Dancing on the Water
With just his piano, his tunes, and several duet partners onDancing on the Water, Bob James's deftness with a hook is unmistakable. His smooth-jazz groupFourplaycould easily buff up "Hum Drum" and "Bogie's Boogie" into bona fide hits. On the duets with pianistsJoe SampleandKeiko Matsui, James submerges his style to go inside the musical worlds of his partners. He probably wrote "Altair & Vega" and "Duo Oto Subito" for the Japanese dynamo, as it is sometimes difficult to tell on these Asian-flavored tunes where Matsui ends and James begins. Even if Sample and James weren't set on each side of the mix, it's easy to tell who's who, because Sample's rhythmic playing and solo style are unique and dominating. James does his best soloing on the duets with bassist supremeDave Holland, including a great reading of "Last Night When We Were Young." They're perfectly in sync on the gorgeous James original "Autumn Nocturne." GuitaristChuck Loebplays on the title track, and it's the only tune that's solidly identifiable as James, because it's a reminder of the pianist's gold-selling duets withEarl Klugh. As this set proves, Bob James isn'tKeith Jarrett, but thankfully, he isn'tGeorge Winstoneither.--Mark Ruffin