James Fauntleroy says he realized of his and Terrace Martin’s nomination for his or her first joint collaboration, Nova, when he awoke to 38 textual content messages on Friday (Nov. 10).
“I used to be anxious at first, you recognize, that it was one thing unhealthy,” says Fauntleroy about seeing the flurry of messages in regards to the venture touchdown a berth in the very best progressive R&B album class. “Then I began studying them and received tremendous excited. As a result of regardless that I’ve been nominated a number of occasions as a songwriter and received, that is my first Grammy nomination as an artist.”
In actual fact, Fauntleroy’s Grammy stats embrace 4 wins and 6 nominations. Comprising the wins tally: track of the yr and greatest R&B track for the Bruno Mars smash “That’s What I Like” plus album of the yr for Mars’ 24K Magic on the sixtieth Grammy Awards and greatest R&B track for Justin Timberlake’s “Pusher Love Lady” on the 56th ceremony. Fauntleroy’s estimable record of writing credit contains collaborations with Beyoncé, Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar and Stevie Marvel, amongst others. Fauntleroy can also be a member of the songwriter/producer/musician collective 1500 or Nothin’ and a co-founder of the 1500 Sound Academy for aspiring younger expertise .
Musician/producer and BMG artist Martin is a five-time Grammy nominee who coincidentally was nominated in the very best progressive R&B album class for the sixty fifth and sixty fourth ceremonies for his solo album Drones and Dinner Occasion: Dessert, respectively. Dinner Occasion is the title of the supergroup that includes Martin and fellow musicians Kamasi Washington, Robert Glasper and ninth Marvel. Martin’s different Grammy nods: greatest R&B album for his Velvet Portraits and consecutive album of the yr nods for his contributions to Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly and good child, m.A.A.d metropolis.
Launched in August 2023, Nova is Martin and Fauntleroy’s hybrid tackle the Brazilian music fashion generally known as bossa nova. The six-track venture is the third in a six-album sequence being helmed by Martin. And for Fauntleroy — whose friendship and inventive relationship with Martin dates again years (“Terrace and I’ve identified one another my complete grownup life; he’s actually one of many first individuals I ever labored with”) — it was positively a labor of affection.
“Terrace and I had been speaking endlessly about what we had been going to do collectively,” says Fauntleroy. “All people that is aware of me is aware of I simply love bossa nova, and I believe he knew that that was a easy technique to get me to essentially do that. And he was completely proper. I liked having the chance to place my spin on bossa nova as a result of I hearken to hardcore Brazilian jazz on a regular basis. So I’m actually conversant in the melodies they [artists] like to make use of and the completely different dynamics of their phrasing. However it was tremendous enjoyable to do it in my means. I’m actually pleased with the best way it turned out.”
