Sign Of The Times

Performer: Bob James
Producer: Bob James
Distributor: E1 Distribution (USA)

Notes: All tracks have been digitally remastered. Personnel: Bob James. James joins forces with the hot early '80s composer Rod Temperton, and the results are surprisingly enjoyable. The two composers contribute equally to SIGN OF THE TIMES, each bringing three songs to the finished product. Temperton mainly adds a disco flavor, while James' contributions mellow things out in his distinctive fashion. The opposing styles complement one another and create a well-balanced recording. James, who also produced TIMES, continues to hone his fine conducting skills here. On each track, he's backed by his usual orchestral counterpoint of strings, brass, and percussive instrumentation. Patti Austin, Val Simpson, and Luther Vandross contribute great background vocals, lending a nice R&B element to the appropriately titled album. TIMES is a splendid mixture of jazz fusion and '80s pop.

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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