Restoration: The Best Of Bob James

Performer: Bob James
Artist: David Sanborn; Earl Klugh; Kirk Whalum; Lee Ritenour; Grover Washington, Jr.; Boney James; Eric Gale
Engineer: Joe Jorgensen; Ken Freeman; Max Risenhoover; Ray Bardani; Rudy Van Gelder; Bill Schnee
Distributor: WEA (Distributor)

Notes: Personnel: Bob James (piano, Fender Rhodes piano, electric piano, Clavinet, organ, keyboards, Arp Odyssey & Oberheim synthesizers); Grover Washington Jr. (soprano & tenor saxophones); David Sanborn (alto saxophone); Eddie Daniels (tenor saxophone, flute); Boney James (tenor saxophone); Kirk Whalum (saxophone); Hubert Laws, Alexander Zonjic (flute); Dave Friedman (vibraphone); Richard Tee (keyboards); Earl Klugh, Bruce Dunlap (acoustic guitar); Hugh McCracken, Chuck Loeb, Lee Ritenour, Eric Gale, Paul Jackson, Jr., Hiram Bullock, Steve Khan (guitar); Marcus Miller, Will James, Gary King, Nathan East (bass); Steve Gadd, Harvey Mason, Idris Muhammad, Andy Newmark (drums); Ralph MacDonald, Leonard "Doc" Gibbs (percussion). Producers include: Bob James, Creed Taylor, Ray Bardani, Michael Colina, Tommy LiPuma. Compilation producer: Matt Pierson. Personnel: Bob James (electric piano, Clavinet, organ, keyboards); Hilary James (vocals, background vocals); Dean Brown , Eric Gale, Hiram Bullock, Lee Ritenour , Paul Jackson, Jr. , Steve Khan, Richie Resnicoff (guitar); Nick Moroch (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Chuck Loeb (electric guitar); Gloria Agostini (harp); Barry Finclair, Frederick Buldrini, Marvin Morgenstern, Harry Glickman, Lewis Eley, Regis Landiorio, Louis Gabowitz, John Pintavalle, Joseph Malin, Harold Kohon, Charles Libove, David Nadien, Matthew Raimondi, Richard Sortomme, Gene Orloff, Harry Cykman, Max Ellen, Paul Gershman, Emanuel Green, Harry Lookofsky (violin); Sue Pray, Theodore Israel, Lamar Alsop, The Manny Vardi Strings, Jean R. Dane, Al Brown (viola); Eddie Daniels, Harvey Estrin (flute, clarinet, tenor saxophone); Hubert Laws, Alexander Zonjic (flute); George Marge (alto flute, recorder, soprano recorder, oboe, English horn, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone); Romeo Penque (alto flute, recorder); Gerry Niewood (alto flute, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Howard Johnson (contrabass clarinet, baritone saxophone); Sidney Weinberg (oboe, English horn); Whit Sidener (woodwinds); Kirk Whalum (saxophone); David Sanborn, Jay Beckenstein (alto saxophone); Andy Snitzer (tenor saxophone); Roger Rosenberg (baritone saxophone); Lew Soloff, Marvin Stamm, Randy Brecker, Victor Paz, John Frosk (trumpet, flugelhorn); Jon Faddis, Mike Lawrence , Danny Cahn, Ron Tooley (trumpet); James Buffington, Peter Gordon , Albert Richmond (French horn); Eddie Bert, Jim Pugh, Tom Mitchell , Wayne Andre, Barry Rogers, Tony Studd, Paul Faulise (trombone); Dave Bargeron (bass trombone); Michael Colina (keyboards, drum programming); Richard Tee (keyboards); David Friedman (vibraphone); John "J.R." Robinson , Harvey Mason, Sr. , Idris Muhammad, Andrew Smith, Andy Newmark, Steve Gadd , Billy Kilson, Brian Blade, Buddy Williams (drums); Leonard "Doc" Gibbs, Ralph MacDonald, Arthur Jenkins (percussion); Max Risenhoover (bass programming); Tawatha Agee (background vocals). Audio Mixers: James Farber; Ken Freeman; Ray Bardani; Bill Schnee. Arranger: Bob James. Released in 2001, this two-disc set cherry-picks tracks from various points in the long career of smooth-jazz pianist Bob James. Many of the songs here are James originals, most notably the groovy, laid-back "Angela (Theme from TAXI)" and the funky "Nautilus," which has been sampled by many hip-hop artists. The instrumental collection also features many of James's peers, including saxophonists Grover Washington Jr. and David Sanborn, making it of interest to fans of highly accessible, pop-tinged jazz.

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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