FunkFreak75 Recorded at Van Gelder Studios, Englewood Cliffs, NJ in November - December, 1976, this is an album I played to death back in college. I now listen to it with both fond nostalgia and cringe-worthy embarrassment as I find magical moments mixed with others of pure schlock and/or discomfort.

A1. "Pure Imagination" (5:22) though I never liked the opening 20 seconds of this version of one of my all-time favorite songs, the rest of the song provides a wonderful rendition as well as a staunch example of the newly-dominant Smooth Jazz. This was, in fact, the piece that made me a superfan of flutist Hubert Laws. I never liked the way the piano was recorded/engineered on this song. (8.75/10)

A2. "Where The Wind Blows Free" (6:44) the magic in this song comes from the earworm of the chord progression of the main theme as well as the wonderful "side" work of the strings. One of the few songs on BJ4 that I still like today. (8.875/10)

A3. "Tappan Zee" (6:51) the magic in this song that I still like is the floating/drifting piano soloing that Bob does throughout: it almost sounds as if he's just playing around--as if he is unaware that he's being recorded or that he could care less about what his soloing sounds like he's just having fun being in the moment. Otherwise, this song is too sprawling and patchworked for my tastes. (13.125/15)

B1. "Nights Are Forever Without You" (6:25) the magical element of this comes during Eric Gale's guitar solo: the sublime motif played by the rhythm section beneath him, otherwise it just sounds too TV theme song like--the main melody too directly imitative of the vocal line of the 1976 pop hit by England Dan & John Ford Coley. (8.75/10)

B2. "Treasure Island" (6:41) A song I used to adore I now only really like for the gorgeous, spacious intro (before the guitar chords enter and ruin it); after that it just becomes the practice ground for the nauseating schlock that will become the massively overheard "Angela (Theme from "Taxi")" I do still enjoy Art Farmer's trumpet play and the strings work in the end section. (8.875/10)

B3. "El Verano" (4:55) I've always absolutely adored the intro and opening section of this song. In fact, I think I'd have to admit that this song still sends me into heart-wrenching throes of deep nostalgia--which means a lot. Though I now have less tolerance for the Smooth Jazz that BJ and songs like this helped usher in (that replaced the high-skill and experimental risky songs that peak-era Jazz-Rock Fusion had produced) I understand when perfection is so good that it becomes timeless. (9.5/10)

Total Time: 36:21

B/four stars; an excellent collection of era-defining Smooth Jazz songs from one of the absolute masters of the genre.