Morning Noon & Night
Bob James--keyboardist, composer, producer, and coleader of the supergroupFourplay--always manages to find the right mix of up-to-date grooves, jazz sophistication, and lyrical arrangements. This CD, with pianistKeiko  Matsui; guitaristsCarter Burwell, Chuck Loeb, andPaul Jackson Jr.; vocalist and daughter  Hilary; trumpeterRick Braun; and saxophonistDave Koz, is no exception. On  "Street Smart," DJRob Swiftadds his turntable-scratching to the  eastern-sounding dance mix, while "Just One Thing" sashays to a finger-popping  reggae beat. James and company catch a Latin and go-go groove on "Hands On,"  which is contrasted by the gospel-flavored "Over and Over." The band visits the blues on the cyber-slinky "Baby Cakes," and "Count on It" is a  straight-ahead shout-out toCount Basie. This gift for making the  contemporary sound classic (and vice-versa) is just what we would expect from  the man who gave us the theme song toTaxi.--Eugene Holley Jr.