Boney James likes his music to tell stories

For saxophonist Boney James, the songs never remain the same. Mr. James, who will headline the Jazzfest 2009 concert Saturday at Bell Auditorium, got his start as a session man, lending his distinctive sax sound to tracks by Morris Day, the Isley Brothers and Ray Parker Jr.

He said his sound, which combines elements of R&B and jazz, stems from those sessions and an early interest in jazz giants such as Grover Washington Jr. He said what both styles share is the ability for each song to tell its own story.

"I don't like monotonous records," he said during a recent telephone interview. "And it's important to me that I make a record I love. Each song needs to tell that story, just as the record, as a whole, will have its own story to tell."

Mr. James' most recent release is Send One Your Love , a collection of covers of songs by the likes of Stevie Wonder, the Stylistics and Barry White, and originals compiled with a little lights-low lovin' in mind.

"There's just this huge repertoire of soulful, sexy love songs," he said. "And my style of playing, and the sax, made doing these kinds of songs seem really appropriate."

Mr. James said that it was important to him that the songs, particularly the songs by other artists, communicate his sense of style, rhythm and melody. He said it made recording the record difficult.

"It took almost a year," he said. "Music is hard, and sometimes it doesn't go so well. So success, for me, was finding a way through those things. It was having something that I made, and loved."

As difficult as the recording process was, Mr. James said the reward has been taking the tunes out on the road. He said he finds incredible joy in discovering new sides to old favorites.

"On stage it has just been a blast," he said. "There's just something in the newness of this and being able to play these incredible songs. These are the songs I wish I had written."

Reach Steven Uhles at (706) 823-3626 or steven.uhles@augustachronicle.com.