July 19, 2009. With a protracted sound check causing the gates of the Thornton Winery to remain firmly locked, an increasingly disgruntled audience remained outside to endure the blistering Southern Californian sun. However this less than auspicious beginning to the latest installment of the 2009 Thornton Winery Champagne Jazz Series in Temecula CA was soon consigned to distant memory as a combination of good food, fine wine and Paul Brown’s knockout opening set laid an immaculate foundation for the incomparable Fourplay to take the stage.
In fact, since 1991, when keyboardist Bob James, guitarist Lee Ritenour, bass player Nathan East, and drummer Harvey Mason first came together for James' critically acclaimed album ‘Grand Piano Canyon’, this all-star collective has been the one genuine super-group in contemporary jazz. Although Larry Carlton took over the guitarist's spot to coincide with the bands successful 1998 album ‘4’ (and has remained there ever since) Fourplay’s show at Thornton Winery opened with the memorable ‘Chant’ from its 1993 sophomore release ‘Between The Sheets’. It proved to be a fitting opening for a band that has always operated very much at the ‘high end’ of smooth jazz and this quality was further demonstrated by the energetic James – Mason composition ‘Tally Ho’ from the 2002 collection ‘Heartfelt’.
Not surprisingly a considerable portion of the performance was given over to Fourplay’s current CD ‘Energy’. In this respect a high point was the innovative ‘Sebastian’ while the massively jazzy ‘Ultralight’ contrasted delightfully with the enticing ‘Argentina’ for which Bob James on piano was magnificent. However, as with all truly great musicians, the real pleasure in the concert was derived from the way in which both individually and collectively the players expertly interpreted their own immaculate compositions.
For further information on the tour schedule go to www.fourplayjazz.com