All Around the Town [PA]

Performer: Bob James
Engineer: David Hewitt; Joe Jorgensen
Distributor: E1 Distribution (USA)

Notes: Personnel: Bob James, Mark Colby, Steve Gadd, Eddie Gomez, Billy Hart, Gary King, Earl Klugh, Mike Lawrence, Wilbert Longmire, Jimmy Maelen, George Marge, Idris Muhammad, Jim Pugh, Tom Scott, Dave Taylor, Richard Tee, Ron Tooley, Joanne Brackeen, Hiram Bullock, Tom Browne, Earl Klugh. Producers: Bob James, Joe Jorgensen, Peter Paul. Arranger: Bob James. Released in 1981, this Bob James outing finds the smooth-jazz keyboardist/bandleader performing live at various venues in Manhattan, hence the title. Among the standout tracks on this two-disc set are the light, laid-back "Angela (Theme from `Taxi')," which is easily James's most renowned original tune, and the upbeat "Westchester Lady."

Keyboardist Bob James is a man who has worn many musical hats. He began as a progressive-jazz pianist in the early 1960s (he even recorded for famed underground avant-garde label ESP). By the '70s, however, he'd incorporated electric keyboards and become a star in the burgeoning fusion genre, making records which would later be sampled by countless hip-hop artists. Along the way, he was also involved in the soundtracks for everything from SERPICO to the TV show TAXI, and worked as arranger and producer for Dionne Warwick, Roberta Flack, and others. In the '90s, James became even more popular as a member of the smooth-jazz supergroup Fourplay.

Click Here for Shipping Options and Policies

Shipping or Dimension weight in pounds: 0.5