The Roots’ secret weapon is going solo
James Poyser is striking out on his own for the first time in a long time.
Philly’s James Poyser is happily one of the Roots, and he’s in it for life. He played on and produced bits of the local heroes’ 1999 opus Things Fall Apart, which just received a fancy 20th anniversary reissue, and officially joined the band as a full-time keyboardist in 2009.
But being a member of the prolific hip-hop group, who are also the house band on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, doesn’t give him as much time to write, produce, or compose as he did before. And Poyser was pretty good at that, too — he won a Grammy for best R&B song in 2003 for cowriting Erykah Badu and Common’s hit “Love of my Life.”
Poyser is looking to change that, starting Friday, Oct. 4, with a show at World Café Live. Poyser’s first Philly solo date since joining the Roots allows Poyser to curate a night of local live soul and hip-hop (such as &More), as well as jam with old friends, such as one-time Prince bassist MonoNeon, drummer George “Spanky” McCurdy, and Philly saxophonist Jaleel Shaw.
We caught up with Poyser while he took his morning train into Manhattan from his home outside of Philadelphia. “I commute every day because I don’t live in New York — can’t afford that with a family,” he says with a laugh.
Going back to 2009 when you made the decision to join the Roots. What made you seriously consider their offer for full-time membership?
All of those years of working on records, writing and producing, doing a little bit of touring — at that time, everything was changing. The whole music business was turning around. I had settled in for family life. Stability like this would really set me up. It was and still is a great opportunity. I’m around a bunch of guys that are like family, and get along in a job that is fun.
Who wouldn’t want to laugh and play music all day?
Can’t beat that. It’s a blessing. Look, records aren’t selling, so everyone makes their money on the road. I’m on the road every day, but in one place: on TV.
You guys did not get into music to play games and tell jokes, and yet, here you are, on a nightly basis. Is that always comfortable for you?
It is. I’ve grown into that. Besides, the real me is a bit of a jokester. There’s nothing but jokes among musicians, a lot of gallows humor. There’s a lot of laughs to be had with guys you’re that cool with, whether in the studio or on the road. It’s just another side of us. I mean, Black Thought is one of the greatest, most serious rappers of all time.
You could call him stoic.
Yes. But, Tariq is also a funny, funny guy. I would like to say I’m funny too, though I don’t think my family thinks so. We also get to play all sorts of music, playing different genres and idioms every day. It would have been easy to stereotype us as just being a hip-hop band before [The Tonight Show], but, as the world sees, we play all styles of music.
With this 9-to-5, how do you make certain you keep up your collaborating, writing, and producing chops? You’ve worked on records from Adele, Rihanna, Common, and Erykah Badu in the last several years. When do you find time?
I have to. There’s something in my DNA that goes stir crazy if I don’t do other things. No joke, being on the train several hours a day, up and back, gives me leeway. I don’t want to be bored with myself. Actually, when we first started The Tonight Show, I noticed I would get upset with myself if I didn’t get an opportunity to play or write outside the band. I haven’t played in Philly, but, I do jazz quartet gigs in New York City every chance I get.
Are you calling artists with your compositions or are they reaching out to you?
I’m trying to see who is looking for what material. At the same time, I still get approached for certain projects. I’m scoring documentaries. This “job” job allows me to not be super hungry.
But, what about a solo project like 2009’s Love & War, The Rebel Yell?
I have so many new tunes. I should get them on iTunes, stuff with cats that rap and sing, as well as my solo stuff. I want to play more, and this Future X Sounds gig is a way in. I want to do more.
I know you live outside city limits, but, do you get much of a chance to keep up with what is going on with the Philly music scene?
I try to keep in touch with it through my network of friends. But life changes when you get older. Unless I’m out there already playing, once it hits 11, I’m ready to go to sleep.
MUSIC
James Poyser and Friends’ Future x Sounds Philadelphia
8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 4, World Café Live, 3025 Walnut St., $36- $50, worldcafelive.com