TangerineChet Baker, David Nadien, Lewis Eley, Harold Kohon, Herbert Sorkin, Emanuel Green, Jesse Levy, Paul Desmond, Bob James, Barry Finclair, Harry Glickman, George Ricci, Romeo Penque, Paul Gershman, Ron Carter, Max Ellen, Steve Gadd, Warren Lash & George Marge
ALBUMOnce Upon a Time: The Lost 1965 New York Studio SessionsBob James
ALBUMEspresso (feat. Billy Kilson & Michael Palazzolo)Bob James
ALBUMIn the Chapel in the MoonlightBob James & Nancy Stagnitta
ALBUMThe New CoolBob James & Nathan East
ALBUMAlone: Kaleidoscope By Solo PianoBob James
ALBUMQuartette HumaineBob James & David Sanborn
Bob James's Popular Music Videos
Deep in the Weeds
Bob James & David Sanborn
If I Had The World To Give (feat. Bob James)
Dave McMurray
Artist Playlists
Bob James: Sampled
Hip-hop's smooth jazz soul.
Artist Biography
Keyboardist Bob James is one of the most popular smooth-jazz musicians ever, but that’s not the entirety of his story. Born in Missouri in 1939, James was a child prodigy on piano, turning pro in the ’50s. His Quincy Jones-produced 1963 debut album, Bold Conceptions, was a brash mix of bebop and avant-garde jazz, while the follow-up was a full-on free-jazz exploration. His next couple of releases mixed experimental impulses with the fusion of jazz, pop, and funk that would soon make him famous. By 1978’s Touchdown (which featured “Angela,” his hugely popular theme for TV’s Taxi), he’d perfected that radio-friendly sound. James remained a smooth-jazz star thereafter, but detours into classical music showed he still had an eclectic soul. In the ’90s he formed the long-lasting supergroup Fourplay with Lee Ritenour, Nathan East, and Harvey Mason. Over time, James’ funky grooves became frequent hip-hop fodder, making him one of the most sampled jazz artists.