Jazz Articles about Bob James

Bob James: Playin' Hooky

by Douglas Payne
January 1, 1998

One can only hope that this title is a reference to a leave of absence from the dreadful Fourplay. Bob James does what he does best (and worst) on Playin' Hooky. There's good stuff here like the Bach-to-the-fusion of “Playing With Fire" (featuring Dave Samuels on vibes and Fareed Haque on guitar), nice acoustic piano work on two exceptionally good numbers ("Organza" and “Glass Hearts") and the Fender Rhodes maestro's return to the electric instrument on three undercooked pieces ("Mind ...