Bob James

An Evening of Fourplay

Stanley Dorfman

Bob James, Lee Ritenour

This is the debut of Fourplay, a popular quartet comprised of keyboardist Bob James, guitarist Lee Ritenour, bassist Nathan East, and drummer Harvey Mason. The music sounds more or less like a Bob James small-group date with Ritenour as a major soloist. The style is between jazz, R&B, and pop with an emphasis on lightweight originals, soulful and moderately funky rhythms, and predictable radio-friendly music. Nothing unexpected occurs, but fans of James and Ritenour should enjoy both this CD and Fourplay in general.

Bob James: Live at Montreux

Bob James

Grammy Award-winning artist Bob James performing live at the 1985 Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, an event that's considered to be among the best ever in the industry and that James recalls as one of the most memorable of his long and illustrious career. Songs featured include "Touchdown," "Ruby, Ruby, Ruby," "Night Crawler," "Unicorn," "Westchester Lady/Lucille," "Zebra Man," "Angela (Theme from Taxi)," "Winding River" and more.

Fourplay - Live in Cape Town

Bob James, Nathan East

The world's top contemporary jazz ensemble performs live in South Africa, blending their smooth jazz signature sound with large doses of pop, R&B and African beats.