The only thing ‘old’ about Bob James is his willingness to step outside his comfort zone, as evidenced by ‘2080’ with the young electronic whiz Sam Franz.

Take away the fussy orchestral arrangements from these vintage songs and you’re left with what made Bob James a long-time great. He still is.

‘Once Upon a Time’ explores the possible directions that Bob James largely eschewed in favor of a more melodic – and popular – approach.

Bob James’ ‘Once Upon a Time’ helps to complete our understanding of an artist far more adventurous than his popular works come close to suggesting.

‘Espresso’ doesn’t always stick to the script of being an acoustic trio playing straight-ahead jazz, but Bob James never really chose a side.

Bob James and David Sanborn’s ‘Quartette Humaine’ offers a brand-new vision, shared and single-mindedly swinging.

An exploration of the more notable hidden surprises in jazz.

Often situated in a cloud of opaque neo-funk, David Sanborn’s talents can be understandably obscured. Yet, there’s no mistaking, or escaping, that tone.

by Something Else Reviews In many ways, television is a technological wonder these days, what with remote controls, digital signals and DVRs. But, for those who fell in love with the old-school opening theme, it’s not all gravy. Today, you’re more likely to simply see the word LOST charging towardRead More

“Jazz is the sound of surprise”–jazz critic Whitney Balliett, 1926-2007 Sometimes you think you know a musician and his tendencies, or that he’s always played the kind of music you’ve known him to play. Over the course of pursuing my curiosity about certain artists, I’ve stumbled upon some rather peculiarRead More