Fourplay
| Fourplay | |
|---|---|
| Genres | Smooth jazz |
| Years active | 1991–present |
| Labels |
Warner Bros. Arista/Bluebird Heads Up |
| Website |
www |
| Members | |
| Past members | |
Fourplay is a contemporary American jazz quartet. The original members of the group were Bob James (keyboards), Lee Ritenour (guitars), Nathan East (bass), and Harvey Mason (drums).[1] In 1997, Lee Ritenour left the group and Fourplay chose Larry Carlton as his replacement. In 2010, Larry Carlton left Fourplay and was replaced by Chuck Loeb.[2]
Grammy-nominated supergroup Fourplay has enjoyed consistent artistic and commercial success by grafting elements of R&B and pop to jazz, appealing to a broad mainstream audience.
Their first record, 1991's Fourplay, sold over a million copies and remained at the number one position on the Billboard contemporary jazz chart for 33 weeks. Their next LP, 1993's Between the Sheets, reached number one, went gold, and received a Grammy nomination. In 1995, their third gold album, Elixir, also reached the number one position and remained on the chart for more than 90 weeks.
Fourplay received a Congressional Record from the United States Congress, House of Representatives recognizing them as distinguished members of the music industry. The award was presented by A. Robert Brown, Sr., Advisor to Congressman Ed Towns of New York at a Fourplay performance in Philadelphia. Fourplay is the only musical group in history to be recognized by the U.S. Congress.[3]
The band celebrated its 25th anniversary with the release of the album Silver in 2015, which featured former members Ritenour and Carlton as guest artists.
Discography
Albums
| Title | Released | Label |
|---|---|---|
| Fourplay | 1991 | Warner Bros. |
| Between the Sheets | 1993 | Warner Bros. |
| Elixir | 1995 | Warner Bros. |
| The Best of Fourplay | 1997 | Warner Bros. |
| 4 | 1998 | Warner Bros. |
| Snowbound | 1999 | Warner Bros. |
| Yes, Please! | 2000 | Warner Bros. |
| Heartfelt | 2002 | Bluebird |
| Journey | 2004 | Bluebird |
| X | 2006 | Bluebird |
| Energy | 2008 | Heads Up |
| Let's Touch the Sky | 2010 | Heads Up |
| Esprit de Four | 2012 | Heads Up |
| Silver | 2015 | Heads Up |
DVD
- An Evening of Fourplay: Volumes I and II (1994)
- Live in Cape Town (2005)
- Live at San Javier Jazz Festival (2006)
References
- ↑ Yanow, Scott. "Fourplay: Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 2010-11-09.
- ↑ Lee Mergner (February 15, 2010). "Larry Carlton Leaving Fourplay". JazzTimes. Retrieved September 8, 2011.
- ↑ "Fourplay received their Congress Record". Whereseric.com. 2007-04-01. Retrieved 2011-10-22.