Urbanbuzzmag.com
By Nigeria Anderson
Songs Of My Dreams: Decades in the Making
Songs Of My Dreams, the debut jazz album by James Judson, is more than a collection of songs; it’s the fulfillment of a dream the vocalist and composer never knew he carried. Music has been woven into Judson’s life since childhood. He began singing at four years old and spent his youth performing in Country Rock bands, playing drums and guitar with an ease that hinted at natural talent. Yet, despite his lifelong love of music, he never imagined himself as a Jazz artist. That revelation didn’t arrive until last year, when a spark of inspiration in the studio unleashed a flood of long-suppressed creativity. What makes Judson’s emergence even more remarkable is the nearly 30-year hiatus he took from music. After stepping away to raise a family and build a thriving multi-state construction business, he assumed that chapter of his life had closed. But passion has a way of resurfacing. In 2025, he returned to the studio to record his first Jazz project, a Christmas EP titled It’s Christmas Eve Tonight, featuring a 17-piece jazz band and an eight-piece string section. The experience reignited something powerful, leading him straight into the creation of his most recent project Songs Of My Dreams. For this debut, Judson collaborated with top Los Angeles musicians, including vocalist Laura Cole, who appears on All of Me. He penned 11 of the album’s 13 tracks allowing his creativity to flow. The result is an impressive, heartfelt introduction to an artist whose life journey has finally circled back to his true passion.
James Judson’s musical roots run deep. In high school, he performed covers of Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire, later building a steady side career playing local venues, weddings, and state fairs. Songwriting soon followed. A promising music career seemed inevitable until life demanded a different path. With six children to raise and a business to grow, Judson made the difficult decision to set his guitar aside. Though it was the right choice at the time, the music never left him; it simply waited dormant. Years later, while recording a new project titled Americana, Judson performed his original song Walking a Sidewalk acapella. Everyone was blown away by his Jazz feel. From that moment, Country music stepped aside, and Jazz took the lead. Judson’s warm, intimate baritone now sits comfortably in the jazz landscape, carrying the depth of a life fully lived and a return to his first love creating music. His story is for everyone who has or had a dream to do something great. The message is it is never too late to fulfill your purpose. Urban Buzz Magazine proudly welcomes our latest KeyPlayer, Mr. James Judson. You can connect with him on IG @jamesjudsonmusic or website www.jamesjudson.com. PUSH PLAY
