Thomas A. Laskin Master Class
James Francies
October 13 at 6:00 PM | Free & open to the public
Join us as we welcome pianist, producer and Blue Note Recording Artist, James Francies, to the in-person Thomas A. Laskin Jazz Master Class in the Helen Bader Recital Hall on Wednesday, October 13!
Called “a pianist with liquid dynamism in his touch” by the New York Times, Francies started on piano around age 4, with classical training and an education in the music of the church. Blessed with perfect pitch and synesthesia (or the ability to hear in colors), he attended his first jazz concert, by Houston-born piano legend Joe Sample, at age 6, and began studying jazz in junior high. Many deep influences followed, some of them surprising.
Along with pianists like Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Mulgrew Miller, Oscar Peterson, Art Tatum and Taylor Eigsti, a longtime friend, Francies points to guitarists Allan Holdsworth and Mike Moreno and such trumpet masters as Nicholas Payton, Freddie Hubbard, Clifford Brown and Lee Morgan. A highly decorated tenure at HSPVA—including spots in the Monterey Jazz Festival’s Next Generation Jazz Orchestra, the Thelonious Monk Institute All-Star Jazz Sextet and the GRAMMY Jazz Session Combo—earned Francies a full scholarship to Manhattan’s New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music.
Watch the official video for James’ single, 713.
Meet James Francies
At only 24, Francies has played with jazz headliners like Pat Metheny, 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 shows with Ms. Lauryn Hill, José James, Common, and NAS, to studio time for Chance the Rapper’s Grammy-winning hit “No Problem”, Mark Ronson , Childish Gambino, YEBBA, and Kodak Black, to appearances with The Roots on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon alongside his mentor and friend Questlove.
Like his Blue Note predecessors Robert Glasper, Jason Moran, Chris Dave and Kendrick Scott, is a proud Houstonite and a graduate of that city’s High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA), one of the nation’s most reliable incubators for era-defining jazz talent. James Francis Blue Note Records debut album Flight, mixes Francies’ jazz mastery and pop experience on 11 engaging tracks.
The Thomas A. Laskin Memorial
Jazz Master Class Series
The Thomas A. Laskin Memorial Master Class Series provides insights on this uniquely American form with some of the best musicians in the country. Past guests include Grammy-winners Eddie Gomez and Brian Lynch, plus dozens of industry pros.