FunkFreak75 Recorded In 1979 at Soundmixers, New York City / Power Station / A&R Studios / Mediasound, this is an album that I'd never heard before setting it up for my listens for this review. I'm sorry I hadn't (I'd burned out a bit on BJ by the time this one came out).

A1. "Rush Hour" (6:39) some nice performances gathered together over a bit of a monotonous foundation--one that rarely steps out of that slightly-cheesy, slightly discofied motif. (8.75/10) A2. "Blue Lick" (5:31) opening with some ominous-sounding bass and keyboard lines, I found myself thinking of Herbie Hancock's Thrust album, it evolves into a series of similar chord structures, never really settling into a defined motif, until the two minute mark Bob's Fender Rhodes upper-octave melody making lassoes everybody into a lighter-than-expected slightly-syncopated funk-lite tune--one that continues to defy stylistic and melodic familiarity. (8.75/10)

A3. "Look-Alike" (5:30) a fairly typical BJ song: lazily upbeat and innocuous like a purposeless walk down a city street on a sunny summer afternoon. The dreaded sound of Dave Sanborn's saxophone makes a brief early appearance and then in the lead position at 0:55 for less than 20 seconds but then gets paired up with trumpets and flute for a couple of interesting bridges before the strings-rich and bass-popping main motif returns for some BJ Fender Rhodes. The song goes a little too smooth at the end of the third minute--opening the door for a return of the dreaded Sanborn sax. There are elements of this cute, quirky song that I really like and others (you get the trend) that I don't. (I've never been much of a sax fan--and the sound that the likes of Dave Sanborn, Najee, and Kenny G used in the late 70s and early 80s is a big reason for this.) (8.875/10)

B1. "Big Stone City" (5:42) sounds like the intro to a Philly-Motown/Spinners Soul hit; disco lite with a little funk works into some aggressive Hiram Bullock electric guitar as Neil Jason's funky slap bass works hard to deliver the funk (he's okay). Accents and punctuation marks from the Horn Section bridge two motifs while Bob and Michael Brecker's sax take turns with rather brief solos. Bob's piano takes the longest solo starting at the four-minute mark before horn play interrupts, but then he's back sounding like an old classic jazz player (with the best sound rendering of a piano that I've ever heard from Bob and his engineering crew.) Nice, professional, but nothing really special here in terms of melody or innovation (other than that great piano sound). (8.75/10)

B2. "Friends" (4:41) acoustic guitars and fretless bass support the singing voice of Neil Jason taking on a soul-TOTO like piece. Neil Jason manages to funk up his bass rather nicely. Smooth AMBROSIA and HALL & OATES also come to mind while listening to this song (riffs and melodies actually lifted straight from all of the afore-mentioned artists). It's nice, well-rendered, but I resent a little the blatant "borrowing" of melodic and stylistic elements like this. (8.75/10)

B3. "Fly Away" (6:44) a jazzy chord progression and "saw bells" crash opens this familiar song. I'm sure that I've heard this song on the radio or elsewhere (many times). Well constructed and sounding fairly original as well as full of memorable melodic hooks I have to give this one high marks. One of Bob's top ten in terms of ear candy memorability. (9.5/10)

Total Time: 35:04

As much as I am constantly saddened by the Smooth Jazz trend that sucked jazz artists away from the funky and adventurous music of 1975-76's peak years of Jazz-Rock Fusion (with, I'm sure, considerable pressure from their record labels), I must here acknowledge the continuous trend of maturity and sophistication I've seen in Bob James' work since his debut album. And he does get some great, really high-quality performances out of his studio musicians.

B/four stars; an excellent contribution to the better side of the Smooth Jazz lexicon.

FunkFreak75 Recorded in the summer of 1979 at Mediasound, Sound Palace, and SoundMixers, in New York City, and released by Tappan Zee in October. I purchased this one in the week it was released and remember liking it very much. (I was really into Earl Klugh's solo material from this time.) Alternating songs with compositions from both Bob and Earl, we get three compositions each.

A1. "Kari" (6:26) Earl's first contribution, compositionally, and it kind of falls flat. (8.75/10)

A2. "The Afterglow" (6:30) Bob's first song offering and it's a beauty--especially when Earl's in the lead position. (9/10)

A3. "Love Lips" (6:33) this has the classic Earl Klugh stamp of originality on it--and he crushes it while everyone else pretty much supports. Bob's pretty good on his Fender Rhodes--and Gary King is great on his electric bass. (9/10)

B1. "Mallorca" (4:46) an unusually sophisticated BJ piece that offers displays of jazz virtuosity on several instruments (piano, guitar, and double bass by Ron Carter). I really like this one despite my fixation on Ron Carter's genius. (8.875/10)

B2. "I'll Never See You Smile Again" (5:25) Earl's last song contribution reveals something quite pacifying. The somewhat unusual/atypical Fender Rhodes play on this is offset by some brilliant bass play by Gary King. Despite it lacking any melodic hooks, I really like and admire the performances on this one. (8.875/10)

B3. "Winding River" (5:22) piano opens this one, Bob's final composition of the album. The interplay of Ron Carter's double bass is wonderful--masterful--and then Earl and the rest of the ensemble join in. A few surprise flourishes around the one-minute mark let us know that this song might not turn out to be exactly what we're expecting--and this bears out to be true as Harvey Mason's drumming becomes more and more nuanced and dynamic while still hiding (somewhat) beneath the piano, guitar, and bass. This may sound as if I'm describing old-fashioned jazz, but it's not: it's still anchored very much in Earl Klugh's musiquarium. (8.875/10)

Total Time 34:38

88.96 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; an excellent jazz-leaning display of mature and interestingly-sophisticated Smooth Jazz.

FunkFreak75 Recorded At CBS Studios, New York / Soundmixers, New York City and released by Bob's fledgling record label, Tappan Zee, I commend Bob for finally putting together an album entirely made up of his own compositions. Bravo!

A1. "Angela (Theme From "Taxi")" (5:42) a sappy-saccharine song that even bugged me when it came out. (Having never owned a television, I've never seen a single episode of the iconic series.) I will grant a respectful acknowledgement of the skills exhibited by Bob and his studio crew to create such an universally-beloved song. (8.75/10)

A2. "Touchdown" (5:42) a pre-Disco or pseudo-disco song that I remember hearing in the discothèques but never really generated as much interest or participation from the dance crowds--most likely due to its lack of singing & lyrics as well to its more laid-back pace and feel. It did, I think, generate a growth in popularity for saxophonist Dave Sanborn. (8.75/10)

A3. "I Want To Thank You (Very Much)" (7:09) opening with a kind of Rat Pack jazz-pop horn play before quickly succumbing to the Fender Rhodes and acoustic guitar Smooth Jazz sound that would become such signatures of both Bob and guitarist Earl Klugh. Awesome solo flute play in the fifth minute from Hubert Laws. (13.25/15)

B1. "Sun Runner" (6:16) a great happy-go-lucky Jazz-Rock Fusion classic from a whole band with excellent performances from Hubert Laws, Ralph MacDonald, Earl Klugh, and, of course, Bob. Great song construct with sophisticated arrangements and awesome earworm chord progressions. (9.25/10)

B2. "Caribbean Nights" (9:22) highlights of this epic-length tune that I used to play to death in the early 1980s are 1)Hiram Bullock's vocal matching of his guitar solo in the opening section, 2) Bob's great Fender Rhodes play next, 3) the sublime dual performances of Earl Klugh's nylon string guitar with Hubert Laws masterful flute in the fifth and sixth minutes, 4) the whole-band recapitulation of the main theme in the seventh minute, and 5) the horn section with Hubert's swallow-like flute in the bridge before the finale (in which Ron Carter solos briefly with his piccolo bass). (19/20)

Total Time: 34:20

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of Smooth Jazz and one of the truly defining and exemplary samples of that new (and dominant) genre.

FunkFreak75 Recorded at Media Sound, Sound Mixers and A&R Studios, New York City, May-September 1977, Bob was definitely in the middle of a hot streak with songs from each of his previous four albums receiving regular rotational play on Adult Contemporary/Smooth Jazz radio shows. Bob's success in fact allowed him to start his own record production label in the summer of 1977: Tappan Zee Records, a subsidiary of the giant Columbia Records conglomerate.

A1. "Heads" (6:40) Rapper's Delight bass opening coupled with tubular bells melodic hook and bass/trombone notes made this popular to play while studying in my college dormitory but its infectious "magical" effect has long since worn off. (8.75/10)

A2. "We're All Alone" (5:32) another aberration of a contemporary pop hit (written and performed by Boz Scaggs) that turns out to be much better once it veers away from the main melody and theme. Yeah, these dudes are cookin' it in the second and third minutes and then again when the DEODATO "Also Sprach Zarathusra: 2001"-like section that ends the song starts. (9/10)

A3. "I'm In You" (6:47) a song that opens like a Disco BeeGees "Night on Disco Mountain" before turning to pick up Peter Frampton's lead melody from his hit of the same name--but this is quite an unrecognizable rendering of that song as so many odd instruments are used to take the place of the vocals (including synth saws and horn section blasts). To my ears this sounds more like a novelty song--one of those that gets radio play specifically for its odd sounds and Disco beat. It's not horrible--and definitely displays some sophistication and tightly-co-ordinated arrangements, it's just not that great of a song! (13/15)

B1. "Night Crawler" (6:17) another of those songs that I would include in my own playlist entitled "The Best of Bob James"--as much for its multiple earworm melody hooks but also for its tight, professional performances. (9/10)

B2. "You Are So Beautiful" (6:50) an instrumental arrangement of Billy Preston's amazing song--one that actually does justice to the original despite the liberties taken in its jazzification. Grover Washington, Jr.'s very heart-felt, respectful soprano sax play is one of the big reasons, but it's also got a lot to do with the spacious arrangement that Bob has made. The actual weakest part of the song is Bob's own bluesy piano solo! I love the whole-band chord hits (and progression) in the bridge in fifth minute and then the background vocal girls in the final two minutes. (13.375/15)

B3. "One Loving Night" (5:48) Bob's rendering of the famous Henry Purcell British folk song--here even incorporating a harpsichord-like keyboard sound (Bob's Oberheim Polyphonic "Tinkle Bells" setting). The orchestral arrangements added in the second minute even add to the respectful "classic" feel, but then, toward the very end of the second minute, the jazz-rock combo launches into a pretty funky movement (thanks in no small part to the bass play that sounds like Alphonso Johnson but goes uncredited as far as I can find). Nice, mature song rendition. The weakest part, for me, are the saxophone inputs. (9/10)

Total Time: 38:54

Yet another album on which less than half of the songs are original compositions (two of six). I find it quite interesting to realize, just now, that it's the two Bob James originals that I like the most--by far! (Time to get out of the business of banking on covers for sales and radio popularity, Bob!)

B/four stars; an excellent display of ever-maturing compositional acumen from one of Smooth Jazz's true masters.

FunkFreak75 Recorded in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., at Rudy Van Gelder Studios, in November of 1975 and January of 1976. An album I owned but never felt very attracted to repeated listens back in the 70s.

A1. "One Mint Julep" (9:03) an attempt at the Big Band side of orchestrated Jazz-Rock Fusion (not unlike the work that Eumir Deodato had been doing in the previous three years). Where this song suffers in is in its spaciousness: it just makes everything seem so laid back and easy (while I know it's not). Very solid play from the rhythm section and accenting brass section. (17.5/20)

A2. "Women Of Ireland" (7:58) opening with 90 seconds of quite lovely solo Irish flute before a masterful display of Smooth Jazz song construction unfolds. The initial flute melody really hits home with Bob's gorgeous piano rendering but once things start getting recapitulated and the rhythm track morphs beneath (into an almost-Jamaican Reggae ). At 3:23 the gorgeous orchestral strings take over the main melody (thereby rendering this an Adult Contemporary cover); not even Eric Gale's guitar solo in the fifth minute (or his excellent rhythm accents alongside Bob's Fender Rhodes solo in the sixth) can save it from elevator conscription. (13.25/15)

B1. "Westchester Lady" (7:23) a very popular Smooth Jazz radio hit on the Adult Contemporary and Smooth Jazz formatted shows. The main hook melody is definitely one of those unforgettable earworms. The song is essentially a masterclass of composition and arrangement and remains one that I still like to this day even though it plays out a little longer than one might desire. (13.75/15)

B2. "Storm King" (6:30) horns and synths making themselves known from the opening strains while the funky-lite Smooth Jazz foundation is laid down beneath. So classic 1970s Smooth Jazz/Yacht Rock! Excellent discipline shown by the rhythm section as well as pretty dynamic (and extensive) saxophone solo from Grover Washington, Jr. while Bob continues to display masterful placement of his orchestral injections. (9/10)

B3. "Jamaica Farewell" (5:16) the classic Harry Belafonte hit here covered by Bob and the Irish flute play of Grover Washington, Jr. Weird to have that BJ strumming guitar and Fender Rhodes with Gary King's pseudo-Reggae bass and the soft-jazz-diluted performances percussion section. (8.6667/10)

Total Time: 36:46

There are elements and passages and performances on this album that shine--that contribute nicely to the advancement and lexicon of the Peak Era of Jazz-Rock Fusion, and yet there are more that feel schlocky. The mere fact of three of the album's six songs being covers (thereby launching them into the realms of Elevator Music) denigrates the Jazz-Rock Fusion domain that BJ purports to strive for.

B/four stars; another excellent collection of fairly simple song constructs making a fair contribution to the burgeoning movement toward a more popular "Smooth Jazz" domain of music.