 - The end of Part 1
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Пікірлер: 31

@yameenallworld8692 3 ай бұрын

I love this guy. He’s always been ahead of the game. His talents are immeasurable. A true G.

@QLSProducer 3 ай бұрын

AGREED

@pervertedalchemist9944 3 ай бұрын

James Poyser is the Daryl Simmons of The Soulquarians. Remember how L.A. Reid and Babyface referred to Daryl as the Silent Partner due to his heavy involvement in writing, production and being a session musician for them? That's James in a nutshell. Dude has done quite a bit, yet his name is rarely mentioned - even inside the music industry.

@elijahchislom4649 3 ай бұрын

Great take

@QLSProducer 3 ай бұрын

Astute observation. Wow.

@johnwilliams4591 3 ай бұрын

As a music nerd who read the album linear notes. A touch of jazz productions is where I became familiar with him. I remember Tye Tribbett’s first album James EP it.

@QLSProducer 3 ай бұрын

@@johnwilliams4591 word...

@csharp57 3 ай бұрын

I can relate to James because I was brought up the very same way. Those church times he’s reflecting on produced some amazing musicians. Some of us didn’t get paid until years down the line. Some others never got paid (left the church, got married, became preachers, no longer with us) but boy did we have a blast. Great interview so far.

@QLSProducer 3 ай бұрын

Thank you for the compliment, and letting us know you can relate. That is heavy.

@esseen100 2 ай бұрын

I'll never forget almost coming off of a plane from Bahia Brazil to an Omar concert in Philly, and seeing a lot of people in the house but specifically James Poyser. The whole time I was in Brazil we were pumping World Wide Underground and I knew that he was on it. I basically ran down on James and said, " Yo man y'all killed it, you killed it! Everyone I played the album for is loving it man y'all really did work. It's reminiscent of the type of collaboration that the Sade band has,..yadda yadda yadda..." James was very polite and said thank you. And then I thought to myself "Well I've praised him enough, I better leave him alone."😊 And later on that night from across the room I saw James looking at me like," Who the hell was that dude?"🤣😂🤣😂 Btw, wasn't it Cut Master Vic?🤔

@QuestloveSupreme Ай бұрын

James Poyser: a true gentleman

@kennygsmooth83 2 ай бұрын

Very interesting to hear Poyser's journey. He seems to be extremely down to earth. I can relate to the church upbringing as I'm a church musician myself. I will say that the overplaying gets old quick for me. Less is more (so I'd love Quest as a drummer to play with 😁) and we're not there to be showmen because our gifts become pretty vain at that point. Anyway, good interview guys👌🏾

@QuestloveSupreme 2 ай бұрын

Thank you! Ain't James cool!!?? We think so too...

@yameenallworld8692 3 ай бұрын

Steve is hilarious at the end about James😂

@QLSProducer 3 ай бұрын

Suga Steve always bringing the humor hammer