Bob James recently visited Fukushima for the “Music for Tomorrow” benefit concert series.  While there James had the opportunity to chat with singer, song writer, composer, and former lead singer for ‘Off Course’, Kazumasa Oda.

It was another step in the continuing effort of the area to recover from the 2011 disaster, which left the area virtually uninhabitable.  But with each day, the future continues to grow brighter.

Make sure to catch the 58th Grammy Awards tonight, where Bob James is nominated for, Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Capella for the song “Ghost Of A Chance”, from THE NEW COOL.   THE NEW COOL is the album released in 2015 with long time friend and band mate [fOURPLAY], Nathan East.

Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Capella.

Ghost Of A Chance
Bob James, arranger (Bob James & Nathan East)
Track from: The New Cool (Bob James & Nathan East)
Label: Yamaha Entertainment Group Of America
http://www.grammy.com/nominees

Nathan East will be unable to perform at the 58th annual Grammy Awards telecast Monday night because he will be performing at the 58th annual Grammy Awards telecast Monday night.

If that sounds like a musical paradox, well, that’s par for the course for this veteran bassist, arranger, singer and producer. Over the past four decades, he’s played on hundreds of albums by some of the biggest names in pop, rock, R&B, jazz, country, blues, gospel, EDM and more. He’s also performed several times on both the Grammy and Oscars telecasts.

In early January, East committed to perform during the 3^1/2 -hour Grammy telecast with Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan, John Legend, Demi Lovato and Meghan Trainor as part of a salute to Richie. In late January, East was invited to perform with Lady Gaga and Nile Rodgers during their Grammy tribute to the recently deceased David Bowie.

• Continue Reading at the San Diego Union-Tribune

This is the kind of Jazz that’s ‘for the people’, and stems from a confidence level that only musicians that know they are excellent can provide. The songs are melodious, structured, and full of the kind of patterns that appeal to anybody.

“Silver” is a predominantly an instrumental body of work with ten tracks. Each one is unique with a diverse approach and tells its own story. The tracks are perfectly crafted to communicate a complex sentiment that make you feel the emotion behind the composition. It is exciting for me to follow Nathan’s bass lines, but I find myself really enjoying the fine details the rest of the band provides as well.There are plenty of opportunities for each of them to cut loose and show their stuff. I am thrilled about how well balanced this CD was engineered so you can hear each of the players clearly.

If you are already a Fourplay fan, you probably already have this CD. On the other hand, if you are just getting acquainted with Jazz this would be a great starting point. Start with Silver, then you can go back twenty-five years and see how this group has evolved into such a higher  musical entity.

This CD is a must-have!

Continue Reading at BassMusicianMagazine.com…

We’ve talked with bassist Nathan East about his performances on many big hits, including “Easy Lover,” “Get Lucky,” “Change the World” and “Footloose.” Aside from his recording career, his tenure with artists like Eric Clapton and his esteem as one of the most in-demand session bass players has put him in many unique situations, including several performances at the White House.

His most recent appearances at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue resulted in a pair of specials for PBS: The Gospel Tradition aired earlier this year, and featured East backing up Shirley Caesar, Darlene Love, Michelle Williams, Lyle Lovett and Aretha Franklin, and ‘A Celebration of American Creativity,’ which airs this Friday and features East playing alongside Smokey Robinson, Usher, James Taylor, Queen Latifah and more.

We talked to East about the thrill of playing for the president, the time he played with a president, and the other heads of state who have heard him play.

AllMusic: How overwhelming is it to perform at the White House?

Nathan East: It’s pretty exciting. Everything it takes to get in there, too, you’re constantly pulling out your ID, then you have to go through one thing at the street, one thing outside the White House, another thing inside with metal detectors and screenings, and then once you’re in there, it’s pretty exciting.

Continue reading the interview at AllMusic.com

A quarter of a century is a rather remarkable period of time for a jazz ensemble to stay together.

We’re happy to report that the celebrated jazz quartet, Fourplay, reached just that milestone this year and are celebrating the happy occasion with a new album called Silver.

The supergroup began its journey in 1990, when keyboardist Bob James asked drummer Harvey Mason, bassist Nathan East, and guitarist Lee Ritenour to collaborate with him on the recording of his album Grand Piano Canyon. They released their self-titled debut in 1991. Since then, they’ve released more than ten albums, received a Grammy nomination and had several number one hits on Billboard‘s contemporary jazz chart.

Continue Reading at FOR BASS PLAYERS ONLY…

Happy New Year to all!  Here’s wishing everyone a terrific 2016!