by Scott Yanow
Saxophonist Boney James has yet to develop his own musical personality. On Backbone, James does his best to imitate Grover Washington, Jr., both on tenor and soprano. The material on this set of obvious dance tracks is routine, his backing musicians sound faceless and anonymous, and James does little to uplift the music. Even in the pop music world, Boney James' lack of individuality (if it continues) might eventually cause a problem.