FOURPLAY
''ESPRIT DE FOUR''
SEPTEMBER 18 2012
54:56
1/December Dream
Chuck Loeb/7:46
2/Firefly
Nathan East / Tom Keane/4:12
3/Venus
Harvey Mason, Sr./7:11
4/Sonnymoon
Chuck Loeb/4:12
5/Put Our Hearts Together [Instrumental Version]
Bob James / Hillary James/6:08
6/All I Wanna Do
Nathan East / Tom Keane/4:16
7/Logic of Love
Chuck Loeb/7:05
8/Esprit de Four Feat. Voices Of Praise Gospel Choir & Kenny Mason
Jerry Peters / Harvey Mason, Sr./6:22
9/Sugoi
Bob James Fourplay 4:26
10/Put Our Hearts Together [Vocal Track]
Bob James / Hillary James/3:18
Nathan East/Bass, Overdubs, Vocals
Bob James/Arranger, Keyboards
Chuck Loeb/Guitar, Overdubs, Synthesizer
Lizzy Loeb/Vocals
Harvey Mason, Sr./Drums, Percussion, Synthesizer
Kenny Mason
Seiko Matsuda/Vocals
REVIEW
by Thom Jurek
For over 20 years, the collaborative ensemble Fourplay has grown ever more cohesive in its approach to modern jazz. When the three founding members added guitarist Chuck Loeb to the lineup for 2010's Let's Touch the Sky, the group attained perfect dialogic balance. Fourplay had made fine records before, but the guitar chair always felt either under- or overutilized. Though the long established leader, Loeb's writing, arranging, and playing are more ensemble-oriented than either of his two predecessors, Lee Ritenour or Larry Carlton. On Esprit de Four, Fourplay display themselves as among the most intuitive, forward-thinking, and focused groups in modern jazz -- yet remain very accessible. While their aesthetic has been and remains contemporary, they employ classic approaches to composition, melodic improvisation, rhythm, and harmony. Loeb's "December's Dream" kicks things off. It's an airy composition that weaves together folk, pop, jazz, and even Americana. The shimmering cymbal work of Harvey Mason highlights the interplay between Bob James and Loeb, while Nathan East's bassline instills the melody with an irresistible groove. On "Sonnymoon," his bassline is deeply funky, preceding a fine exchange between the rich colors in Loeb's chords and the warm texture of James' electric piano, all given weight by Mason's trademark breaks. The latter's title tune presents a Brazilian groove illustrated by Loeb's acoustic guitar atop unobtrusive background synth and organic percussion. James supports with fills and subtle timbral voicings. Vocals have been prevalent on past Fourplay records, but here they are upfront only on the bluesy nocturnal soul of East's "All I Wanna Do," and the closer, a vocal version of James' "Put Our Hearts Together," sung beautifully by Seiko Matsuda. The rest are used as wordless textures, like another instrument in the mix. The tune, originally an instrumental, was written by James for a concert in Japan right after the earthquake and tsunami. His daughter Hilary heard it and asked to write lyrics for an abbreviated version. Both are present here. The instrumental commences as a haunting, pop-classical piece that gives way to a weave of lyric conversation that eventually becomes a swinging post-bop jam with an excellent solo by James. Esprit de Four is a shining example of jazz as a collaborative endeavor; these well-established soloists play as equals in a band that communicates on a level that most groups only dream of.
BIOGRAPHY
by Scott Yanow
This all-star group -- comprised of keyboardist Bob James, guitarist Lee Ritenour, bassist Nathan East, and drummer Harvey Mason -- was formed in 1991 after the quartet came together on part of James' Grand Piano Canyon album. They have since recorded a number of CDs for Warner Bros. that have all been big sellers, not surprising considering the popularity of James and Ritenour. Larry Carlton took over the guitarist's spot in the late '90s, first appearing in Fourplay on the band's successful 1998 album, 4. The seasonal Snowbound was released in 1999. It featured traditional and modern holiday songs, all played in the quartet's increasingly slick style. The band ended its tenure with Warner Bros. with 2000's soft babymaker album Yes, Please.
Fourplay attempted to break new ground with with 2002's Heartfelt, which was their debut album for RCA's Bluebird imprint. The album consisted of live studio jamming that was heavily edited and assembled using Pro Tools. In 2004 they issued Journey, more a return to their earlier, smoother form than a building-block progression from Heartfelt. In 2006, Fourplay released X, a final album for RCA/Bluebird. The set featured a guest vocal from Michael McDonald on a reading of Steve Winwood's "My Love's Leavin'."
The group signed with Heads Up International for 2008's Energy, which was notable for a pair of excellent Carlton compositions and a vocal appearance by Esperanza Spalding on "Prelude for Lovers." Fourplay -- now featuring new guitarist Chuck Loeb replacing Carlton -- assembled again for the label on 2010's Let's Touch the Sky, which included guest appearances by Ruben Studdard and Anita Baker. In 2012, Fourplay released Esprit de Four, with guest appearances by Kenny Mason & the Voices of Praise Choir and Japanese singer Seiko Matsuda.
DoWnLoAd
''ESPRIT DE FOUR''
SEPTEMBER 18 2012
54:56
1/December Dream
Chuck Loeb/7:46
2/Firefly
Nathan East / Tom Keane/4:12
3/Venus
Harvey Mason, Sr./7:11
4/Sonnymoon
Chuck Loeb/4:12
5/Put Our Hearts Together [Instrumental Version]
Bob James / Hillary James/6:08
6/All I Wanna Do
Nathan East / Tom Keane/4:16
7/Logic of Love
Chuck Loeb/7:05
8/Esprit de Four Feat. Voices Of Praise Gospel Choir & Kenny Mason
Jerry Peters / Harvey Mason, Sr./6:22
9/Sugoi
Bob James Fourplay 4:26
10/Put Our Hearts Together [Vocal Track]
Bob James / Hillary James/3:18
Nathan East/Bass, Overdubs, Vocals
Bob James/Arranger, Keyboards
Chuck Loeb/Guitar, Overdubs, Synthesizer
Lizzy Loeb/Vocals
Harvey Mason, Sr./Drums, Percussion, Synthesizer
Kenny Mason
Seiko Matsuda/Vocals
REVIEW
by Thom Jurek
For over 20 years, the collaborative ensemble Fourplay has grown ever more cohesive in its approach to modern jazz. When the three founding members added guitarist Chuck Loeb to the lineup for 2010's Let's Touch the Sky, the group attained perfect dialogic balance. Fourplay had made fine records before, but the guitar chair always felt either under- or overutilized. Though the long established leader, Loeb's writing, arranging, and playing are more ensemble-oriented than either of his two predecessors, Lee Ritenour or Larry Carlton. On Esprit de Four, Fourplay display themselves as among the most intuitive, forward-thinking, and focused groups in modern jazz -- yet remain very accessible. While their aesthetic has been and remains contemporary, they employ classic approaches to composition, melodic improvisation, rhythm, and harmony. Loeb's "December's Dream" kicks things off. It's an airy composition that weaves together folk, pop, jazz, and even Americana. The shimmering cymbal work of Harvey Mason highlights the interplay between Bob James and Loeb, while Nathan East's bassline instills the melody with an irresistible groove. On "Sonnymoon," his bassline is deeply funky, preceding a fine exchange between the rich colors in Loeb's chords and the warm texture of James' electric piano, all given weight by Mason's trademark breaks. The latter's title tune presents a Brazilian groove illustrated by Loeb's acoustic guitar atop unobtrusive background synth and organic percussion. James supports with fills and subtle timbral voicings. Vocals have been prevalent on past Fourplay records, but here they are upfront only on the bluesy nocturnal soul of East's "All I Wanna Do," and the closer, a vocal version of James' "Put Our Hearts Together," sung beautifully by Seiko Matsuda. The rest are used as wordless textures, like another instrument in the mix. The tune, originally an instrumental, was written by James for a concert in Japan right after the earthquake and tsunami. His daughter Hilary heard it and asked to write lyrics for an abbreviated version. Both are present here. The instrumental commences as a haunting, pop-classical piece that gives way to a weave of lyric conversation that eventually becomes a swinging post-bop jam with an excellent solo by James. Esprit de Four is a shining example of jazz as a collaborative endeavor; these well-established soloists play as equals in a band that communicates on a level that most groups only dream of.
BIOGRAPHY
by Scott Yanow
This all-star group -- comprised of keyboardist Bob James, guitarist Lee Ritenour, bassist Nathan East, and drummer Harvey Mason -- was formed in 1991 after the quartet came together on part of James' Grand Piano Canyon album. They have since recorded a number of CDs for Warner Bros. that have all been big sellers, not surprising considering the popularity of James and Ritenour. Larry Carlton took over the guitarist's spot in the late '90s, first appearing in Fourplay on the band's successful 1998 album, 4. The seasonal Snowbound was released in 1999. It featured traditional and modern holiday songs, all played in the quartet's increasingly slick style. The band ended its tenure with Warner Bros. with 2000's soft babymaker album Yes, Please.
Fourplay attempted to break new ground with with 2002's Heartfelt, which was their debut album for RCA's Bluebird imprint. The album consisted of live studio jamming that was heavily edited and assembled using Pro Tools. In 2004 they issued Journey, more a return to their earlier, smoother form than a building-block progression from Heartfelt. In 2006, Fourplay released X, a final album for RCA/Bluebird. The set featured a guest vocal from Michael McDonald on a reading of Steve Winwood's "My Love's Leavin'."
The group signed with Heads Up International for 2008's Energy, which was notable for a pair of excellent Carlton compositions and a vocal appearance by Esperanza Spalding on "Prelude for Lovers." Fourplay -- now featuring new guitarist Chuck Loeb replacing Carlton -- assembled again for the label on 2010's Let's Touch the Sky, which included guest appearances by Ruben Studdard and Anita Baker. In 2012, Fourplay released Esprit de Four, with guest appearances by Kenny Mason & the Voices of Praise Choir and Japanese singer Seiko Matsuda.
DoWnLoAd
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