Fourplay - Heartfelt

Styles: Jazz, Crossover Jazz  
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:09
Size: 153,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:45)  1. Galaxia
(6:44)  2. That's the Time
(5:43)  3. Break it Out
(4:11)  4. Rollin'
(3:56)  5. Let's Make Love
(6:59)  6. Heartfelt
(5:55)  7. Tally Ho!
(5:18)  8. Café L'Amour
(5:28)  9. Ju-Ju
(5:58) 10. Goin' Back Home
(5:29) 11. Karma
(4:36) 12. Making Up

Breaking from their routine, Fourplay created most of the material on Heartfelt in the studio, through a process of free jamming followed by assembly of the best parts through Pro Tools editing. The differences in the results are subtle and, on balance, not necessarily positive. 

Though all four players are true virtuosos, the band's mellow feel encourages each to avoid excess, or its positive alter ego, adventurism, in their solos, while the improvisational core of the project tends to weaken the compositional foundations. The strongest cuts are those written by one member or two in combination; on these, from the Pat Metheny-inflected title track to Nathan East's velvety vocal showcase "Let's Make Love," the quartet's taste and fundamentally conservative aesthetic shine most brightly. ~ Robert L. Doerschuk https://www.allmusic.com/album/heartfelt-mw0000224952

Personnel:  Bob James – keyboards; Larry Carlton – guitar; Nathan East – bass guitar; Harvey Mason – drums

Heartfelt

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Fourplay - Yes, Please!

Styles: Jazz, Crossover Jazz 
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:15
Size: 145,0 MB
Art: Front

(6:26)  1. Free Range
(5:49)  2. Double Trouble
(4:33)  3. Once Upon a Love
(6:27)  4. Robo Bop
(6:59)  5. Blues Force
(5:33)  6. Save Some Love for Me
(8:11)  7. Fortress
(4:05)  8. Go with Your Heart
(5:15)  9. Poco a Poco
(4:20) 10. A Little Fourplay [feat. Sherree]
(5:33) 11. Lucky

There's no doubt that Fourplay is, collectively, one of the most talent-laden ensembles in contemporary jazz today. But their output to date, while always accessible to the masses, has alternated between interesting, worthwhile comtempo fare (their eponymous debut CD and their third release, Elixir ) and more watered-down, commercially-oriented "smooth jazz" ( Between the Sheets and 4 ). On their latest CD Yes, Please! , we get some of each. The disc gets off to a promising start with "Free Range," "Double Trouble," and "Robo Bop" the breezy melodies are supported with some interesting harmonies and creative background fills (Bob James trademarks) and some good group interplay. Larry Carlton's pensive, singing guitar caresses the lines of the ballad "Once Upon a Love." Carlton displays his bluesier side on "Blues Force," though James' solo seems stilted and awkward. The disc's radio offerings, however, reach new lows in sterile banality. Female background vocalists seductively coo "Save Some Love for Me (Tonight)" repeatedly over a plodding drum loop. The saccharine seduction resumes on "A Little Foreplay." Throughout this disc, mellow is the word. The tempos range from slow to medium, and the dynamics rarely reach above mezzoforte. While the musicianship is impeccable and there are interesting touches here and there, it's a very relaxed, placid outing. (Warner Bros. 47694) ~ Dave Hughes https://www.allaboutjazz.com/yes-please-fourplay-warner-bros-review-by-dave-hughes.php

Personnel: Bob James, keyboards; Larry Carlton, guitar; Nathan East, bass; Harvey Mason, drums; Sherree, vocal on "A Little Foreplay"

Yes, Please!

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Fourplay - Fourplay

Styles: Jazz, Crossover Jazz
Year: 1991
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:36
Size: 142,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:32)  1. Bali Run
(5:56)  2. 101 Eastbound
(5:26)  3. Foreplay
(6:16)  4. Moonjogger
(5:33)  5. Max-O-Man
(5:03)  6. After The Dance
(5:43)  7. Quadrille
(4:44)  8. Midnight Stroll
(5:01)  9. October Morning
(6:11) 10. Wish You Were Here
(6:05) 11. Rain Forest

This CD was the debut for 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. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/fourplay-mw0000391946

Personnel:  Bass – Nathan East; Drums – Harvey Mason; Guitar – Lee Ritenour; Keyboards – Bob James

Fourplay

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Fourplay - Esprit De Four

Styles: Jazz, Funk, Soul, Fusion 
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:01
Size: 126,6 MB
Art: Front

(7:46)  1. December Dream
(4:12)  2. Firefly
(7:11)  3. Venus
(4:12)  4. Sonnymoon
(6:08)  5. Put Our Hearts Together - Instrumental Version
(4:16)  6. All I Wanna Do
(7:05)  7. Logic Of Love
(6:22)  8. Esprit De Four
(4:26)  9. Sugoi
(3:18) 10. Put Our Hearts Together - Vocal Version

Bands don't last over two decades with minimal turnover in personnel and continued success if they're composed of egotists, prima donnas, drama queens or people that just don't play nice together. Fourplay has endured and thrived because it is an egalitarian coalition of seasoned professionals who set aside private agendas to serve the group dynamic. When a new guitarist joins Fourplay it typically takes their sophomore recording with the long-running band before they truly begin to fit in. In over 20 years there have been only three personnel changes, with original guitarist Lee Ritenour being replaced by Larry Carlton, who manned the spot for 12 years and seven albums, until he exited and Chuck Loeb became the "new guy" on Let's Touch the Sky (Heads Up, 2010). Stability has been a strength for this assemblage of veteran musicians even if consistency has led the band to be dismissed by critics little more than slick, smooth jazz. That was truer before than it is now as the Fourplay of 2012 bears little resemblance to the 1991 version despite three-quarters of the lineup being still composed of founders Bob James, Nathan East and Harvey Mason. James' keyboards are still at the heart of the group, but whoever the guitarist is gives it much of its soul, and on Esprit De Four a lion's share of the direction as well. Loeb is predominantly featured on the first four tracks and guides the group into making music that is too passionate to be "slick." Even when East takes his standard vocal turn on "All I Wanna Do," Loeb's guitar is front and center leading the way. This hardly means the rest of the band recedes into the background. Mason's "Venus" is lush and lovely with James and Loeb gently trading leads before smoothly dueting to the close. "Sonnymoon" is the closest these old pros come to sounding like "classic" Fourplay, as the Mason and East rhythm section keeps things fast and funky. It's just an excuse for four minutes of jamming, but let no one think Fourplay can't still get down when it wants to. 

If Loeb steps up to assert himself as primary soloist, James, who will turn 73 in December 2012, seems willing to relinquish some of the spotlight to Loeb, or at least doesn't seem the least stressed out sharing it. James has a deep fondness for Eastern culture and his two contributions, "Sugoi" and "Put Our Hearts Together," are evidence of that influence. "Put Our Hearts Together" (in both an instrumental and vocal version) is dedicated to the people of Japan in the wake of 2011's horrific earthquake and tsunami. Esprit De Four eschews the Fourplay formula of American chart-topping guest vocalists such as Anita Baker or Michael McDonald in favor of a demonstration of cross-cultural outreach, as Japanese superstar Seiko Matsuda to provides the vocals for "Put Our Hearts Together." The charge most frequently levied at Fourplay by its detractors is that the music is safe and formulaic. While it would be an untruth to say this is the most freewheeling quartet in jazz, it's petty to confuse popularity and acclaim with shallowness and superficiality. Fourplay cares too deeply about its music to be a cynical superstar band conceived as little more than a cash grab. ~ Jeff Winbush https://www.allaboutjazz.com/fourplay-esprit-de-four-by-jeff-winbush.php

Personnel: Bob James: keyboards; Nathan East: bass, vocals; Chuck Loeb: guitars, synths; Harvey Mason: drums, percussion, vibes, synths; Seiko Matsuda: vocals (10); Lizzy Loeb: additional vocals (1); Kenny Mason and the Voices of Praise Choir.

Esprit De Four

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Bob James, Nathan East - The New Cool

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:17
Size: 122.0 MB
Styles: Piano jazz, Contemporary jazz
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[7:06] 1. The New Cool
[5:05] 2. Oliver's Bag
[4:30] 3. All Will Be Revealed
[5:12] 4. Midnight Magic Love Me As Though There Were No Tomorrow
[5:01] 5. Crazy
[4:32] 6. How Deep Is The Ocean
[5:03] 7. Canto Y La Danza
[3:24] 8. Waltz For Judy
[4:08] 9. Seattle Sunrise
[5:21] 10. Ghost Of A Chance
[3:50] 11. Turbulence

After 25 years of collaboration, Bob James and Nathan East have released their debut duo album The New Cool in September on Yamaha Entertainment Group. The New Cool marks new territory for legendary jazz pianist Bob James and bassist Nathan East, who’ve spent decades playing together in contemporary jazz quartet Fourplay but never before as an official duo. “The more I played with Nathan over the course of many live performances and spanning more than 20 years, the more in sync we were whether or not we had the anchor of the drums,” says James. “Something special happens when we only have each other’s notes to play off of, when the music is totally exposed.” Recorded entirely in Nashville, Tennessee, the album is a collection of original material contributed by both James and East, along with a small selection of standards. The duo’s musicianship is laid bare in a soulful reimagining of Irving Berlin’s “How Deep is the Ocean,” while the pair is joined by strings and woodwinds for a surprising take on Willie Nelson’s classic country hit “Crazy.” A two-time Grammy Award-winning jazz pianist, arranger, and producer, Bob James is recognized as one of the original founders of smooth jazz. Long revered in the hip-hop community, James’ compositions are among the most sampled songs in history. Nathan East was 16 years old when he went on the road with Barry White and has spent the last four decades playing with a who’s who of performers, including Quincy Jones, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Michael Jackson, Phil Collins, Whitney Houston, Beyoncé, Barbra Streisand, and Stevie Wonder. East performed on the 2014 Grammy Record of The Year, Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky.” The New Cool is produced by Chris Gero, Bob James, and Nathan East. It comes on the heels of East’s Grammy-nominated solo debut, Nathan East, also released on Yamaha Entertainment Group.

The New Cool

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