"The early work of alto saxophonist and composer Grover Washington, Jr. is a rare and beautiful thing to behold. Solid urban groove jazz played with grace, mean chops, and slippery funkiness. "Soul Box" (1973) has Creed Taylor's production enhanced by a symphony orchestra and full-blown jazz band arranged and conducted by Bob James. Some of the session men include Ron Carter, Billy Cobham, Eric Gale, Idris Muhammad, Airto, and Richard Tee. It contains the deep funk of Norman Whitfield's "Masterpiece." But the side-long jam on Marvin Gaye's "Trouble Man" is the cut on which all the contradictions of the session come to bear and are resolved due in large part to Washington's deeply lyrical improvising and James' ability to layer an orchestra into a groove. There are cadenzas written in after choruses that bring the orchestra in to accent the sketchy funk in the tune and bring out its deep blue hues. When Washington gets to the front of it all, he lets go like he's crying from the heart." (Thom Jurek, Allmusic)
Geremasterde uitgave van "Skylark" van Paul Desmond, opgenomen in december 1973. "For those who missed it the first time, Desmond remakes "Take Ten" -- without the Middle Eastern elements -- "Romance de Amor" is eventually dominated by Szabo, and the inclusion of "Was a Sunny Day" proves that Desmond's involvement with the music of Paul Simon in 1970 was not a passing infatuation. Don Sebesky is credited with the "arrangements" but his orchestrating hand is not felt except for a single solo cello (George Ricci) in an adaptation of Purcell ("Music for a While"). It's a cautious change of pace for Desmond, although the fiercer context into which he was placed doesn't really fire his imagination". (Richard S. Ginell, Allmusic).
"The early work of alto saxophonist and composer Grover Washington, Jr. is a rare and beautiful thing to behold. Solid urban groove jazz played with grace, mean chops, and slippery funkiness. "Soul Box" (1973) has Creed Taylor's production enhanced by a symphony orchestra and full-blown jazz band arranged and conducted by Bob James. Some of the session men include Ron Carter, Billy Cobham, Eric Gale, Idris Muhammad, Airto, and Richard Tee. Among them are truly innovative reads of Billy Cobham's "Taurian Matador," Stevie Wonder's "You Are the Sunshine of My Life." The orchestra adds the right drama or sweetness, but Washington makes them grittier, with soloing that sidles up to the melody before reinventing it. "Soul Box" (the two volumes together) is a modern classic for its instrumental and arrangement invention and for its deeply emotional bounty."(Thom Jurek, Allmusic)
"Hot on the heels of his commercial breakthrough "Touchdown", which contained the monster hit "Angela (Theme from Taxi)," Bob James teamed up with acoustic guitarist Earl Klugh for the first of two hit duet albums. "One on One" is not strictly a duet side, however. The pair is accompanied by a band of crack studio types that includes James' former CTI mates acoustic bassist Ron Carter and drummer Harvey Mason and a host of others as well as string and woodwinds sections. The fare is light, breezy, and barely there in places. Out of these sessions came "The Afterglow," which lit up the charts right after "Angela" did, making James the hottest jazz commodity on the scene." (Thom Jurek, Allmusic)
Opname: 1974-2007
"Het was al jarenlang de grote wens van pianist Bob James om een soloalbum te maken. Het bleek echter gaandeweg de uitvoering van dit project, dat het meer enerverend was om sommige nummers met een tweede (ster)muzikant te spelen. Dus horen wij in zeven van de elf nummers Bob James in duet met medepianisten Keiko Matsui en Joe Sample en met bassist Dave Holland en gitarist Chuck Loeb. De algehele stemming van de plaat is romantisch en gepassioneerd en net zoals bij zovele albums van andere jazzpianisten is de invloed van de klassieke muziek onmiskenbaar." (RM, Muziekweb)
Amerikaans pianist in fusion-stijl. Plaat uit 1997 met grootheden als Lenny Castro, Nathan East en Chuck Loeb en Steve Gadd. Verzorgd, maar misschien iets te verzorgd...
Met werk uit de periode 1974-1984 en een nummer uit 1995. Inderdaad erg smoothe, relaxte fusionjazz: voor de een veel te glad, de ander voelt zich behaaglijk bij de nooit te drukke, maar wel subtiel gearrangeerde muziek van de toetsenist.
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