Fourplay had the opportunity to celebrate their 25th anniversary with Berks Jazz Fest GM, John Ernesto.

Stay tuned for the 25th anniversary album, SILVER, due to be released later this summer!

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Fourplay was formed 25 years ago, born of a merging of jazz styles and instruments and expertise that forged the Berks Jazz Fest that same year.

A quarter-century later, both are matured, enhanced, reconfigured and still honoring the synergy that created them. So what better way to celebrate both silver milestones than to have Fourplay perform at Jazz Fest, which is exactly what will happen April 18, 7 p.m. at the Scottish Rite Cathedral. Tickets are $49.

Three of the four current members of Fourplay — Bob James, Nathan East and Harvey Mason — have been together since the beginning, crafting the improvisational contemporary jazz sound that still identifies the quartet today.

“We were in the studio recording “Restoration,” (a cut from Grand Piano Canyon),” said keyboardist Bob James, who is generally credited for bringing the musicians together (guitarist Lee Ritenour completed the group then and worked on the first three albums). “And we knew that something special was going on. Whenever you (collaborate) you hope things will click and sometimes they do and sometimes they don’t, but when the vibe is really happening, you feel it.”
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After more than 1,500 recording credits, bass player Nathan East earned a Grammy nomination for his debut solo album on Franklin-based label Yamaha Entertainment Group.

Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Beyonce, Phil Collins, Wynonna Judd, Eric Clapton and Daft Punk are each linked by another, lesser-known, legend — Grammy-nominated artist Nathan East.

With a genre-spanning career and a track record of supporting music industry legends, the 58-year-old East already had an unrivaled career as a bass player before he partnered with Franklin-based Yamaha Entertainment Group for his first solo album. The album, titled “Nathan East,” is nominated for best contemporary instrumental jazz album.

While it marked East’s first album as a solo artist, he has more than 2,000 record credits to his name, making him one of, if not the most, recorded musicians ever. The Grammy recognition also represents validation for East’s record label home, Yamaha Entertainment Group, which is a division of the leading instrument company Yamaha Corporation of America.

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The GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony will take place at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on Sunday, Feb. 8, from 12:30–3:30 p.m. PT, and present the first GRAMMY Awards of the day in approximately 70 categories. The ceremony will be hosted by current GRAMMY nominee Hunter Hayes and will stream live internationally at GRAMMY.com/live.

Attended by nominees and industry VIPs, the star-studded ceremony will feature performances by current nominees Angie Fisher, Cheyenne Jackson & Alexandra Silber, Old Crow Medicine Show, Ana Tijoux, and an all-star jazz quartet featuring Nathan East, Robert Glasper, Billy Hart, and Joe Lovano. Presenting the first GRAMMY Awards of the day in approximately 70 categories will be current nominees Rosanne Cash, Gloria Gaynor, Hilary Hahn, Smokie Norful, and John Waters as well as five-time GRAMMY-winning producer Jimmy Jam.

Hayes is nominated for Best Country Solo Performance for “Invisible.” He has received four previous GRAMMY nominations.

East, Fisher, Hart, Jackson & Silber, Old Crow Medicine Show, and Tijoux each have one nod: East for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for Nathan East; Fisher for Best Traditional R&B Performance for “I.R.S.”; Hart for Best Jazz Instrumental Album for Enjoy The View; Jackson & Silber for Best Musical Theater Album for West Side Story; Old Crow Medicine Show for Best Folk Album for Remedy; and Tijoux for Best Latin Rock, Urban Or Alternative Album for Vengo.

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HUGE shout-out to Grammy-nominated Nathan East for hitting 4…

Yes, 4 of Billboard‘s BEST OF 2014 lists, with his debut solo album!

Nathan’s self titled album is also nominated for the Best Contemporary Instrumental Album at The GRAMMYs!!

“For many of his fans, Bob James is to jazz what James Brown is to R&B — the music and the musician go hand in hand.” (NPR Music) From his early years touring with Sarah Vaughan to founding smooth jazz supergroup Fourplay, U-M alumnus Bob James has explored a vast stretch of musical territory. A leading force in 1970s crossover jazz, the keyboardist, composer, and producer played an essential role on a series of hit records and has had a profound effect on the history of hip-hop music, with two of his songs among the most sampled in hip-hop history. James’s most recent album, Quartette Humaine, was recorded a month after Dave Brubeck’s death and pays tribute to the iconic pianist. His long-awaited homecoming will feature concert materials drawn from James’s extensive songbook, including tunes from his CTI Records catalog and Dave Brubeck compositions. A UMS debut.

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