Fourplay – Silver
The disc is silver. Four silver coins adorn the cover. And the music is certainly precious. Fourplay releases its 25th anniversary album, Silver (Heads Up International, 2015). With little exception, each song title plays off the anniversary theme.
The supergroup debuted in 1990, four accomplished jazz artists who have been both sidemen and leaders. The current group consists of Bob James, piano, keyboards and synths; Nathan East, bass and vocals; Chuck Loeb, acoustic and electric guitars, and synths; and Harvey Mason, drums, percussion, vibes and synths. Founding guitarist Lee Ritenour makes an appearance, as does his replacement, Larry Carlton. Additional players are Kirk Whalum, tenor sax on “Precious Metal”; Chris Wells, background vocals on “Silver Streak”; John Beasley, additional keyboards on “Windmill”; Mitch Forman, organ on “Silverado”; and Tom Keane, synth on “Aniversario.”
Loeb composed the opener, “Quicksilver.” It’s an upbeat, yet mellow piece in a way that’s mildly reminiscent of “Bali Run,” the first track of the group’s debut, Fourplay. East provides a whispery, wordless chant during the chorus. That it has similar sound to “Bali Run” may not be an accident. In the liner notes, Loeb writes of his fondness for Fourplay from its inception, mentioning his great admiration for Ritenour and Carlton. “With this recording, I urged my bandmates to revisit their discography and keep the spirit of that very first recording, and all those that followed, present.”
The twelfth studio album from the mighty Fourplay, and the second record to feature ‘new boy’ Chuck Loeb, is an exciting prospect. Even moreso because I only recently became aware of its impending release. Shall we get straight to the music FFF’s (Fellow Fourplay Fans)?
After 20 years of Fourplay, maybe they felt we should move on…”, says Chuck Loeb in a jocular manner later that night, employing the pun on words in the band’s name when introducing one of the songs he contributed to Fourplay’s 12th album “Let’s Touch the Sky”. While the cover art suggests that very endeavor with the band member’s hands reaching up, nearly two hours of stellar live music performances left no doubt among avid music lovers who had flocked to Bayerischer Hof Night Club on this November, 8th 2011 night that Smooth Jazz’s famous supergroup are doing exactly that: They’re not only touching the sky, but weaving a musical skyscape with arrangements and solos that exude virtuosity, verve and vitality in equal parts.
When a band deserves the title supergroup, than it’s Fourplay. The group exists since more than 20 years. Their current members are keyboardist Bob James, drummer Harvey Mason, bassist/vocalist Nathan East and guitarist Chuck Loeb, who replaced Larry Carlton this year.
Smooth Jazz Daily 