BOB JAMES – BJ4 LP – Nr MINT SMOOTH JAZZ

Bob James – BJ4
(Tappan Zee Records  1985  PC36838)

Sleeve in Excellent/Very Good+ condition
– some wear to edges/corners

Vinyl in Nr MINT condition
(there are some light surface marks visible on the vinyl when held up to the light but they don’t affect the sound quality)

Robert McElhiney James (born December 25, 1939) is an American jazzkeyboardist, arranger, and record producer. He founded the band Fourplay and wrote “Angela”, the theme song for the TV show Taxi. According to VICE, music from his first seven albums has often been sampled and believed to have contributed to the formation of hip hop. Among his most well known recordings are “Nautilus”, “Westchester Lady”, “Tappan Zee”, and his version of “Take Me to the Mardi Gras”.

BJ4 is the fourth album by jazz pianist Bob James. Released in 1977, the album charted at number three on the Jazz Album Charts. This would be his last CTI album before starting his label Tappan Zee Records, named for one of the tracks on this album.

All tracks composed by Bob James; except where noted.

1. “Pure Imagination” (Leslie Bricusse, Anthony Newley) – 5:20
2. “Where the Wind Blows Free” – 6:43
3. “Tappan Zee” – 6:49
4. “Nights Are Forever Without You” (Parker McGee) – 6:23
5. “Treasure Island” – 6:10
6. “El Verano” – 4:55

• Bob James – acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes, clavinet, ARP Odyssey, Oberheim polyphonic synthesizer, arrangements
• Eric Gale – guitars
• Gary King – bass
• Steve Gadd – drums
• Ralph MacDonald – percussion

Brass and Woodwinds

• Eddie Daniels – tenor saxophone, clarinet, flute
• Romeo Penque – tenor saxophone, bass clarinet, tenor recorder
• Hubert Laws – flute]], alto flute
• George Marge – alto recorder
• Sidney Weinberg – oboe, English horn
• Art Farmer – trumpet, flugelhorn
• John Frosk – trumpet
• John Gatchell – trumpet

Strings

• Charles McCracken – cello
• Alan Shulman – cello
• Lamar Alsop – viola
• Emanuel Vardi – viola
• Max Ellen – violin
• Paul Gershman – violin
• Harry Glickman – violin
• Emanuel Green – violin
• Harold Kohon – violin
• Charles Libove – violin
• David Nadien – violin
• Matthew Raimondi – violin

• Creed Taylor – producer
• Rudy Van Gelder – engineer
• Sib Chalawick – album design
• Carole Kowalchuck – album design
• Wendie Lombardi – cover photography
• White Gate Art Company – liner photography