Jazz band Fourplay played at Blue Note Jazz Club all of last week, and we had the pleasure of checking them out Sunday night for their last NYC show. The light and soulful Jazz sounds were just the thing we needed, especially on these cold winter nights like we’ve been having. For those of you who have not been, the Blue Note boasts compact seating for an intimate experience, we suggest red wine and their delicious New York Cheesecake for the full effect. 

 All four musicians were extremely talented and complimented each other well blending their styles and showing their versatility playing both up-tempo and low-tempo songs.  Nathan East started the night off with his whispery scatting and holiday themed melodies which progressed seamlessly into hypnotizing Jazz breakdowns. At several times during the set we were completely engulfed in the rambunctious chord progressions and percussions.  Bob James delighted the audience with smooth and calming piano riffs interspersed with high energy sounds from the band. The verve of the whole performance was one that made you think of nothing but its many shining moments. 

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Don’t miss Fouplay tonight…

Last show of the year…

Blue Note New York

The ‘Quartette Humaine’ Tour played to a sold out crowd at the magnificent Barbican Centre in London on November 16, 2013.

Thanks to everyone who came out to enjoy the show!

On November 11, 2013, the ‘Quartette Humaine’ tour came to the Copenhagen’s Koncerthuset. 

Bob James and David Sanborn, the high priests of jazz, put their vast talent on display along with the exceptional Steve Gadd and James Genius to round out the quartette.

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Fourplay graced Seattle’s Jazzy Alley all weekend with the smooth sounds of sweetness…

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We’ve been talking about jazz this whole time, but to the younger generation you’re mostly known as someone whose work has been sampled in countless hip-hop songs.

[Pauses] Is that a question? [Laughs]

On first glance, you’re probably the last person in the world that would be associated with hip-hop, as indelible as the melodies and the compositions that you’ve come up with are. Do you have any idea how it all started? I’m guessing it was from “Nautilus,” but when did you first realize that something was going on there?

I wish I knew. I was flabbergasted, and I think I was probably a little bit slow in even finding out about that crazy phenomenon that happened. The first one that I discovered came about as a result of a friend calling me to ask me if I was aware of [DJ] Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, and they had a recording [“Here We Go Again”] in which they had sampled my recording of “Westchester Lady.” This came before, whether or not historically it came before the sampling of “Nautilus,” I don’t know, but this was the first one that I became aware of. And it reached the public spotlight because their record [“Parents Just Don’t Understand”] won the [Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance].

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