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Bob James - The Very Best Of Bob James
Modern jazz great who really has The Knowledge
A sleeve emblazoned with a picture of a yellow cab would seem to point to one inescapable fact: despite his lofty standings in jazz fusion circles, James will always be best known to a broader audience for Angela, his 1978 theme to the US sitcom Taxi. He is, however, also cherished by hip-hop samplers, and his work has provided Beastie Boys, LL Cool J and Missy Elliott with some choice loops.
Culled from more than 30 years of recordings, this compilation finds James most at ease behind his Fender Rhodes piano, coaxing interweaving melody lines with the same laconic grace as Duke Ellington in previous eras. Fusion has often been derided as little more than elaborate muzak, but here’s a master who relishes exploring jazz’s hidden nooks and crannies.
Self-composed material dominates, though his reworking of Paul Simon’s Take Me To The Mardi Gras is both academically challenging and playfully accessible. A genre-hopping giant with many imitators but few equals.
Salvo | SALVODCD 208 (2-CD)
Reviewed by Terry Staunton
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