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| One, Two, Three & BJ4 - The Legendary Albums (2CD) |
| Bob James |
első megjelenés éve: 2008
146 perc |
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2 x CD |
Kérjen
árajánlatot! |
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| 1. CD tartalma: |
| 1. | Valley Of The Shadows
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| 2. | In The Garden
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| 3. | Soulero
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| 4. | Night On Bald Mountain
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| 5. | Feel Like Making Love
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| 6. | Nautilus
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| 7. | Take Me To The Mardi Gras
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| 8. | I Feel A Song (In My Heart)
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| 9. | The Golden Apple
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| 10. | Farandole
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| 11. | You&
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| 12. | Dream Journey
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| 2. CD tartalma: |
| 1. | One Mint Julep
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| 2. | Women Of Ireland
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| 3. | Westchester Lady
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| 4. | Storm King
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| 5. | Jamaica Farewell
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| 6. | Pure Imagination
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| 7. | Where The Wind Blows Free
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| 8. | Tappan Zee
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| 9. | Nights Are Forever Without You
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| 10. | Treasure Island
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| 11. | El Verano
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Jazz
CD1
Tracks 1-6: One
Tracks 7-12: Two
CD2
Tracks 1-5: Three
Tracks 6-11: BJ4
In 1974 James released his first album entitled One. Successful enough to encourage a follow-up, Bob in fact produced another three albums in the next two-and-a-half years and established himself as a trendsetter with his customised blend of jazz, light-funk, pop and classical music. The style became known as 'crossover', a term often used somewhat disparagingly by purists, but perfectly fitting for James's oeuvre: the music crossed over between genres as the records crossed over beyond a jazz audience into best-selling figures. For the next quarter century Bob James produced music at an astonishing rate producing over 35 albums in his own name and won numerous awards to secure his place as the undisputed 'smooth jazz' king. But those first four CTI albums have a special place in the hearts of '70s fusion fans.
Here we're proud to present the digital remasters of One, Two, Three, and BJ4 in chronological order and with a stylish sleeve design this essential purchase demonstrates that Bob James reaches far beyond the narrow category of smooth jazz.
Though Bob James is rightly regarded in certain circles as the Godfather of Smooth Jazz, that moniker, while impressive enough, hardly does justice to the range of his musical expression. James, who dislikes the term 'smooth jazz', is a musician who has taken great pride in the far-reaching and deeply-felt variety of his music and has indicated his unease about being so narrowly categorised. “There are a lot of pieces by Bach or Mozart or Ravel that are very smooth and seductive,” he has said recently, “but that's only one aspect of their music.”
Classically trained and bitten by the jazz bug at high school, even James's earliest recordings evidence the eclecticism that characterises so much of his 40-year recording career. After he was spotted by Quincy Jones at the 1962 Notre Dame Jazz Festival with his trio, Bob recorded a straight ahead jazz album (Bold Conceptions) but followed it up with a record of experimental electronica in 1965 (Explosions) before becoming Sarah Vaughan's pianist and musical director for four years.
He was hired in 1973 by producer/entrepreneur Creed Taylor as an arranger at CTI Records, working for the likes of Freddie Hubbard, Stanley Turrentine and Grover Washington, Jr. Impressed with the quality of his work, in 1974 Taylor gave James the chance to do his own album entitled One. Successful enough to encourage a follow-up, Bob in fact produced another three albums in the next two-and-a-half years and established himself as a trendsetter with his customised blend of jazz, light-funk, pop and classical music. The style became known as 'crossover', a term often used somewhat disparagingly by purists, but perfectly fitting for James's oeuvre: the music crossed over between genres as the records crossed over beyond a jazz audience into best-selling figures.
For the next quarter century Bob James produced music at an astonishing rate, with 35 albums in his own name – ranging from solo piano to classical suites to acoustic trio – plus countless others in collaboration with some of the biggest names in fusion and pop. But those first four CTI albums have a special place in the hearts of '70s fusion fans. Sometimes silky smooth, of course, but often atmospheric, dramatic and featuring arrangements of complexity and nuance brilliantly played by some of the best musicians on the scene. Here we're proud to present the digital remasters of One, Two, Three, and BJ4 in chronological order.
CD1
One
Recorded February - March 1974
1. Valley Of The Shadows
As threatening as anything from the pen of Lalo Schifrin, this Dirty Harry-esque rumble is like a cop-noir epic. The horns are brash and superbly scored while James's trademark Fender Rhodes piano is spiky and nasty, a million miles from the groovy blandness he's better known for. Richie Resnicoff's demented electric guitar and Grover Washington's saxophone solo are in a similar vein before the triumphant trumpets describe something approaching resolution.
2. In The Garden
Written in the 17th century, the comforting repetition of the baroque chord sequence from Johan Pachelbel's Canon has intrigued musicians of all kinds down the years inspiring many songs, from Ralph McTell's 'Streets Of London' to The Farm's 'All Together Now'. Bob James found it “had a kind of relaxed feeling that I thought was beautiful.” In finding the rhythm section work behind the Pachelbel's basic structure suggested a country feel to him, he recruited Hugh McCracken on harmonica and Eric Weissburg on pedal steel to complete the unusual hybrid sound picture.
3. Soulero
Based broadly on the burgeoning orchestral dynamics of a bolero, the funky flecks of electric piano, haunting minor theme and climactic fanfare, it's sometimes forgotten that Bob James music can be this brooding and portentous.
4. Night On Bald Mountain
A sizzling fusion adaptation of Modest Mussorsky's 1867 piece moves from the tremendous excitement of its opening fanfare into breathless progressive disco. Expertly arranged and played, it's James at his dynamic best.
5. Feel Like Making Love
James discovered this soulful pop tune at a Roberta Flack session and processed it into signature Bob James. Drummer Idris Muhammed and bassist Gary King lay down a super-cool groove and James's gently funky electric piano is irresistible. Stylish and soothing, it's a smooth jazz classic. Sorry Bob.
6. Nautilus
After the flutey organ theme, James's minor key improvisations are angular and atmospheric on this effective exercise in textural superimposition over a one-chord rhythm track. The spacey, synthetic qualities blend with the strings to particularly haunting effect.
Two
Recorded December 1974-January 1975
7. Take Me To The Mardi Gras
An essential ingredient to Paul Simon's early '70s soft rock masterpieces There Goes Rhymin' Simon and Still Crazy After All These Years, Bob James's keyboards lead a cheerful, funky reading of the great songwriter's gentle reggae number. Featuring faintly dissonant colours from the steel drums and a reprise of Simon's memorable New Orleans jazz band effect at the fade via Tony Studd's trombone and Eddie Daniels's clarinet.
8. I Feel A Song (In My Heart)
First recorded by Gladys Knight and the Pips in 1974, Bob James recruited Patti Austin to vocalise on his version one year before her debut album appeared on CTI in 1976.
9. The Golden Apple
A theatrical, multi-themed piece that's an arranging triumph for James. A feast of cinematic string writing and outrageous metric adventurousness, Bob even squeezes in a nifty acoustic piano solo.
10. Farandole
Another distinctive classical adaptation, this time it's Farandole from Georges Bizet's L'Arlesienne Suite No. 2 of 1872 that gets the heroic progressive dance treatment. Hubert Laws is the star flautist who brings the secondary theme out so vividly before delivering his taut, frenzied improvisation.
11. You're As Right As Rain
A creamy, cool version of the track written for the Stylistics and recorded on their 1972 album Round 2. Archetypal smooth BJ.
12. Dream Journey
There's a palpable sense of movement and travel on this track, an impressive pop-funk workout of quasi-tone poem intent.
CD2
Three
Recorded November 1975-January 1976
1. One Mint Julep
A sparkling, funky version of the Clovers' 1950s doo-wop/R&B classic covered elsewhere by groove merchants like Ray Charles, Booker T and The MGs and Jimmy Smith and further enlivened here by the gritty saxophone solo of Grover Washington Jr.
2. Women Of Ireland
A beautiful Gaelic melody played with a reggae feel, this would be a rare pairing of styles even in the present genre-busting musical climate, let alone in mid '70s America. The theme was composed/discovered by traditional Irish music legend (and mentor to The Chieftans) Sean O'Riada but was noticed by the wider world by being featured in Stanley Kubrick's 1975 movie Barry Lyndon.
3. Westchester Lady
A perky initial motif interspersed with vivid string episodes settling into meticulously crafted, muso-groove fusion. Classic Bob James, second only to his 'Theme From Taxi' as the composer's most memorable '70s signature.
4. Storm King
Laid back and funky, with slithery strings and foxy flutes. The late Grover Washington shines on this track, “improvising soulfully with his trademark velvet smooth sound that was immediately recognisable” as Bob James himself wrote in a posthumous tribute to the great sax man in 1999.
5. Jamaica Farewell
A genuine Caribbean calypso written by West Indian songwriter Irving Burgie, aka Lord Burgess, and introduced to the world by Harry Belafonte in 1957. Bob James gives an authentic reggae feel to his treatment thereby retaining the essential Jamaican quality.
BJ4
Recorded November-December 1976
6. Pure Imagination
The appealing theme from the 1971 children's movie Willie Wonka And The Chocolate Factory has attracted jazz readings from pianists Monty Alexander and Eric Reed but Bob James's restrained reworking was among the first. Trumpeter Art Farmer and flautist Hubert Laws get to share their thoughts briefly.
7. Where The Wind Blows Free
An assertive funk groove underpins a typically sunny James melody and characteristic theatrical developments in the bridge, though the highlight may be Eric Gale's lean and blue guitar solo.
8. Tappan Zee
Nice to hear Bob's rippling piano touch on an acoustic instrument for this medium funk vehicle, which also features some typically tidy bass work from Gary King. The title of the piece was the name Bob gave to his own record label formed in 1977.
9. Nights Are Forever Without You
Always with an ear out for a decent pop tune, here Bob focuses his arranging skills on the second of the 1976 breakthrough hits written for England Dan and John Ford Coley by Parker McGee, and a tasteful job he makes of it.
10. Treasure Island
This track is characterised by an exotic Caribbean flavour, with the sonic focus on Eric Gales's strummed acoustic guitar, though Art Farmer's flugelhorn and Gale's overdubbed electric guitar solo introduces some lovely blues-jazz gestures.
11. El Verano
An alluring phase effect on Eric Gales's acoustic guitar sets the tone for this evocative, Spanish-tinged sonic ride. Once more Art Farmer displays his mastery of mood and extemporised melody and the composer gets to stretch out a little on grand piano.
---Chris Ingham
Divide his time between playing music, writing about it and teaching it, Chris Ingham is pianist/vocalist with the Flanagan-Ingham Quartet and is the Jazz critic for MOJO magazine. Often wishing when doing one thing to be doing the other, his family remain patient for now. |
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