Robert McElhiney James (born December 25, 1939) is an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

keyboardist, arranger, and record producer. He founded the band

Fourplay Fourplay (stylized as fOURPLAY) is a contemporary American smooth jazz quartet. The original members of the group were Bob James (keyboards), Lee Ritenour (guitars), Nathan East (bass), and Harvey Mason (drums). In 1997, Lee Ritenour left the ...

and wrote "Angela", the theme song for the TV show ''

Taxi A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice ...

.'' According to

VICE (magazine) ''Vice'' (stylized in all caps) is a Canadian-American magazine focused on lifestyle, arts, culture, and news/politics. Founded in 1994 in Montreal as an alternative punk magazine, the founders later launched the youth media company Vice Media, ...

, music from his first seven albums has often been

sampled Sample or samples may refer to: Base meaning * Sample (statistics), a subset of a population – complete data set * Sample (signal), a digital discrete sample of a continuous analog signal * Sample (material), a specimen or small quantity of so ...

and believed to have contributed to the formation of hip hop. Among his most well known recordings are "Nautilus", "Westchester Lady", "Tappan Zee", and his version of "Take Me to The Mardi Gras".

Early life and family

James was born on Christmas Day of 1939 in

Marshall, Missouri Marshall is a city in Saline County, Missouri, Saline County, Missouri, United States. The population was 13,065 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Saline County. The Marshall Micropolitan Statistical Area consists of Saline County. It ...

, United States. He started playing the piano at age four. His first piano teacher, Sister Mary Elizabeth, who taught at Mercy Academy, discovered that he had

perfect pitch Perfect commonly refers to: * Perfection, completeness, excellence * Perfect (grammar), a grammatical category in some languages Perfect may also refer to: Film * ''Perfect'' (1985 film), a romantic drama * ''Perfect'' (2018 film), a science ...

. At age seven, James began to study with R. T. Dufford, a teacher at

Missouri Valley College Missouri Valley College is a private college that is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA) and located in Marshall, Missouri. The college was founded in 1889 and supports 40 academic majors and an enrollment close to 1,500 students. Misso ...

. At age 15, James continued his studies with Franklin Launer, a teacher at Christian College in Columbia, Missouri, with more music instruction during high school from Harold Lickey, conductor of the Marshall High School Band and Orchestra. Apart from the piano, James learned to play trumpet,

timpani Timpani (; ) or kettledrums (also informally called timps) are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum categorised as a hemispherical drum, they consist of a membrane called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionall ...

, and percussion. From 1950 to 1956, he competed in the Missouri State Fair piano competitions and received several blue ribbons. James attended the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

, but during his second year transferred to

Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music is a private music college in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern American music, it also offers college-level cours ...

in Boston, Massachusetts. At Berklee his roommate was saxophonist

Nick Brignola Nicholas Thomas "Nick" Brignola (July 17, 1936 – February 8, 2002) was an American jazz baritone saxophonist. Biography Brignola was born on July 17, 1936 in Troy, New York. He was born into a musical family in which his father played the tu ...

Music career

His first professional music job was when he was eight years old, playing for a

tap dance Tap dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sounds of tap shoes striking the floor as a form of percussion. Two major variations on tap dance exist: rhythm (jazz) tap and Broadway tap. Broadway tap focuses on dance; it is widely perfo ...

class at Mercy Academy. During his adolescence, James's music career proliferated. Early jobs included being a member of the

Earle Parsons Earle Odber Parsons, Jr. (September 16, 1921 – December 18, 2014) was an American football halfback who played two seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. He played college football at the University of Southern California The University of Sou ...

Dance Band (c. 1952–55) which played various engagements around the Marshall area. During this time, he penned his first dance band arrangement. During the summer of 1955, at

Lake of the Ozarks Lake of the Ozarks is a reservoir created by impounding the Osage River in the northern part of the Ozarks in central Missouri. Parts of three smaller tributaries to the Osage are included in the impoundment: the Niangua River, Grandglaize Creek ...

in Missouri, James played for dancing and occasional jam sessions with the Bob Falkenhainer Quartet on the Governor McClurg Excursion Boat in the evenings. He recalls that "during the day we had free time and I became a proficient water skier that summer!" At age 16, a solo engagement followed in the summer when James traveled with good friend Ben Swinger to Colorado and ended up with a job in the piano bar at the Steads Ranch resort in Estes Park.

Discovery by Quincy Jones

While in college at Michigan, James played

free jazz Free jazz is an experimental approach to jazz improvisation that developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s when musicians attempted to change or break down jazz conventions, such as regular tempos, tones, and chord changes. Musicians during ...

with musicians in Ann Arbor and Detroit. In 1962, his band entered the

Notre Dame Collegiate Jazz Festival The Notre Dame Collegiate Jazz Festival is the oldest jazz festival in the U.S. It takes place every spring at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. The university invites college bands and professional jazz musicians from througho ...

, where the judges included

Henry Mancini Henry Mancini ( ; born Enrico Nicola Mancini, ; April 16, 1924 – June 14, 1994) was an American composer, conductor, arranger, pianist and flautist. Often cited as one of the greatest composers in the history of film, he won four Academy Award ...

and

Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. His career spans 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record of 80 Grammy Award n ...

. The trio entered the competition not expecting to win but wanting to provide some avant-garde music in a contest field that was primarily straight ahead music. To the trio's surprise, they won the competition. Not long after, Jones signed James to an album deal with

Mercury Records Mercury Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group. It had significant success as an independent operation in the 1940s and 1950s. Smash Records and Fontana Records were sub labels of Mercury. In the United States, it is ...

. Mercury released James's first album, '' Bold Conceptions'' (1963), a free jazz exploration that was produced by Quincy Jones and that differed from the smooth jazz for which he would later become known. In New York City, James worked as an

arranger In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orches ...

and was hired as piano accompanist for jazz singer

Sarah Vaughan Sarah Lois Vaughan (March 27, 1924 – April 3, 1990) was an American jazz singer. Nicknamed "Sassy" and "Jazz royalty, The Divine One", she won two Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, and was nominated for a total of nine ...

. He reunited with Quincy Jones when Jones asked him to do some arranging for studio sessions.

Creed Taylor Creed Bane Taylor V (May 13, 1929 – August 22, 2022) was an American record producer, best known for his work with CTI Records, which he founded in 1967. His career also included periods at Bethlehem Records, ABC-Paramount Records (including ...

, producer and founder of

CTI Records CTI Records (Creed Taylor Incorporated) is a jazz record label founded in 1967 by Creed Taylor. CTI was a subsidiary of A&M before becoming independent in 1970. Its first album was '' A Day in the Life'' by guitarist Wes Montgomery in 1967. T ...

, was at the sessions and hired James to work for CTI as a producer, arranger, and

studio musician Session musicians, studio musicians, or backing musicians are musicians hired to perform in recording sessions or live performances. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a recording artist on a ...

. In the 1970s, James worked on albums by Gabor Szabo,

Milt Jackson Milton Jackson (January 1, 1923 – October 9, 1999), nicknamed "Bags", was an American jazz vibraphonist, usually thought of as a bebop player, although he performed in several jazz idioms. He is especially remembered for his cool swinging solo ...

Stanley Turrentine Stanley William Turrentine (April 5, 1934 – September 12, 2000) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. He began his career playing R&B for Earl Bostic and later soul jazz recording for the Blue Note label from 1960, touched on jazz fusion dur ...

Grover Washington, Jr. Grover Washington Jr. (December 12, 1943 – December 17, 1999) was an American jazz-funk and soul-jazz saxophonist. Along with Wes Montgomery and George Benson, he is considered by many to be one of the founders of the smooth jazz genre. He wr ...

, and

Maynard Ferguson Walter Maynard Ferguson CM (May 4, 1928 – August 23, 2006) was a Canadian jazz trumpeter and bandleader. He came to prominence in Stan Kenton's orchestra before forming his own big band in 1957. He was noted for his bands, which often served ...

Solo albums and collaborations

Creed Taylor invited James to record a solo album. The result, ''

One 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...

'' (CTI, 1974), contained the song " Feel Like Making Love", with which

Roberta Flack Roberta Cleopatra Flack (born February 10, 1937) is a retired American singer. She topped the Billboard Magazine, ''Billboard'' charts with the No. 1 singles "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", "Killing Me Softly with His Song", "Feel Like M ...

had already had a hit. James had been hired to play piano for the song on Roberta Flack's album two weeks before recording a version of his own, using the same band. Radio stations played both and contributed to the commercial success of ''One''. The album was notable for adapting classical music to a modern-day scene, e.g. "In The Garden" was based on Pachelbel's

Canon in D Pachelbel's Canon (also known as the Canon in D, P 37) is an accompanied canon by the German Baroque composer Johann Pachelbel. The canon was originally scored for three violins and basso continuo and paired with a gigue, known as ''Canon and G ...

and "

Night on Bald Mountain ''Night on Bald Mountain'' (russian: Ночь на лысой горе, translit=Noch′ na lysoy gore, links=no), also known as ''Night on the Bare Mountain'', is a series of compositions by Modest Mussorgsky (1839–1881). Inspired by Russian ...

" was a cover of

Modest Mussorgsky Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky ( rus, link=no, Модест Петрович Мусоргский, Modest Petrovich Musorgsky , mɐˈdɛst pʲɪˈtrovʲɪtɕ ˈmusərkskʲɪj, Ru-Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky version.ogg; – ) was a Russian compo ...

's composition of the same name. After three solo albums, James founded his own record label, Tappan Zee. Immediately thereafter, he cut a

disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...

version of the ''Theme to Star Trek: The Motion Picture'' a 45 of which was included with the soundtrack LP and recorded the album ''

Touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Ameri ...

'' (Tappan Zee, 1978). Among the songs on the album was "Angela", the theme song for the TV show ''

''. James provided all the music for ''Taxi'' and collected some of its music, including "Angela", on ''The Genie: Themes & Variations from the TV Series Taxi'' (1983). When he toured in 1979, he was supported by a marketing campaign that included posters of him at the wheel of a New York yellow cab. The performances were documented on the album ''All Around the Town'' (Tappan Zee, 1980), with a cover of James at the wheel of a taxi. James turned from smooth jazz to classical music to record ''Rameau'' (1984), his interpretations of Baroque-period composer

Jean-Philippe Rameau Jean-Philippe Rameau (; – ) was a French composer and music theory, music theorist. Regarded as one of the most important French composers and music theorists of the 18th century, he replaced Jean-Baptiste Lully as the dominant composer of Fr ...

. In later albums, he interpreted the work of two more Baroque composers,

J. S. Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard w ...

and

Domenico Scarlatti Giuseppe Domenico Scarlatti, also known as Domingo or Doménico Scarlatti (26 October 1685-23 July 1757), was an Italian composer. He is classified primarily as a Baroque composer chronologically, although his music was influential in the deve ...

. A year after ''Rameau'', he collaborated with

David Sanborn David William Sanborn (born July 30, 1945) is an American alto saxophonist. Though Sanborn has worked in many genres, his solo recordings typically blend jazz with instrumental pop and R&B. He released his first solo album ''Taking Off'' in 1 ...

on ''

Double Vision Diplopia is the simultaneous perception of two images of a single object that may be displaced horizontally or vertically in relation to each other. Also called double vision, it is a loss of visual focus under regular conditions, and is often v ...

'' (

Warner Bros Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Di ...

, 1986). The album won a

Grammy Award for Best Jazz Fusion Performance The Grammy Award for Best Jazz Fusion Performance was an award given to a song or album for excellence in the jazz fusion genre, a combination of rock and jazz. It was given at the Grammy Awards, which began in 1958 under the name Gramophone Awar ...

. His collaboration with

Earl Klugh Earl Klugh ( ; born September 16, 1953) is an American acoustic guitarist and composer. He has won one Grammy award and thirteen nominations. Klugh was awarded the “1977” Best Recording Award For Performance and Sound” for his album “Fi ...

, '' One on One'', won a

Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance The Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance was awarded between 1969 and 2011. *In 1969 it was awarded as Best Contemporary-Pop Performance, Instrumental *From 1970 to 1971 it was awarded as Best Contemporary Instrumental Performance ...

in 1980 and has sold over one million copies. Another collaboration with Klugh, ''Cool'', (Warner Bros., 1992) was nominated for a Grammy, as was ''Joined at the Hip'' (Warner Bros., 1996) with

Kirk Whalum Kirk is a Scottish and former Northern English word meaning "church". It is often used specifically of the Church of Scotland. Many place names and personal names are also derived from it. Basic meaning and etymology As a common noun, ''kirk'' ...

, recorded ''Flesh and Bone'' in 1995 and another solo album, ''Joyride'' (Warner Bros., 1999). ''Joined at the Hip'' will be reissued with a 2019 Remaster on evosound.

Fourplay

James was looking for a bass player while recording the album ''Grand Piano Canyon'' (Warner Bros., 1990) with drummer

Harvey Mason Harvey William Mason (born February 22, 1947) is an American jazz drummer, record producer, and member of the band Fourplay. Mason, who attended Berklee in the 1960s, received an Honorary Doctorate at Berklee's 2015 Commencement Ceremony for ...

and guitarist

Lee Ritenour Lee Mack Ritenour ( ; born January 11, 1952) is an American jazz guitarist who has been active since the late 1960s. Biography Ritenour was born on January 11, 1952, in Los Angeles, California, United States. At the age of eight he started play ...

. Mason and Ritenour suggested

Nathan East Nathan Harrell East (born December 8, 1955) is an American jazz, R&B, and rock bass player and vocalist. With more than 2,000 recordings, East is one of the most recorded bass players in the history of music. East holds a Bachelor of Arts degr ...

. After working with them for a while, James suggested they form a band, which resulted in the contemporary jazz quartet

. The band has recorded over ten albums and has seen a couple of personnel changes, with guitarist

Larry Carlton Larry Eugene Carlton (born March 2, 1948) is an American guitarist who built his career as a studio musician in the 1970s and 1980s for acts such as Steely Dan and Joni Mitchell. He has participated in thousands of recording sessions, recorde ...

replacing Ritenour and then

Chuck Loeb Charles Samuel "Chuck" Loeb (December 7, 1955 – July 31, 2017) was an American jazz guitarist and a member of the groups Steps Ahead, Metro and Fourplay. Early years and education Loeb was born in Nyack, New York, near New York City. At a ...

replacing Carlton. Fourplay celebrated its 25th anniversary with the album ''Silver'' ( Heads Up, 2015).

Influence in hip hop

James's music, especially his early albums, has been

often, with his songs "

Nautilus The nautilus (, ) is a pelagic marine mollusc of the cephalopod family Nautilidae. The nautilus is the sole extant family of the superfamily Nautilaceae and of its smaller but near equal suborder, Nautilina. It comprises six living species in t ...

" and "

Take Me to the Mardi Gras "Take Me to the Mardi Gras" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. It was the fourth single from his third studio album, ''There Goes Rhymin' Simon'' (1973), released on Columbia Records. Smooth jazz keyboardist Bob James made an ...

" leading the field.

Selected songs that use James’s music

"Nautilus" was sampled by Eric B. & Rakim in "Let the Rhythm Hit 'em",

Run-D.M.C. Run-DMC (also spelled Run-D.M.C.) was an American hip hop group from Hollis, Queens, New York City, founded in 1983 by Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, and Jason Mizell. Run-DMC is regarded as one of the most influential acts in the history of ...

's "Beats to the Rhyme",

Ghostface Killah Dennis Coles (born May 9, 1970), better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and a member of the hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of ''Enter the Wu-Tang (36 C ...

's "Daytona 500",

DJ Jazzy Jeff Jeffrey Allen Townes (born January 22, 1965), known professionally as DJ Jazzy Jeff (or simply Jazz), is an American disc jockey (DJ) and music producer. He was a member of DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince with Will Smith. He is credited, alon ...

's "Jazzie's Groove",

Jeru the Damaja Kendrick Jeru Davis (born February 14, 1972), known as Jeru the Damaja, is an American rapper and record producer. He is known for his 1993 single " Come Clean" from his debut album, ''The Sun Rises in the East'', ranked as one of the 100 great ...

's "My Mind Spray",

Freddie Gibbs Fredrick Jamel Tipton (born June 14, 1982), better known by his stage name Freddie Gibbs, is an American rapper from Gary, Indiana. After initially being signed to Interscope Records in 2006, Gibbs recorded his debut studio album under the label ...

's "Extradite", and "Farandole (L'Arlesienne Suite No. 2)". It appears on the ''

Funcrusher Plus ''Funcrusher Plus'' is the debut studio album by American hip hop group Company Flow. It was released by Rawkus Records in 1997. In 2009, it was re-released on Definitive Jux. The album has been recognized as "a landmark independent hip-hop releas ...

'' LP from

Company Flow Company Flow was an American hip hop trio from Brooklyn, New York City, consisting of Bigg Jus, El-P and Mr. Len. The group was at one time associated with the independent record label Rawkus Records. Rapper/ producer El-P and DJ/producer Mr. ...

and Nangdo's "Nikes". The bassline from "Nautilus" appears in "Children's Story" by

Slick Rick Richard Martin Lloyd Walters (born January 14, 1965), better known as Slick Rick, is an English-American rapper and record producer. He rose to prominence with Doug E. Fresh & the Get Fresh Crew in the mid-1980s. Their songs " The Show" and " ...

. "Take Me to the Mardi Gras" incorporates in its first four measures a bell-and-drum pattern that is one of hip hop's basic break beats. It has been sampled by

Crash Crew Crash Crew is an American early hip-hop group who recorded for Mike and Dave Records in 1980 and then signed to Sugar Hill Records. The group, based in Harlem, Lincoln Projects New York City, consisted of members DJ Daryll C. (who died in 199 ...

's "Breaking Bells (Take Me to the Mardi Gras)", Run-D.M.C.'s "Peter Piper",

LL Cool J James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), known professionally as LL Cool J (short for Ladies Love Cool James), is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is one of the earliest rappers to achieve commercial success, along ...

's "Rock the Bells", the

Beastie Boys Beastie Boys were an American rap rock group from New York City, formed in 1978. The group was composed of Mike D, Michael "Mike D" Diamond (vocals, drums), Adam Yauch, Adam "MCA" Yauch (vocals, bass), and Ad-Rock, Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz (voca ...

' "Hold it Now, Hit it",

Missy Elliott Melissa Arnette Elliott (born July 1, 1971), better known as Missy Elliott or Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliot, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She embarked on her music career with R&B girl group Sista in the earl ...

's "Work It",

will.i.am William James Adams Jr. (born March 15, 1975), known professionally as will.i.am (pronounced "Will-I-am"), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. He is the founding and lead member of the musical group Black Eyed Peas. ...

's "I Got it from My Mama", "

This Is Me This Is Me may refer to: Albums * ''This Is Me'' (Charlie McDonnell album), 2010 * ''This Is Me'' (Heather Peace album), 2010 * ''This Is Me'' (Jully Black album), or the title song, 2005 * ''This Is Me'' (Kierra Sheard album), or the titl ...

(Urban Remix)" by

Dream A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, althou ...

, "I Want You" by

Common Common may refer to: Places * Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts * Cambridge Common, common land area in Cambridge, Massachusetts * Clapham Common, originally com ...

, and "Take It Back" by

Wu-Tang Clan Wu-Tang Clan is an American hip hop group formed in Staten Island, New York City, in 1992. Its original members include RZA, GZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, and Masta Killa. Close affili ...

. "Westchester Lady" was sampled by

DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince were an American hip hop duo from West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, consisting of rapper Will Smith (the Fresh Prince) and disc jockey Jeff Townes (DJ Jazzy Jeff). Active full time from 1986 to 1994 and occasion ...

in " Here We Go Again", as well as by DJ T-Rock and Squashy Nice in their song "Evolution". James's 1981 song " Sign of the Times" was sampled by

Warren G Warren Griffin III (born November 10, 1970) is an American rapper and producer known for his role in West Coast rap's 1990s ascent.Steve Huey"Warren G: Biography" ''AllMusic.com'', Netaktion LLC, visited May 8, 2020. Along with Snoop Dogg and N ...

and

Nate Dogg Nathaniel Dwayne Hale (August 19, 1969 – March 15, 2011), known professionally as Nate Dogg, was an American singer and rapper. He gained recognition for providing guest vocals for a multitude of hit rap songs between 1992 and 2007, earning the ...

in their 1994 single "

Regulate Regulate may refer to: * Regulation * '' Regulate...G Funk Era'', an album from rapper Warren G ** Regulate (song), title song from the album See also * * * Regulator (disambiguation) Regulator may refer to: Technology * Regulator (automati ...

". His 1980 song "Snowbird Fantasy" was sampled by French house musician and

Le Knight Club Guillaume Emmanuel "Guy-Manuel" de Homem-Christo (; born 8 February 1974) is a French musician, record producer, singer, songwriter, DJ and composer. He is known as one half of the former French house music duo Daft Punk, along with Thomas Bang ...

member Eric Chedeville, also Known as "Rico the Wizard", in his 2009 single "Spell of Love", which was remixed later by

DJ Sneak Carlos Sosa (born November 5, 1969), known as DJ Sneak, is a Puerto Rican-born American DJ and record producer raised in Chicago, Illinois, United States. He is noted as being one of the second wave of Chicago house producers, (alongside Derrick ...

. The track "Tappan Zee", an ode to James' record label of the same name, was sampled in Arrested Development's "People Everyday (Metamorphis Remix)". In the past, James has stated that he had "a lot of respect" for the creative process of hip hop production, only being unhappy when his music was plagiarized or illegally sampled. James has begun to sample his own music, as shown on the composition "Submarine". He has also been collaborating in recent years with

9th Wonder Patrick Denard Douthit (born January 15, 1975),
better known as 9th Wonder, is a Slick Rick Richard Martin Lloyd Walters (born January 14, 1965), better known as Slick Rick, is an English-American rapper and record producer. He rose to prominence with Doug E. Fresh & the Get Fresh Crew in the mid-1980s. Their songs " The Show" and " ...

Awards and honors

, with Earl Klugh, ''One on One'' (1979) * Grammy Award for Grammy Award for Best Jazz Fusion Performance, Best Jazz Fusion Performance, Vocal or Instrumental, with David Sanborn, ''Double Vision'' (1986) * Grammy nomination, ''Cool'' with Earl Klugh (1992) * Grammy nomination, ''Joined at the Hip'' with Kirk Whalum (1996) * Grammy nomination, ''Joyride'' (1999) * George Benson Lifetime Achievement Award (2006) * Grammy nomination for Best Pop Instrumental, "Fortune Teller" by Fourplay (2008) * International Achievement Award, State of Michigan (2008) * Best Group of the Year nomination, American Smooth Jazz Awards, Fourplay (2010) * Grammy nomination for Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella, "Ghost of a Chance" (2016)

Discography

As leader

* '' Bold Conceptions'' (Mercury, 1963) – recorded in 1962 * ''

Explosions An explosion is a rapid expansion in volume associated with an extreme outward release of energy, usually with the generation of high temperatures and release of high-pressure gases. Supersonic explosions created by high explosives are known ...

'' (ESP Disk, 1965) * ''

'' (CTI, 1974; Tappan Zee/Columbia, 1981) * ''

Two 2 (two) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 1 and preceding 3. It is the smallest and only even prime number. Because it forms the basis of a duality, it has religious and spiritual significance in many cultur ...

'' (CTI, 1975; Tappan Zee/Columbia, 1981) * ''

Three 3 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 3, three, or III may also refer to: * AD 3, the third year of the AD era * 3 BC, the third year before the AD era * March, the third month Books * '' Three of Them'' (Russian: ', literally, "three"), a 1901 ...

'' (CTI, 1976; Tappan Zee/Columbia, 1981) * ''

BJ4 ''BJ4'' is the fourth album by jazz pianist Bob James. Released in 1977, the album charted at number three on the Jazz Album Charts. This would be his last CTI album before starting his label Tappan Zee Records, named for one of the tracks on t ...

'' (CTI, 1977; Tappan Zee/Columbia, 1981) * ''

Heads A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple animals may no ...

'' (Tappan Zee/Columbia, 1977) * ''

'' (Tappan Zee/Columbia, 1978) * '' Lucky Seven'' (Tappan Zee/Columbia, 1979) * '' One on One'' with

(Tappan Zee/Columbia, 1979) * '' H'' (Tappan Zee/Columbia, 1980) * ''All Around the Town'' (Tappan Zee/Columbia, 1981) LP– live * '' Sign of the Times'' (Tappan Zee/Columbia, 1981) * '' Hands Down'' (Tappan Zee/Columbia, 1982) * '' Two of a Kind'' with Earl Klugh (Capitol, 1982) * ''The Genie: Themes & Variations from the TV Series "Taxi"'' (Tappan Zee/Columbia, 1983) * ''Foxie'' (Tappan Zee/Columbia, 1983) * ''Rameau'' (CBS Masterworks, 1984) * ''12'' (Tappan Zee/Columbia, 1984) * ''The Swan'' (Tappan Zee/CBS/Sony p 1984) * ''

'' with

(Warner Bros., 1986) * '' Obsession'' (Warner Bros., 1986) * ''The Scarlatti Dialogues'' (CBS Masterworks, 1988) * ''Ivory Coast'' (Warner Bros., 1988) * ''Concertos for Two & Three Keyboards'' with Guher Pekinel (CBS Masterworks, 1989) * '' Grand Piano Canyon'' (Warner Bros., 1990) * ''Cool'' with Earl Klugh (Warner Bros., 1992) * ''Restless'' (Warner Bros., 1994) * ''Flesh and Blood'' with Hilary James (Warner Bros., 1995) * '' Straight Up'' (Warner Bros., 1996) * ''Joined at the Hip'' with

(Warner Bros., 1996) * ''Playin' Hooky'' (Warner Bros., 1997) * ''Joy Ride'' (Warner Bros., 1999) * ''Dancing on the Water'' (Warner Bros., 2001) * ''Morning, Noon & Night'' (Warner Bros., 2002) * ''Take It from the Top'' (Koch, 2004) * ''Urban Flamingo'' (Koch, 2006) * ''Angels of Shanghai'' (Koch, 2007) * ''Christmas Eyes'' with Hilary James (Koch, 2008) * ''Botero'' with Jack Lee (VideoArts p 2009) * ''Just Friends'' with Howard Paul (BJHP Music, 2011) * ''Altair & Vega'' with

Keiko Matsui , is a Japanese keyboardist and composer, specializing in smooth jazz and New-age music. Biography Keiko Matsui was born in Tokyo, Japan. Her mother, Emiko, took her to her first piano lesson in the June following her fifth birthday. Japanese t ...

(eOne Music, 2012) * ''Quartette Humaine'' with David Sanborn (OKeh/Sony Masterworks, 2013) * ''Alone: Kaleidoscope by Solo Piano'' (Red River, 2013) * ''The New Cool'' with

(Yamaha, 2015) * ''Live at Milliken Auditorium'' (Tappan Zee, 2015) * ''Espresso'' (Evosound, 2018) * ''Once Upon a Time: The Lost 1965 New York Studio Sessions'' (Resonance, 2020) * ''On Vacation'' with

Till Brönner Till Brönner (born 6 May 1971 in Viersen, West Germany) is a jazz musician, trumpeter, flügelhorn player, singer, composer, producer and photographer. History From 1989–1991, Brönner was a member of the Peter Herbolzheimer Rhythm Combinati ...

(Sony Masterworks, 2020) * ''Feel Like Making Live!'' with

Billy Kilson William Earl Kilson (born August 2, 1962) is an American jazz drummer. Kilson was born in Washington, D.C.. He started on trumpet at ten, switched to trombone at 11, then to drums at 16. He studied at the Berklee College of Music from 1980 to 1985 ...

and Michael Palazzolo (Evosound, 2022) Singles * "Nautilus" b/w "Submarine (Remix)" (RSD Exclusive/Limited Edition 7" Vinyl Single) (Evosound, 2020)

With
Fourplay Fourplay (stylized as fOURPLAY) is a contemporary American smooth jazz quartet. The original members of the group were Bob James (keyboards), Lee Ritenour (guitars), Nathan East (bass), and Harvey Mason (drums). In 1997, Lee Ritenour left the ...

* ''

'' (Warner Bros., 1991) – recorded in 1990-91 * '' Between the Sheets'' (Warner Bros., 1993) * ''

Elixir ELIXIR (the European life-sciences Infrastructure for biological Information) is an initiative that will allow life science laboratories across Europe to share and store their research data as part of an organised network. Its goal is to bring t ...

'' (Warner Bros., 1995) * '' 4'' (Warner Bros., 1998) * '' Snowbound'' (Warner Bros., 1999) * ''

Yes, Please! ''Yes, Please!'' is the sixth studio album of the jazz group Fourplay which was released by Warner Bros. Records in 2000. Track listing Personnel Fourplay * Bob James – pianos, keyboards * Larry Carlton – guitars * Nathan East – bas ...

'' (Warner Bros., 2000) * '' Heartfelt'' (Bluebird/RCA Victor/BMG, 2002) * ''

Journey Journey or journeying may refer to: * Travel, the movement of people between distant geographical locations ** Day's journey, a measurement of distance ** Road trip, a long-distance journey on the road Animals * Journey (horse), a thoroughbred ra ...

'' (Bluebird/RCA Victor/BMG, 2004) * '' X'' (Bluebird/RCA Victor/BMG, 2006) * ''

Energy In physics, energy (from Ancient Greek: ἐνέργεια, ''enérgeia'', “activity”) is the quantitative property that is transferred to a body or to a physical system, recognizable in the performance of work and in the form of heat a ...

'' (Heads Up, 2008) * ''

Let's Touch the Sky ''Let's Touch the Sky'' is the 11th studio album (12th overall) of the jazz group Fourplay, released in 2010. It is the first Fourplay album with Chuck Loeb, who replaced Larry Carlton on the guitar. Track listing Personnel Fourplay * B ...

'' (Heads Up, 2010) * ''

Esprit De Four ''Esprit De Four'' is the 12th studio album by Fourplay, released in 2012. Track listing # "December Dream " (Chuck Loeb) – 7:46 # "Firefly" (Nathan East, Tom Keane) – 4:12 # "Venus" (Harvey Mason, Sr.) – 7:11 # "Sonnymoon" (Chuck Loeb) ...

'' (Heads Up, 2012) * ''

Silver Silver is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂erǵ-, ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, whi ...

'' (Heads Up, 2015)

As sideman

With

Patti Austin Patti Austin (born August 10, 1950) is an American R&B, pop, and jazz singer and songwriter. Music career Austin was born in Harlem, New York, to Gordon Austin, a jazz trombonist. She was raised in Bay Shore, New York on Long Island. Quincy ...

* ''Every Home Should Have One'' (Qwest, 1981) * ''That Secret Place'' (GRP, 1994) With

Chet Baker Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker Jr. (December 23, 1929 – May 13, 1988) was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist. He is known for major innovations in cool jazz that led him to be nicknamed the "Prince of Cool". Baker earned much attention and ...

* ''

Baby Breeze ''Baby Breeze'' is an album by trumpeter/vocalist Chet Baker which was recorded in 1964 and released on the Limelight label.I/We Had a Ball'' (Limelight, 1965) – recorded in 1964-65 * '' She Was Too Good to Me'' (CTI, 1974) * '' Carnegie Hall Concert'' (CTI, 1975) – live recorded in 1974 With

George Benson George Washington Benson (born March 22, 1943) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career at the age of 19 as a jazz guitarist. A former child prodigy, Benson first came to prominence in the 1960s, pla ...

* ''The Other Side of Abbey Road'' (A&M, 1970) * ''Love Remembers'' (Warner Bros., 1993) With

Ron Carter Ronald Levin Carter (born May 4, 1937) is an American jazz double bassist. His appearances on 2,221 recording sessions make him the most-recorded jazz bassist in history. He has won three Grammy awards, and is also a cellist who has recorded nu ...

* ''

Blues Farm ''Blues Farm'' is an album by bassist Ron Carter recorded at Van Gelder Studio in New Jersey in 1973 and released on the CTI label.Empire Jazz ''Empire Jazz'' is an album by bassist Ron Carter featuring jazz interpretations of five of John Williams' themes from ''The Empire Strikes Back'' which was recorded in 1980 and released on the RSO label.Hank Crawford Bennie Ross "Hank" Crawford, Jr. (December 21, 1934 – January 29, 2009) was an American Alto saxophone, alto saxophonist, arranger and songwriter whose genres ranged from Rhythm and blues, R&B, hard bop, jazz-funk, and soul jazz. Crawford was ...

* ''We Got a Good Thing Going'' (Kudu, 1972) * ''Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing'' (Kudu, 1974) With Sam Franz *''2080'' (Eight Islands, 2022) With

Eric Gale Eric Gale (September 20, 1938 – May 25, 1994) was an American jazz and R&B guitarist. ''Early life and career'' Born in Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York, Gale grew up in a diverse household. His paternal grandfather was from Yorksh ...

* ''Forecast'' (Kudu, 1973) * ''Ginseng Woman'' (Columbia, 1977) * ''Multiplication'' (Columbia, 1977) * ''Island Breeze'' (Elektra Musician, 1983) With

* ''

Walking in Space ''Walking in Space'' is a 1969 studio album by Quincy Jones. The album was recorded for A&M who released the album with a cover photo of Jones taken by Pete Turner. Vocalist Valerie Simpson is featured on the title track, an arrangement of a ...

'' (A&M, 1969) * ''

Gula Matari ''Gula Matari'' is a 1970 studio album by Quincy Jones. Track listing # "Bridge Over Troubled Water" (Paul Simon) – 5:09 # "Gula Matari" (Quincy Jones) – 13:02 # "Walkin'" (Richard Carpenter) – 8:02 # "Hummin'" (Nat Adderley) – 8:08 Per ...

'' (A&M, 1970) * ''

Smackwater Jack ''Smackwater Jack'' is a 1971 studio album by Quincy Jones. Tracks include the theme music to '' Ironside'' and ''The Bill Cosby Show''. Track listing # " Smackwater Jack" (Gerry Goffin, Carole King) – 3:31 # "Cast Your Fate to the Wind" (Vin ...

'' (A&M, 1971) * ''

You've Got It Bad Girl ''You've Got It Bad Girl'' is a 1973 album by the American jazz musician/producer Quincy Jones. The title track is a song written by Yvonne Wright and Stevie Wonder and was originally released on Wonder's 1972 album ''Talking Book''. Here Jone ...

'' (A&M, 1973) * ''

Body Heat Thermoregulation is the ability of an organism to keep its body temperature within certain boundaries, even when the surrounding temperature is very different. A thermoconforming organism, by contrast, simply adopts the surrounding temperature ...

'' (A&M, 1974) * '' I Heard That!!'' (A&M, 1976) LP– recorded in 1969-76 With

Hubert Laws Hubert Laws (born November 10, 1939) is an American flutist and saxophonist with a career spanning over 40 years in jazz, classical, and other music genres. Laws is one of the few classical artists who has also mastered jazz, pop, and rhythm- ...

* ''

Crying Song Crying is the human production of tears in response to an emotional state. Crying may also refer to: Music * Crying (band), an American rock band from Purchase, New York * ''Crying'' (album), a 1962 album by Roy Orbison Songs * "Cryin'", a ...

'' (CTI, 1969) * '' Afro-Classic'' (CTI, 1970) * ''

Morning Star Morning Star, morning star, or Morningstar may refer to: Astronomy * Morning star, most commonly used as a name for the planet Venus when it appears in the east before sunrise ** See also Venus in culture * Morning star, a name for the star Siri ...

'' (CTI, 1972) * ''

The Rite of Spring ''The Rite of Spring''. Full name: ''The Rite of Spring: Pictures from Pagan Russia in Two Parts'' (french: Le Sacre du printemps: tableaux de la Russie païenne en deux parties) (french: Le Sacre du printemps, link=no) is a ballet and orchestral ...

'' (CTI, 1972) * ''

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhatta ...

'' (CTI, 1973) * '' In the Beginning'' (CTI, 1974) * ''Then There Was Light'' (CTI, 1974) * ''

The Chicago Theme ''The Chicago Theme'' is an album by flautist Hubert Laws recorded at Rudy Van Gelder's Studio in New Jersey in 1974 and released in 1975 on the CTI label.

'' (CTI, 1975) * ''Romeo & Juliet'' (Columbia, 1976) * '' The San Francisco Concert'' (CTI, 1977) With

* ''Funk in a Mason Jar'' (Arista, 1977) * ''Groovin' You'' (Arista, 1979) * ''Stone Mason'' (Alfa, 1982) * ''Ratamacue'' (Atlantic, 1996) * ''Chameleon'' (Columbia, 2014) With

* ''Festival'' (GRP, 1988) * ''Wes Bound'' (GRP, 1993) * ''This Is Love'' (i.e. Music/Polygram, 1998) With Gabor Szabo * '' Mizrab'' (CTI, 1973) * ''Rambler'' (CTI, 1974) * ''

Macho Machismo (; ; ; ) is the sense of being " manly" and self-reliant, a concept associated with "a strong sense of masculine pride: an exaggerated masculinity". Machismo is a term originating in the early 1930s and 1940s best defined as hav ...

'' (Salvation, 1975) With

* ''Cherry'' (CTI, 1972) * ''Don't Mess with Mister T.'' (CTI, 1973) * ''The Baddest Turrentine'' (CTI, 1973) * ''The Sugar Man'' (CTI, 1979) With

Grover Washington Jr. Grover Washington Jr. (December 12, 1943 – December 17, 1999) was an American jazz-funk and soul-jazz saxophonist. Along with Wes Montgomery and George Benson, he is considered by many to be one of the founders of the smooth jazz genre. He wr ...

* ''Inner City Blues'' (Kudu, 1971) * ''All the King's Horses'' (Kudu, 1972) * ''Soul Box'' (Kudu, 1973) * ''Feels So Good'' (Kudu, 1975) * ''Mister Magic'' (Kudu, 1975) With

* ''Floppy Disk'' (Tappan Zee/Columbia, 1985) * ''And You Know That!'' (Columbia, 1988) * ''The Promise'' (Columbia, 1989) * ''Cache'' (Columbia, 1993) With

John Zorn John Zorn (born September 2, 1953) is an American composer, conductor, saxophonist, arranger and producer who "deliberately resists category". Zorn's avant-garde and experimental approaches to composition and improvisation are inclusive of jaz ...

* ''

The Big Gundown ''The Big Gundown'' ( it, La resa dei conti, lit=The Settling of Scores) is a 1966 Spaghetti Western film directed by Sergio Sollima, and starring Lee Van Cleef and Tomas Milian. Plot Possessing a reputation for bringing criminals to justice, r ...

'' (Nonesuch, 1986) * ''Cobra'' (Hat Hut, 1987) * ''

Spillane Spillane is a family name derived from the Ireland, Irish (Gaelic) surname Ó Spealáin or Mac Spealáin. It has also been anglicised as Spellman, Spillan, Spilane and Spallon. It may refer to: People * Adrian Spillane (born 1994), Gaelic football ...

'' (Nonesuch, 1987) With others *

Amerie Amerie Mi Marie Nicholson ( Rogers; born January 12, 1980) is an American singer. Born in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, she gained an appreciation of the classical arts from her mother Mi Suk Rogers and of music from her father Charles Rogers, and ...

, ''Because I Love It'' (Columbia, 2007) *

Randy Bernsen Randy Bernsen (born July 15, 1954) is an American jazz guitarist. Career Bernsen was born in Needham, Massachusetts and grew up in Florida. He attended high school in Plantation and was active in the clubs of South Florida, starting at age 1 ...

, ''Music for Planets, People & Washing Machines'' (Zebra/MCA, 1985) *

Blood, Sweat & Tears Blood, Sweat & Tears (also known as "BS&T") is a jazz rock music group founded in New York City in 1967, noted for a combination of brass with rock instrumentation. In addition to original music, the group has performed popular songs by Laura Ny ...

, '' More Than Ever'' (Columbia, 1976) *

Chris Botti Christopher Stephen Botti ( ; born October 12, 1962) is an award-winning American trumpeter and composer. In 2013, Botti won the Grammy Award in the Best Pop Instrumental Album category, for the album ''Impressions''. He was also nominated in ...

, ''

Slowing Down the World ''Slowing Down the World'' is the third studio album by trumpet player Chris Botti. It was released by GRP Records on June 22, 1999. Botti himself provided vocals on "Same Girl". Track listing Personnel * Chris Botti – trumpet (1-11), key ...

'' (GRP, 1999) *

Eddie Brigati Edward Brigati Jr. (born October 22, 1945) is an American singer-songwriter. He was the co-lead vocalist, along with Felix Cavaliere, and percussionist in the rock group The Young Rascals from 1964 to 1970. Prior to his stint with The Young Ra ...

, ''Lost in the Wilderness'' (Elektra, 1976) *

Gary Burton Gary Burton (born January 23, 1943) is an American jazz vibraphonist, composer, and educator. Burton developed a pianistic style of four-mallet technique as an alternative to the prevailing two-mallet technique. This approach caused him to be he ...

, '' Cool Nights'' (GRP, 1991) *

Karen Carpenter Karen Anne Carpenter (March 2, 1950 – February 4, 1983) was an American singer and drummer, who formed half of the sibling duo the Carpenters alongside her older brother Richard. With a distinctive three-octave contralto range, she was praise ...

, ''

'' (A&M, 1996) – recorded in 1979-80 *

The Carpenters The Carpenters (officially known as Carpenters) were an American vocal and instrumental duo consisting of siblings Karen Carpenter, Karen (1950–1983) and Richard Carpenter (musician), Richard Carpenter (born 1946). They produced a distinct ...

, ''

Lovelines ''Lovelines'' is the posthumous thirteenth studio album by American music duo Carpenters, the second Carpenters album released after the death of Karen Carpenter. It was released in 1989 and is a compilation album assembled by Richard Carpenter ...

'' (A&M, 1989) – recorded in 1978-80 *

David Chesky David Chesky is an American pianist, composer, producer, arranger, and co-founder of the independent, audiophile label Chesky Records. He is also co-founder and CEO of HDtracks, an online music store that sells high-resolution digital music. Ches ...

, ''Rush Hour'' (Columbia, 1980) *

Merry Clayton Merry Clayton (born December 25, 1948) is an American soul and gospel singer. She provided a number of backing vocal tracks for major performing artists in the 1960s, most notably in her duet with Mick Jagger on the Rolling Stones song "Gimme Sh ...

, ''Keep Your Eye On the Sparrow'' (Ode, 1975) *

Natalie Cole Natalie Maria Cole (February 6, 1950 – December 31, 2015) was an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She was the daughter of American singer and jazz pianist Nat King Cole. She rose to success in the mid-1970s as an R&B singer with the h ...

, ''Stardust'' (Elektra, 1996) *

Eddie Daniels Eddie Daniels (born October 19, 1941) is an American musician and composer. Although he is best known as a jazz clarinetist, he has also played saxophone and flute as well as classical music on clarinet. Early life, family and education Daniel ...

, ''Beautiful Love'' (Shanachie, 1997) *

De La Soul De La Soul () is an American hip hop trio formed in 1988 in the Amityville area of Long Island, New York. They are best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative ...

, ''De La Soul Is Dead'' (EastWest/Tommy Boy, 1991) *

Eumir Deodato Eumir Deodato de Almeida (; born 22 June 1942) is a Brazilian pianist, composer, arranger and record producer, primarily in jazz but who has been known for his eclectic melding of genres, such as pop, rock, disco, rhythm and blues, classical, ...

Airto Moreira Airto Guimorvan Moreira (born August 5, 1941) is a Brazilian jazz drummer and percussionist. He is married to jazz singer Flora Purim, and their daughter Diana Moreira is also a singer. Coming to prominence in the late 1960s as a member of the ...

, ''In Concert'' (CTI, 1974) *

Paul Desmond Paul Desmond (born Paul Emil Breitenfeld; November 25, 1924 – May 30, 1977) was an American jazz alto saxophone, alto saxophonist and composer, best known for his work with the Dave Brubeck Quartet and for composing that group's biggest hit, " ...

, ''

Skylark ''Alauda'' is a genus of larks found across much of Europe, Asia and in the mountains of north Africa, and one of the species (the Raso lark) endemic to the islet of Raso in the Cape Verde Islands. Further, at least two additional species are ...

'' (CTI, 1974) *

Neil Diamond Neil Leslie Diamond (born January 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. He has sold more than 130 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling musicians of all time. He has had ten No. 1 singles on the Hot 100 and Adul ...

, ''Beautiful Noise'' (Columbia, 1976) *

Eric Dolphy Eric Allan Dolphy Jr. (June 20, 1928 – June 29, 1964) was an American jazz alto saxophonist, bass clarinetist and flautist. On a few occasions, he also played the clarinet and piccolo. Dolphy was one of several multi-instrumentalists to gai ...

, ''Other Aspects'' (Blue Note, 1987) *

, ''Nathan East'' (Yamaha, 2014) *

Eliane Elias Eliane Elias
BrowseBiography.com, 20 November 2011; retrieved 10 September 2014. is a Brazilian jazz pianist, sin ...

, ''Portrait of Bill Evans'' (JVC, 2004) *

Bill Evans William John Evans (August 16, 1929 – September 15, 1980) was an American jazz pianist and composer who worked primarily as the leader of his trio. His use of impressionist harmony, interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, block ch ...

, ''Push'' (Lipstick, 1994) *

Fania All-Stars The Fania All-Stars is a musical group formed in 1968 as a showcase for the musicians on Fania Records, the leading salsa music record label of the time. History Beginnings In 1964, Fania Records was founded in New York City by Jerry Masucci, ...

, ''Rhythm Machine'' (Fania, 1977) *

, ''Primal Scream'' (Columbia, 1976) * Maynard Ferguson, ''Conquistador'' (Columbia, 1977) *

, ''Feel Like Makin' Love'' (Atlantic, 1975) *

Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the " Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in ''Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With ...

, ''Let Me in Your Life'' (Atlantic, 1974) * Michael Franks, ''Abandoned Garden'' (Warner Bros., 1995) * Michael Franks, ''Barefoot On the Beach'' (Windham Hill, 1999) * Russ Freeman, ''Holiday'' (GRP, 1995) *

, ''Shadow of a Doubt'' (ESGN, 2015) * Jeff Golub and Avenue Blue, ''Naked City'' (Bluemoon Mesa, 1996) * Jeff Golub and Avenue Blue, ''Nightlife'' (Bluemoon Mesa, 1997) *

Johnny "Hammond" Smith John Robert "Johnny Hammond" Smith (December 16, 1933 – June 4, 1997) was an American soul jazz and hard bop organist. Born in Louisville, Kentucky, he was a renowned player of the Hammond B-3 organ so earning "Hammond" as a nickname, whi ...

, ''Higher Ground'' (Kudu, 1974) *

Terumasa Hino is a Japanese jazz trumpeter. He is considered one of Japan's finest jazz musicians. His instruments include the trumpet, cornet, and flügelhorn. Early life He was born in Tokyo, Japan, and his father was a trumpeter and tap dancer. Hino start ...

, ''Daydream'' (Flying Disk, 1980) *

Freddie Hubbard Frederick Dewayne Hubbard (April 7, 1938 – December 29, 2008) was an American jazz trumpeter. He played bebop, hard bop, and post-bop styles from the early 1960s onwards. His unmistakable and influential tone contributed to new perspectives fo ...

, ''Windjammer'' (Columbia, 1976) *

Jackie and Roy Jackie and Roy was an American jazz vocal team consisting of husband and wife singer Jackie Cain (1928-2014) and singer/pianist Roy Kral (1921-2002). They sang together for 56 years and made almost 40 albums. Kral's 2002 obituary in ''The New Y ...

, ''

Time & Love ''Time & Love'' is an album by American vocalists Jackie Cain and Roy Kral featuring performances recorded in 1972 and released on the CTI label.

'' (CTI, 1972) *

Boney James Boney James (born James Oppenheim September 1, 1961) is an American saxophonist (tenor, alto and soprano), songwriter, record producer and recording artist. He is a four-time Grammy Award nominee (Best Pop Instrumental Album, 2001, 2004, 2014 an ...

Rick Braun Rick Braun (born July 6, 1955) is a smooth jazz trumpet, flugelhorn, trombone and keyboards player, vocalist, composer, and record producer. Career Braun was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania and attended Dieruff High School. His mother was a se ...

, ''Shake It Up'' (Warner Bros., 2000) *

J. J. Johnson J.J. Johnson (January 22, 1924 – February 4, 2001), born James Louis Johnson and also known as Jay Jay Johnson, was an American jazz trombonist, composer and arranger. Johnson was one of the earliest trombonists to embrace bebop. Biograph ...

Kai Winding Kai Chresten Winding ( ; May 18, 1922 – May 6, 1983) was a Danish-born American trombonist and jazz composer. He is known for his collaborations with fellow trombonist J. J. Johnson. His version of "More", the theme from the movie ''Mondo Ca ...

, ''

Stonebone ''Stonebone'' is an album by jazz trombonists Kai Winding and J. J. Johnson featuring performances recorded in 1969 and released by CTI only in Japan.

'' (A&M, 1970) *

Steve Khan Steve Khan (born Steven Harris Cahn; April 28, 1947) is an American jazz guitarist. Career Steven Harris Cahn was born in Los Angeles. His father, lyricist Sammy Cahn, "loved to hear any and all versions of his songs". He took piano lessons as a ...

, ''Tightrope'' (Tappan Zee/Columbia, 1977) * Steve Khan, ''The Blue Man'' (Tappan Zee/Columbia, 1978) *

Morgana King Maria Grazia Morgana Messina (June 4, 1930 – March 22, 2018), known as Morgana King, was an American jazz singer and actress.Liner notes by Joel Dorn – Morgana King album ''The Complete Reprise Recordings'' (2000).Liner notes by Ed Osborne � ...

, ''New Beginnings'' (Paramount, 1973) *

Dave Koz David Stephen Koz (born March 27, 1963) is an American smooth jazz saxophonist, composer, record producer, and radio personality based in California. Early life Dave Koz was born in Encino, California, to Jewish parents: Norman, a dermatologist ...

, ''A New Day'' (Just Koz Entertainment, 2020) *

, ''The Moon, the Stars and the Setting Sun'' (Shanachie, 1998) *

Kenny Loggins Kenneth Clark Loggins (born January 7, 1948) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. His early songs were recorded with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in 1970, which led to seven albums recorded as Loggins and Messina from 1972 to 1977. His ...

, ''Celebrate Me Home'' (Columbia, 1977) *

Ralph MacDonald Ralph Anthony MacDonald (March 15, 1944 – December 18, 2011) was a Trinidadian and Tobagonian American, Trinbagonian-American percussionist, songwriter, musical arranger, record producer, steelpan virtuoso and philanthropist. His compositions ...

, ''Sound of a Drum'' (Marlin, 1976) * Ralph MacDonald, ''The Path'' (Marlin, 1978) *

Kevin Mahogany Kevin Bryant Mahogany (July 30, 1958 – December 17, 2017) was an American jazz vocalist who became prominent in the 1990s. Particularly known for his scat singing, his singing style has been compared with those of Billy Eckstine, Joe William ...

, ''My Romance'' (Warner Bros., 1998) *

, ''Whisper from the Mirror'' (Countdown/Unity, 2000) *

Amanda McBroom Amanda McBroom (born August 9, 1947) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Notable among the songs she has written is "The Rose (song), The Rose", which Bette Midler sang in the The Rose (film), film of the same name, and which has been ...

, ''Midnight Matinee'' (Analogue, 1991) *

Gene McDaniels Eugene Booker McDaniels (February 12, 1935 – July 29, 2011) was an American singer and songwriter. He had his greatest recording success in the early 1960s, reaching number three on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 singles chart with " A Hun ...

, ''Natural Juices'' (Ode, 1975) * Michael McDonald, ''Motown'' (Motown, 2003) *

Dave McMurray Dave McMurray is an American jazz musician. His primary instrument is saxophone. Early life and career McMurray grew up on the eastside of Detroit. The son of a working-class family, he received a scholarship through Horizons Upward Bound to a ...

, ''Peace of Mind'' (Hip Bop, 1999) *

Melba Moore Beatrice Melba Hill or Beatrice Melba Smith (sources differ) (born October 29, 1945), known by her stage name Melba Moore, is an American singer and actress. Biography Early life and education Moore was born Beatrice Melba Hill or Beatrice Melba ...

, ''Peach Melba'' (Buddah, 1975) *

Idris Muhammad Idris Muhammad ( ar, إدريس محمد; born Leo Morris; November 13, 1939 – July 29, 2014) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. He had an extensive career performing jazz, funk, R&B, and soul music and recorded with musicians such a ...

, ''Power of Soul'' (Kudu, 1974) * Idris Muhammad, ''My Turn'' (Lipstick, 1991) *

Gerry Mulligan Gerald Joseph Mulligan (April 6, 1927 – January 20, 1996), also known as Jeru, was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, composer and arranger. Though primarily known as one of the leading jazz baritone saxophonists—playing the instrum ...

& Chet Baker, ''Carnegie Hall Concert'' (CTI, 1975) *

Esther Phillips Esther Phillips (born Esther Mae Jones; December 23, 1935 – August 7, 1984) was an American singer, best known for her R&B vocals.Santelli, Robert (2001). ''The Big Book of Blues: A Biographical Encyclopedia''. Penguin Books. p. 376. . She ...

, ''Performance'' (Kudu, 1974) *

Doc Powell Doc Powell is an American jazz guitarist and composer. He was born and raised in Spring Valley, New York. He attended college at University of Charleston. Career He has worked with Wilson Pickett, who chose him to be his musical director. He has ...

, ''Inner City Blues'' (101 South, 1995) * Doc Powell, ''Life Changes'' (Gold Circle, 2001) *

The Rippingtons The Rippingtons are an American contemporary jazz group, mainly relating to the genres smooth jazz, jazz fusion, jazz pop, and crossover jazz. Formed in 1985 by guitarist and band leader Russ Freeman, their career has spanned more than three de ...

, ''Life in the Tropics'' (Peak, 2000) *

Luis Salinas Luis Salinas (born 24 June 1957) is an Argentine jazz guitarist who plays electric and nylon string guitars. His music includes elements of bossa nova, samba, Afro-Uruguayan candombe, salsa, boleros, and jazz. He blends traditional South Americ ...

, ''Rosario'' (Universal, 2001) *

Mongo Santamaria Mongo may refer to: Geography Africa * Mongo, Chad, a Sahel city * Apostolic Vicariate of Mongo (Roman Catholic missionary jurisdiction) * Mongo, Sierra Leone, a chiefdom * Mongo River (Little Scarces River), Guinea and Sierra Leone, a tributa ...

, ''Red Hot'' (Tappan Zee/Columbia, 1979) *

Marilyn Scott Marilyn Scott (born December 21, 1949 in Altadena, California) is an American jazz vocalist. Scott got her start performing locally at age 15. She went to college in San Francisco, singing in both jazz and pop ensembles there. She was noticed by ...

, ''Take Me with You'' (Warner Bros., 1996) * Tom Scott, ''New York Connection'' (Ode, 1975) *

Don Sebesky Don Sebesky (born December 10, 1937) is an American arranger, jazz trombonist, and keyboardist. Biography Sebesky trained in trombone at the Manhattan School of Music; in his early career, he played with Kai Winding, Claude Thornhill, Tommy Do ...

, ''

Giant Box ''Giant Box'' is a double album by American arranger/conductor and composer Don Sebesky recorded in 1973 and released on the CTI label.Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actor whose career has spanned six decades. He is one of the most acclaimed songwriters in popular music, both as a solo artist and as half of folk roc ...

, ''There Goes Rhymin' Simon'' (Columbia, 1973) * Paul Simon, ''Still Crazy After All These Years'' (Columbia, 1975) *

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...

, ''L.A. Is My Lady'' (Qwest/WB, 1984) *

Phoebe Snow Phoebe Snow (born Phoebe Ann Laub; July 17, 1950 – April 26, 2011) was an American roots music singer-songwriter and guitarist, known for her hit 1974 and 1975 songs "San Francisco Bay Blues", "Poetry Man", "Harpo's Blues", and her credited g ...

, ''Phoebe Snow'' (Shelter, 1974) *

Chris Standring Chris Standring (born 1 December 1960) is a British jazz guitarist known for his heavy use of 1970s-style musical nuances. Before launching his solo career with his 1998 album ''Velvet'', he represented a third of the band SolarSystem, a band t ...

, ''Sunlight'' (Ultimate Vibe, 2018) *

Wayman Tisdale Wayman Lawrence Tisdale (June 9, 1964 – May 15, 2009) was an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and a smooth jazz bass guitarist. A three-time All American at the University of Oklahoma,

, ''Way Up!'' (Platinum/Rendezvous 2007) *

John Tropea John Tropea (pronounced 'tro-pay'; born January 7, 1946) is an American guitarist. Career Tropea began guitar studies at the age of 12. His musical education continued at Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he studied jazz guitar, harmony, ...

, ''Something Old New Borrowed and Blues'' (VideoArts p 1999) *

Phil Upchurch Philip Upchurch (born July 19, 1941) is an American jazz and blues guitarist and bassist. Career Upchurch started his career working with the Kool Gents, the Dells, and the Spaniels, before going on to work with Curtis Mayfield, Otis Rush, and ...

, ''Upchurch/Tennyson'' (Kudu, 1975) *

Luther Vandross Luther Ronzoni Vandross Jr. (April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005) was an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Known for his sweet and soulful vocals, Vandross has sold over 40 million records worldwide. He achieved eleven consecutive P ...

, ''I Know'' (Virgin, 1998) *

, ''Vol. 1: Night Song'' (Mercury, 1964) *

Dionne Warwick Marie Dionne Warwick (; born December 12, 1940) is an American singer, actress, and television host. Warwick ranks among the 40 biggest U.S. hit makers between 1955 and 1999, based on her chart history on ''Billboards Hot 100 pop singles cha ...

, ''Friends Can Be Lovers'' (Arista, 1993) * Peter White, ''Playin' Favorites'' (Columbia, 2006) *

Alexander Zonjic Alexander Zonjic (Serbian Cyrillic: Александар Зоњић; born April 30, 1951) is a flutist born in Windsor, Ontario, who performs both light jazz and classical compositions in the United States, based in Detroit, Michigan. He is the s ...

, ''Romance with You'' (Inner City, 1988)

Filmography

* 2005 ''Live at Montreux'' * 2005 ''Bob James: An Evening of Fourplay Vol 1 & 2'' * 2006 ''Bob James Live''

References

External links

*
Art of the States: Bob James
{{DEFAULTSORT:James, Bob Taxi (TV series) American jazz keyboardists American jazz pianists American male pianists American organists American session musicians American television composers Columbia Records artists ESP-Disk artists People from Marshall, Missouri Jazz fusion pianists Smooth jazz pianists University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance alumni Warner Records artists 1939 births American music arrangers MNRK Music Group artists Grammy Award winners Living people People from Traverse City, Michigan American male conductors (music) Record producers from Missouri Record producers from Michigan 20th-century American pianists Jazz musicians from Michigan Jazz musicians from Missouri 20th-century American conductors (music) 21st-century American conductors (music) 21st-century American keyboardists 21st-century American pianists 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians Fourplay members 20th-century American keyboardists Berklee College of Music alumni CTI Records artists

Early life and family

Music career

Discovery by Quincy Jones

Solo albums and collaborations

Fourplay

Influence in hip hop

Selected songs that use James’s music

Awards and honors

Discography

As leader

With Fourplay Fourplay (stylized as fOURPLAY) is a contemporary American smooth jazz quartet. The original members of the group were Bob James (keyboards), Lee Ritenour (guitars), Nathan East (bass), and Harvey Mason (drums). In 1997, Lee Ritenour left the ...

As sideman

Filmography

References

External links

With
Fourplay Fourplay (stylized as fOURPLAY) is a contemporary American smooth jazz quartet. The original members of the group were Bob James (keyboards), Lee Ritenour (guitars), Nathan East (bass), and Harvey Mason (drums). In 1997, Lee Ritenour left the ...