FOURPLAY's "ENERGY" CD 1st single 'Fortune Teller' nominated for a GRAMMY®
for Best Pop Instrumental Performance!
“This release by Fourplay has set a new mark in the jazz category with music that any true music lover will appreciate. The group comes across with a diverse line-up of songs that capture R&B, pop with jazz flavor that makes your soul move to the great beat.” Jamsource
“Fourplay has returned with another installment of their smooth jazz grooves on Energy. A mellow foray into contemporary jazz mingled with R&B stylings, the group delivers the sound that has garnered Grammys and legions of supporters over the years. Notable tracks include the piano led ‘Sebastian’ and the faster-paced ‘Fortune Teller,’ proving once again that the quartet continues to be leaders in contemporary jazz.” Rolling Out
“Energy features the jazz genius of the group, Fourplay, and it is one of their finest musical outings together…It is not often to find such a perfect blending together of talent, but this group is a prime example of that perfect blending. Each musician is perfectly cast in his role, and each musician gives a flawless performance…This is a CD collection you will enjoy over and over again. It is always fresh to the ear, and each listening brings to you new thoughts and new images. It is a great combination of the best of straight-ahead jazz and contemporary jazz music! JazzReview.com
“The cohesion displayed on this CD is the true spark to the creation of this musical Energy that will be enjoyed from start to finish. This is a must have for all fans of Fourplay’s music and everyone who appreciates great smooth jazz. Enjoy.” AtlantaJazz.info
“I love the record…I wish I could do anything as well as Fourplay makes music.” Carol Archer, Smooth Jazz Editor, R&R
“They have perfected their formula with fresh contemporary jazz originals composed by each of the members with a couple of vocal tracks. Guest vocalist Esperanza Spalding adds romance singing ‘Prelude For Lovers.’ These guys are getting a little older but still doing their thing producing another album their fans will love.” O’s Place Jazz Newsletter
“Electing the gods of smooth jazz, the group Fourplay would certainly be a perfect candidate for Olympus.” Smooth Jazz Daily
“A crew of great players, you can tell they aren’t content to make another record that simply sounds like another record. It might be deceptively simple at times, but it smokes. A great find for fans of light jazz looking for record they can trust that will give them their money’s worth.” Midwest Record
According to some very basic laws of nature, when powerful forces come together, some form of "ENERGY" is created – usually in large amounts. In music, the laws of interaction are no different. When keyboardist Bob James, bassist Nathan East, guitarist Larry Carlton and drummer Harvey Mason come together as FOURPLAY, the result is "ENERGY", the Heads Up debut of the acclaimed contemporary jazz quartet released worldwide on September 23, 2008.
"ENERGY" grafts a variety of sounds – R&B, pop, African and more – to FOURPLAY'S unwavering jazz foundations. In addition to vocals by East – a charter member since the band’s inception in 1990 – the album also features a vocal track by Esperanza Spalding, the upright bassist, composer and vocalist who has recently taken the jazz world by storm with her self-titled recording debut earlier this year on Heads Up.
Heads Up International, one of the world’s premier crossover jazz labels, has signed an exclusive recording agreement with FOURPLAY, the innovative quartet that has maintained a consistent presence on the cutting edge of contemporary jazz since their inception in 1990.
FOURPLAY, has enjoyed consistent artistic and commercial success by grafting elements of R&B and pop to their unwavering jazz foundations. In a span of eighteen years and ten albums, the quartet has continued to explore the limitless dimensions and permutations of jazz while at the same time appealing to a broad mainstream audience.
“FOURPLAY has been a formidable and high-profile entity in contemporary jazz for almost two decades, with a track record of musical innovation that speaks for itself,” says Dave Love, President of Heads Up International. “Each artist in the band’s lineup is an immense talent in his own right, but the synergy of all four players adds up to an even greater whole. We’re very excited to have them on the Heads Up roster, and we’re very much looking forward to a great record this year.
BOB JAMES, a founding member of the group, echoes Love’s optimism for a prolific partnership between band and label. “We’re very happy with the enthusiasm that’s been demonstrated by the Heads Up team,” says James. “It’s up to us now as a band to create music that will justify the excitement that everyone is feeling about this partnership. That’s a challenge that we take very seriously, but it’s a challenge that we welcome with every new record we make.”
NATHAN EAST sees independent labels like Heads Up as the place to be, given the current record industry climate. “While the major labels are trying to keep the ‘record business’ alive, the indies are doing a better job at keeping the ‘music business’ alive. The independents seem to be able to offer a more hands-on approach than the majors, which is definitely a benefit to the artist.”
HARVEY MASON agrees that the industry has entered an era where joining an independent label is a smart move: “FOURPLAY is very excited about the fresh opportunities that abound in these transitional times in the music industry,” he says. “We look forward to partnering with Heads Up as a means to build on the FOURPLAY brand which has proudly existed for twenty years.”
LARRY CARLTON promises that the band’s maiden voyage with the label “will be a continuation in the growth of the FOURPLAY sound. We look forward to delivering the next chapter in the FOURPLAY story and having Heads Up deliver it to the world.”
“We’ve set a high standard for ourselves in almost two decades of recording together as ,” says East. “We wanted to make an adventurous, classy and soul-filled record that showcases our talents individually and collectively. Until the last note is played, it’s hard to predict the exact direction. That’s what we love about jazz – the improvisation that happens in the moment. That’s a concept that Heads Up completely understands.”
For more information about FOURPLAY log on to: www.fourplayjazz.com.
Heads Up International
23309 Commerce Park Road
Cleveland, OH 44122
USA
Phone: 216.765.7381
Fax: 216.464.6037
Recording guest vocalist Esperanza Spalding on the song "Prelude for Lovers" for Fourplay's new CD "Energy" in NYC at Sear Sound June 2008
FOURPLAY at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo, Japan.
Private dinner prepared by Executive chef Joseph Budde
Hosted by Taka & Moko Nanri the night before our performance at Tokyo Jazz Festival August. 31, 2008.
FOURPLAY ----Toyama Teppan Yaki Jan 21, 2007
Toyama, Japan, January 2007
National Concert Hall in Chiang Kai Shek Cultural Center,Taipei, Taiwan Aug 11, 2006
FOURPLAY'S TENTH ALBUM "X" WINS GRAMMY® NOMINATION FOR BEST POP INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM MICHAEL McDONALD IS FEATURED ON SINGLE, "MY LOVES LEAVIN"
FOURPLAY debuted with a splash in 1991: Their self-titled debut album sold more than one million copies and lodged for 33 weeks at the 1 spot on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz charts. Their follow-up, Between the Sheets, reached number one, earned gold status, and was nominated for a Grammy® in 1993. They went three-for-three in 1995 with their third release, Elixir, which also hit number one, went gold and stayed on the charts for more than a year and a half. With more than a half dozen Grammy® nominations and 11 CDs, FOURPLAY continues to make their mark as leaders in the world of Contemporary Jazz.
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