Fourplay
| Fourplay | |
|---|---|
 Fourplay founding member Lee Ritenour performing at the 2009 Stockholm Jazz Festival |
|
| General information | |
| Genre (s) | Jazz , fusion , smooth jazz |
| founding | 1991 |
| Website | www.fourplayjazz.com |
| Founding members | |
| Bob James | |
| Nathan East | |
| Harvey Mason | |
| Lee Ritenour (until 1997) | |
| Current occupation | |
| Bob James | |
| Nathan East | |
| Harvey Mason | |
| Kirk Whalum | |
| former members | |
| Larry Carlton (1997-2010) | |
| Chuck Loeb † (2010-2017) | |
Fourplay is a contemporary jazz quartet from the USA.
history
The band's original line-up when it was formed in 1991 consisted of Bob James (keyboard), Lee Ritenour (guitar), Nathan East (bass) and Harvey Mason (drums). Lee Ritenour left the ensemble in 1997 and Fourplay chose Larry Carlton as his successor. Larry Carlton left Fourplay in 2010 and was replaced by Chuck Loeb . Chuck Loeb died on July 31, 2017. Even during Chuck Loeb's illness-related absence, saxophonist Kirk Whalum performed with the band, who had also been a guest soloist from time to time in four-play appearances.
With the release of their first album Fourplay in 1991, the band was already known as the “supergroup” of jazz. The first album sold over a million copies and remained # 1 on Billboard magazine's Contemporary Jazz list for 33 weeks . The following LP Between the Sheets was released in 1993 and also reached # 1, gold status in American sales and was nominated for a Grammy . The third album, Elixir, released in 1995, climbed to number 1 and stayed in the charts for more than 90 weeks. In 2015 the group celebrated their 25th anniversary with Silver, in whose production former members Lee Ritenour and Larry Carlton also participated as guest musicians. In the USA, Fourplay has received great acclaim from a wide audience since the first album thanks to the pleasing combination of rhythm & blues elements with pop and jazz. In German-speaking countries, there have been comparatively few appearances so far, including in the Schiller Bar & Lounge in Herford (2017 and 2015), Fabrik Hamburg (2000), the Jazz Club Minden (November 2011) and at the Jazz Festival in Montreux (2017, 2012 and 1999).
Discography
Albums
| title | year | Label |
|---|---|---|
| Fourplay | 1991 | Warner bros. |
| Between the sheets | 1993 | Warner bros. |
| Elixir | 1995 | Warner bros. |
| The best of fourplay | 1997 | Warner bros. |
| 4th | 1998 | Warner bros. |
| Snowbound | 1999 | Warner bros. |
| Yes, please! | 2000 | Warner bros. |
| Heartfelt | 2002 | Bluebird |
| Journey | 2004 | Bluebird |
| X | 2006 | Bluebird |
| Energy | 2008 | Heads up |
| Let's touch the sky | 2010 | Heads up |
| Esprit de Four | 2012 | Heads up |
| Silver | 2015 | Heads up |
Video albums
- An Evening of Fourplay: Volumes I and II (1994)
- Live in Cape Town (2005)
- Live at San Javier Jazz Festival (2006)
Web links
- Official website
- Fourplay at Allmusic (English)
- FourPlay at Discogs (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Scott Yanow's biography at Allmusic (English). Retrieved November 9, 2010.
- ↑ Lee Mergner: Larry Carlton Leaving Fourplay . JazzTimes . February 15, 2010. Archived from the original on November 1, 2013. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved September 8, 2011.
- ↑ https://jazztimes.com/news/chuck-loeb-guitarist-composer-dies-61/
