The career of Bob James is long, varied and continues to evolve at every turn. He is widely known as one of the founders of Fourplay. Bob was discovered by Quincy Jones at the Notre Dame Jazz Festival in 1963. 58 albums and innumerable awards would follow through five decades. James set the standard for the smooth jazz sound in the late 1970s.
As a pianist Bob James is inspired by legends as Duke Ellington, Bill Evans and Oscar Peterson. The smooth jazz album "Double Vision" (1986) by Bob James and David Sanborn spent 63 weeks on the Billboard charts, topping out at #50 on the Billboard 200. In 1990, James reunited with longtime friend, drummer Harvey Mason, Jr. It would also be the first time James would work with guitarist Lee Ritenour, and bassist Nathan East. This would be the start of something beautiful, as these early sessions ignited a spark which would engulf the Jazz world as Fourplay. Bob James also found great popular success overseeing significant hits for Paul Simon, Neil Diamond, Maynard Ferguson, and Kenny Loggins. Tonight Bob James plays with is trio, which includes bass player Michael Palazzolo and drummer Patrick Williams.