Browsing September, 2012
‘Esprit de Four’ is #1!
No Treble brings the noise with ‘Esprit de Four’
Contemporary jazz quartet Fourplay have released their thirteenth album, entitled Esprit De Four. Originally formed in 1991, the band currently consists of bassist Nathan East, drummer Harvey Mason, keyboardist Bob James and guitarist Chuck Loeb. This is Loeb’s second recording with Fourplay and the band is taking advantage of the new direction.
“In the songwriting and recording process, we were building on the spirit we felt during the making of our previous record, Let’s Touch the Sky,” says James. “We had made the adjustment to Chuck’s sound, and had really enjoyed performing the new music on the road. So we were eager to follow up on this new direction the band had taken.”
Each member of the group brought their writing skills to the table, with East providing the tunes “Firefly” and “All I Wanna Do.” “Firefly” was inspired by Swedish jazz/pop trio Dirty Loops, who take pop songs and reharmonize them.
“They’re great musicians and good friends of mine,” East states. “I was hoping to capture some of the same fun and energy and unique chord progressions that the trio band is known for, and Fourplay really delivered it.”
Critical Jazz breaks down Fourplay’s ‘Esprit de Four’
Fourplay is one of those amazing groups that only seems to improve with age and despite numerous changes in the bands line up over the years.
Esprit De Four is their latest and for me perhaps their finest release in their storied career. This is the second release featuring guitarist Chuck Loeb with the fascinating aspect that the band made the necessary adjustments to fit his sound and the unique and harmonious symmetry continues without interruption but instead a fresh perspective.
A good 4tet when firing on all cylinders is a thing of beauty and Fourplay’s latest Esprit De Four which street on September 18th is no exception. Each member contributed an exciting mix of tunes to what I refer to as more of a jazz collective then I do a contemporary jazz group in the most traditional sense of the word.
Opening with “December Dream” which is a Chuck Loeb original we find this most formidable foursome taking on a deceptively subtle melody with the ability to change the intensity of the dynamics at a moment’s notice. Texture that builds on texture, layered harmonic development while never losing that keen sense of melody that is the wheelhouse from which Fourplay operates.
Nathan East who has a musical resume as long and as distinguished as they come contribute “Firefly” and “All I Wanna Do.” The tune “Firefly” is inspired from a young jazz trio from Stockholm called “Dirty Loops” and is an expansive open ended look at the contemporary sound but again steeped in texture and an infectious funk supplied by a bass solo from East which is flash fried funk at its highest level.
Loeb follows suit with a lyrically driven solo and Bob James joins in the fun making old school fusion new school cool. Harvey Mason is the rhythmic glue for “Firefly” and shows off his own prolific talents as a composer on his tune “Venus.”
Mason coaxes a slight ambient feel between the guitar/piano interplay. The Whispers used to release records with a side for dancin and a side for romancin. “Venus” is a gorgeous ballad that would go to the top of the romancin pile without a second thought. “All I Wanna Do” is another gem from Nathan East which lingers between that soulful and blues infused happy place that is a slow jam taken to another level.
“Sugoi” is a Bob James tune influenced by Japanese culture and is one of those rare hybrids that ties both the east meets west form and functionality of improvised music together perfectly. Odd meter infused with texture and an intriguing harmonic development give “Sugoi” that three dimensional sonic depth of field that separates Fourplay from the run of the mill contemporary ensemble merely doing a riff on a pretty melody.
The vocal track of “Put Our Hearts Together” is somewhat of the feature track of the release paying tribute to the victims of the tragic tsunami and the aftermath of the nuclear emergency and seemingly endless cleanup still going on. Lyrics for “Put Our Hearts Together” were written by James daughter Hilary James and delivered with incredibly artistry by the Japanese superstar Seiko Matsuda. Unlike other tribute songs that are seemingly slapped together, Hilary James lyrics combined with the music and stunning delivery by Matsuda will have this tune linger not just in your head but in your heart and in your soul long after that last note.
Typecasting and generic labels need to be avoided if at all possible when it comes to most artists and Fourplay is certainly no exception. The vocals are dialed back and have perfect placement, the compositions are expansive and cover a great deal of musical ground that needs to be hit. The talent on display here is equal to or greater than any jazz release I’ve heard this year. The other two also happen to come from the same label Concord Music and Heads Up. Arguably their finest release to date. I will say it again, this is not a quartet but a jazz collective with harmonious synergy and a lyrical sense of direction and purpose that knows no limits.
Tracks: December Dream; Firefly; Venus; Sonnymoon; Put Our Hearts Together; All I Wanna Do; Logic Of Love; Esprit Of Love; Sugoi; Put Our Hearts Together ( Vocal Version).
Personnel: Bob James: keyboards; Nathan East: bass, vocals; Chuck Loeb: guitar, synths; Harvey Mason: drums, percussion, vibes, synths
‘Esprit de Four’ is Smooth & Soul
The twelfth studio album from the mighty Fourplay, and the second record to feature ‘new boy’ Chuck Loeb, is an exciting prospect. Even moreso because I only recently became aware of its impending release. Shall we get straight to the music FFF’s (Fellow Fourplay Fans)?
Unlike the opening to many contemporary jazz outings ‘Esprit de Four’ begins on a mellow note – and I love it. ‘December Dream’ has a bassline that starts out as hardly discernible and Harvey Mason teases us with the lightest cymbal touches to keep time. It’s written in waltz time and the piano and guitar have an almost classical flavour, especially during the introduction. I know I don’t use the word ‘counterpoint’ often in my reviews, but here it is in all its beauty. A very elegant tune which builds in intensity throughout almost eight minutes. I always feel there needs to be at least track on a good contemporary jazz record that you can hum or sing and ‘Firefly’ is one such. The rhythm flies and this has the Fourplay trademarks that have kept them at the top as an ensemble for twenty years: Nate East’s whispered falsetto vocals and ever-tasteful funky bass, Harvey Mason’s crisp snare, Bob James warm keyboard textures and a truly gifted jazz guitarist – in this case the fabulous Mr Loeb. Of course, topping off these other delights is the unifying factor: melody. And it’s this that keeps me singing/humming Fourplay songs. This one won’t leave me alone and the fact that Nate East delivers one of the best solos I’ve heard him play just adds to the appeal. This is my favourite track from the album.
‘Venus’ calms us down with the sound of an acoustic bass, piano and guitar with a string synth as backing. The brushes on the cymbals keep your head nodding gently as this lovely ballad unfolds. I love Chuck Loeb’s playing. He can play it crazy, as he does on some Metro releases, or like a lullaby as here. He gets a sound that Earl Klugh’s fans (such as I) will love. ‘Sonnymoon’ is the first track I played on my internet radio station because it really is an attention-grabber. Another flying rhythm (one day I’ll properly explain what I mean by that, but listen to this song for a darn good example) and bass, guitar and keyboard lines that keep moving but leave just enough space – another Fourplay trademark. Bob James Rhodes solo has a very organic sound – more of this Bob please!
Many musicians who have toured and built a following in Japan have expressed shock and sadness after the devastation caused by the tsunami in Japan in 2011 and the members of Fourplay are no exception. ‘Put our Hearts Together’ is dedicated to those affected and expresses that sadness. For all that, it’s not a sad song – it has lots of optimism and is a true jazz tune. The drumming is light and tight, that acoustic bass sound is sinewy and delicious and James and Loeb chase around with some lovely lines. Nathan East appears on lead vocals on the beautiful, bluesy ‘All I Wanna Do’ – and Mr E should be in front of a microphone more often because this works really well. Loeb sprinkles just enough blues dust around but this is about that fabulous vocal. Love it!
The opening bars of the dainty ‘Logic of Love’ stamp this as classic Fourplay, a song that could only have come from this thoroughbred stable and could have come from any of their CD’s to date. Everything is right, from the keyboard that sounds like someone whistling, to East’s fretless perfection to Loeb sounding just like Ritenour on those early outings. Loeb really is a musical chameleon and it’s this, as much as his outright technique, that makes me love his playing more the longer I listen… Bob James is a soulful player and he demonstrates it in his acoustic piano solo here as well as anything I’ve heard him do. Ah, bliss. The title track has a nice bounce to it, some nice ‘swampy’ sound effects and Loeb in Klugh mode. The chorus has almost a gospel feel to it and everywhere there is a touch of the cinematic that seems to come easily to all four of these players, but especially to them as an ensemble. These comments carry even more weight as the intensity builds at the end.
I’ve already referred to the effect of the Japanese tsunami on Fourplay’s members and there are certainly oriental influences at work in the lovely ‘Sugoi’. It’s surprising how easy it is to get lost in a song that’s less than five minutes long and moves slowly and deliberately, but it happens consistently with this song. The true meaning of ‘Put our Hearts Together’ is revealed in the closing, vocal version. The lead vocal is provided by Japanese pop star Seiko Matsuda and though eastern vocals, for me, don’t necessary always work well in western musical settings, the fragility of the sound adds to the pathos and on balance I think it’s a worthwhile addition to the album.
If you’re a FFF, you will have an expectation from a new release. If you expect strong compositions, masterful playing and flawless production, let me tell you, you won’t be disappointed. But that’s not everything you get from this band: you get the combined experience of four players who can, and do, play anything. They choose to deliver here a blend of improvisation and melody, a musical caress, soul music of a subtle and distinctive kind that only comes from the band we know, and have known for two decades, as Fourplay.
“Esprit de Four” goes global with The Jazz Network Worldwide
If thirteen is lucky for some then all those who appreciate the enduring magic of the fabulous Fourplay will hit the jackpot with the band’s thirteenth CD, ‘Esprit De Four’ which will be released September 18 on Heads Up International, a division of Concord Music Group. In keeping with what has gone before the essence of ‘Esprit De Four’ is in the way, both individually and collectively, the players expertly interpret their own immaculate compositions and with writing credits shared around between band members Chuck Loeb, Bob James, Nathan East, and Harvey Mason, the album feels very much like a delicious throwback to the nineties and the early days of Fourplay.
Let the “Esprit” move you! “Esprit de Four” is a Spiritual Experience
Twenty years and counting, the legendary group Fourplay releases yet another inspired work of genius that is nothing short of religious in its listening experience. Songs from the newest collection, ‘Esprit De Four’ is what makes music from Fourplay a pilgrimage to listening enjoyment. Envision the thirty minutes before a sunrise or the thirty minutes after a sunset, when everything in the world takes a moment to reflect in the peacefulness a sunrise and sunset offers, is one testimony to the ‘Esprit De Four’ experience.
The Soul and Jazz and Funk of “Esprit de Four”
Premier smooth jazz outfit Fourplay have been in business since 1991 when keyboard doyen Bob James set to work with drummer Harvey Mason, bassist Nathan East and guitarist Lee Ritenour to craft an album which successfully blended jazz with soul, R&B and pop. The success of that self-titled set encouraged the foursome to continue and though there’s been the odd personnel change (Larry Carlton replaced Ritenour in the mid 90s and Chuck Loeb replaced Carlton in 2010) the Fourplay sound remains essentially the same – that gentle, often soporific mix of light jazz and soul grooves that proved so effective back in ’91.
The ten tracker that comprises this new ‘Esprit De Four’ album follows the same template as most other Fourplay sets. As ever all four members contribute to the writing process with Chuck Loeb’s ‘December Dream’ kicking things off. It really is a definition of the Fourplay sound – quiet and understated but with a soulful depth that shows itself after a couple of plays. Loeb’s other contributions are the more upbeat and percussive ‘Sonnymoon’ and the laid-back ‘Logic Of Love’.
Nathan East is credited with two compositions – the loose and jazzy ‘Firefly’ and the lazy ballad ‘All I Wanna Do’ on which he takes lead vocal too… it’s a wonderful piece of late night romance saved from a sentimental overdose by a great but brief James’ piano solo and some bluesy playing from Loeb.
Harvey Mason is responsible for the LP’s title track – another cut that defines the band’s sound, and the lengthy ‘Venus’ which is built around an interplay between James and Loeb… quite ethereal.
Bob James wrote the album’s focal point – the dramatic ballad, ‘Put Our Hearts Together’. His response to 2011’s devastating tsunami, its poignant, restrained drama recalls the creations of Stephen Sondheim – a feeling more apparent, maybe, in the vocal version (words by daughter Hilary) sung by Japanese pop superstar Seiko Matsuda. James’s other contribution; ‘Sugoi’ is also influenced by Japan. It’s a simple piece – the album’s most basic; it’s what James intended. ‘Sugoi’, we’re told, means ‘nice, I like it’… and despite its inherent simplicity, that will probably be your response.
“Esprit de Four” World Release! Read what People are Saying…
“If there is any one thing that defines Fourplay, besides being one of the most consistent and extraordinarily talented groups ever to grace the contemporary jazz scene, it is that the quartet has loads of class and, as the driving catalyst for one of the tracks on this newest album, Esprit de Four, demonstrates, compassion. The referenced track is ‘Put Our Hearts Together’ and is inspired by and dedicated to the March 11, 2011, Japanese earthquake and tsunami victims. Actually, there are two tracks—the instrumental and the vocal versions of the same tune. It is the group’s collective voice that should call to all of us to remember that we in America are not alone as victims of tragedies. All over the world, we are truly all in this together…A beautifully arranged album that is unmistakably all jazz in its finest form.”
The Smooth Jazz Ride
“If thirteen is lucky for some then all those who appreciate the enduring magic of the fabulous Fourplay will hit the jackpot with the band’s thirteenth CD, Esprit De Four which will be released September 18 on Heads Up International, a division of Concord Music Group. In keeping with what has gone before the essence of Esprit De Four is in the way, both individually and collectively, the players expertly interpret their own immaculate compositions and with writing credits shared around between band members Chuck Loeb, Bob James, Nathan East, and Harvey Mason, the album feels very much like a delicious throwback to the nineties and the early days of Fourplay.”
Smooth Jazz Therapy
“Premier smooth jazz outfit Fourplay have been in business since 1991 when keyboard doyen Bob James set to work with drummer Harvey Mason, bassist Nathan East and guitarist Lee Ritenour to craft an album which successfully blended jazz with soul, R&B and pop. The success of that self-titled set encouraged the foursome to continue and though there’s been the odd personnel change (Larry Carlton replaced Ritenour in the mid 90s and Chuck Loeb replaced Carlton in 2010) the Fourplay sound remains essentially the same.”
SoulandJazzandFunk
“…there’s a lot to be said for a professional guided tour like this. Well done, as always.”
Midwest Record
“Esprit de Four” takes Smooth Jazz for a Ride
If there is any one thing that defines Fourplay, besides being one of the most consistent and extraordinarily talented groups ever to grace the contemporary jazz scene, it is that the quartet has loads of class and, as the driving catalyst for one of the tracks on this newest album, Esprit de Four, demonstrates, compassion.
The referenced track is “Put Our Hearts Together” and is inspired by and dedicated to the March 11, 2011, Japanese earthquake and tsunami victims. Actually, there are two tracks—the instrumental and the vocal versions of the same tune. It is the group’s collective voice that should call to all of us to remember that we in America are not alone as victims of tragedies. All over the world, we are truly all in this together.
The music here on Esprit de Four (due for release on Sept. 18) is as richly Fourplay as ever. The stirring lead track “December Dream” is a very attractive piece featuring Bob James’ expert caressing of the ivories and Chuck Loeb’s steady chords and jazzy riffs.
Bassist Nathan East struts his stuff majestically on bass and provides some quality scatting to boot on the up-tempo “Firefly” while drummer Harvey Mason does rhythm some major justice on this same piece that features some clever timing.
“Sonnymoon,” written by Loeb shows the guitarist and James in another tranquil setting, deliberately leaning on every note with precision and poise.
The track dedicated to the Japanese tsunami victims starts out as a showcase of James’ mastery of the 88s then evolves into a full-blown nicely arranged six-minute straight-ahead number with Loeb’s sparkling runs, East’s walking the bass, and Mason’s classic and flawless handling of the timing. James’ daughter Hilary adds another dimension to this piece with her delightful vocals on the vocal version at the end of the album.
The title track is a smooth jazz mid-tempo jam that maintains the group’s tradition of including at least one such track.
A beautifully arranged album that is unmistakably all jazz in its finest form.
– Ronald Jackson