BOB JAMES — Three (review)

Album · 1976 · Pop/Art Song/Folk

3.5/5 · 2025-02-24
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.