The New York Times called pianist, keyboardist, and composer James Francies “a pianist with liquid dynamism in his touch.” The Houston native released his debut CD, Flight ,for the legendary Blue Note Records and was just recently named one of "8 Artists You Should Know” by the genre-bending website Revive Music. Plenty of young musicians show promise, but very few enjoy the sort of meteoric rise that Francies is currently experiencing. At only 23, he’s played with jazz headliners like Pat Metheny, Marcus Miller, Chris Potter, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Stefon Harris, Eric Harland, and Terrace Martin, and racked up equally impressive credits in hip-hop and R&B: from gigs with Ms. Lauryn Hill, José James, Common, and Nas, to studio time for Chance the Rapper’s Grammy-winning hit “No Problem” and Kodak Black, to appearances with The Roots on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon alongside his mentor and friend Questlove. James has a B.M. in Jazz Performance from The New School for Jazz and leads masterclasses around the world. He is endorsed by Yamaha Pianos, Korg Keyboards, and is an IWC Brand Ambassador.