Dancing On The Water

Performer: Bob James
Artist: Joe Sample; Keiko Matsui; Dave Holland; Chuck Loeb
Engineer: Ken Freeman; Larry Buksbaum
Producer: Bob James
Distributor: WEA (Distributor)

Notes: Personnel: Bob James, Keiko Matsui, Joe Sample (piano); Chuck Loeb (guitar); Dave Holland (bass). Recorded at Manhattan Center Studios and Sear Sound, New York, New York; Remidi Studios, Dobbs Ferry, New York. Personnel: Bob James (piano); Chuck Loeb (guitar); Joe Sample, Keiko Matsui (piano). Audio Mixer: Ken Freeman. Recording information: Manhattan Center Studios, New York, NY; Remidi Studios, Dobbs Ferry, NY; Sear Sound, New York, NY. Photographer: Frank Micelotta. Arranger: Bob James. Dancing on the Water features a collection of solo piano performances by Bob James plus duets by James with a diverse array of artists, including bassist Dave Holland, guitarist Chuck Loeb, and pianists Keiku Matsui and Joe Sample. James wrote nine songs on the CD -- everything except "Alone Together" and "Last Night When We Were Young." Four songs ("The Green Hour," "Bogie's Boogie," "Hum Drum," and "Modesty") receive the benefit of James performing solo on acoustic piano. His duet with Keiko Matsui, "Altair and Vega," is an eight-minute masterpiece featuring exceptional interplay between the pianists. The sweet melodies along with fine, balanced technique and tremolo earn this duet high marks. Piano and bass duets by James and Dave Holland are featured on "Last Night When We Were Young" and "Autumn Nocture"; both songs strike an artful balance with rhythmic improvisations that reflect the duo's award-winning jazz styles in a complementary setting. Chuck Loeb expands his awareness of jazz guitar on the title track, "Dancing on the Water." His joyful interpretations and subtle surprises make the music of the acclaimed jazz pianist sound fresh and new. Two tracks with Joe Sample, "Alone Together" and "Tapawingo," exhibit the emotive and superbly inventive bebop-based compositions at the hands of two masters. Their crisp, flowing lines and intricate melodic voicings reflect the influence of such jazz icons as Thelonious Monk and McCoy Tyner. This is an excellent CD and Bob James continues his exceptional musical dialogues with more pronounced affection for traditional jazz styles than on previous releases. ~ Paula Edelstein

Q (4/01, p.100) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...This combo of solo piano tracks and duets never moves beyond the pretty, but still does pretty very well....Solid..." JazzTimes (6/01, p.102) - "...Listening to Bob James play solo piano is like seeing a smartly written, well-acted stage play: full of dynamics and intrigue, with the spaces and reactions almost as powerful as the words...""

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.

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