Restoration: The Best of Bob James

Bob James | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 20, 2001)
• Original Release Date: 2001
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Warner Bros / Wea
• ASIN: B00005RGNJ
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #79,302 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Feel Like Making Love

2. Nautilus

3. Farandole (L'Arlesienne Suite #2)

4. Westchester Lady

5. Storm King

6. Tappan Zee

7. Night Crawler

8. Angela (Theme From "Taxi")

9. Touchdown

10. Kari - Bob James & Earl Klugh

See all 13 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Maputo - Bob James & David Sanborn

2. Ashanti

3. Restoration

4. Bare Bones

5. Movin' On - Bob James & Earl Klugh

6. Lotus Leaves

7. Restless

8. Storm Warning - Hillary James & Bob James

9. Kickin' Back - Bob James & Kirk Whalum

10. Hockney - Bob James Trio

See all 15 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Pianist-composer Bob James has been a mainstay on the contemporary jazz scene from the early '70s to today. His bell-like electric piano sound made him a radio favorite and a Grammy Award winner. This two-CD set contains James's greatest hits. There are the hip-hop sampled, snappy CTI label smashes like "Nautilus" and "Westchester Lady," as well as the plaintive "Touchdown" and the popular "Angela (The Theme from Taxi)" from his Columbia Records days. But there's also "Hockney" and the classical work, "Farandole," which showcase his beautiful acoustic jazz piano sound and his overlooked arranging skills. This compendium includes a multitude of sideman and collaborators, including Hubert Laws, Jon Faddis, Earl Klugh, Ron Carter, and David Sanborn. "Brighton by the Sea" with Grover Washington Jr. (originally appearing on James's H album), is rhythmically revamped with a zesty 21st-century drum & bass remix, showing that the music of Bob James is melodic, moving, and modern. --Eugene Holley Jr.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A pretty fine career anthology from Bob, November 20, 2001

By 

William Merrill "eclecticist" (San Antonio, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Restoration: The Best of Bob James (Audio CD)

Bob James has taken a fair amount of abuse over the years, but I've enjoyed much of his music, especially his "light & lively" period of the late '70s (on his own Tappan Zee label) and his work with Fourplay. Typical of the slams inflicted on him were these derogatory comments from The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide, published in 1985: "...(James was) the architect for Seventies Muzak jazz...the records are unfortunately not much fun to listen to...(etc.)." To counter that criticism, I'd merely ask you to listen to "Angela (Theme From 'Taxi')," "Maputo" from his duo CD with David Sanborn, the snazzy "Shamboozie," or any of several other cool tracks off of this collection. And just look at the list of people he's worked with. Besides Mr. Sanborn and Kirk Whalum, there are the familiar pairings with Earl Klugh, plus a mighty host of great side musicians ranging from Grover Washington, Jr. and Eric Gale to Eddie Daniels and Chuck Loeb. This double-CD set, Restoration, is an excellent summation of Bob's career -- from all 3 labels he recorded for (but no Fourplay) -- and it makes for some very melodious and pleasurable jazz listening. Call it a guilty pleasure if you must, but I'm not giving up my Bob James!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great music but two edits were ill advised!, August 30, 2002

By 

Philip A Montalvo (Berkeley, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Restoration: The Best of Bob James (Audio CD)

Bob James music has been a major soundtrack for my life since 1974 (and Earl Klugh 1977) replacing the Beatles(rock)of my adolescence as a major influence! The compilation as a whole is excellent but I was really disappointed by the edits of "Kari" and "Feel Like Making Love". Anyone not familiar with Bob James' music probably wouldn't notice a thing and still enjoy these tracks. The only thing I could relate this to in some manner, is like hearing the "Top 40" version of "Light my Fire" by the Door's or "Oye Como Va" by Santana versus the longer versions on the albums.
The edit of "Kari" trucates Earl Klugh's "gorgeous" acoustic guitar solo and the edit of "Feel like Making Love" chops Bob James electric piano solo that defines so much of the style of his later work!

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally a Compilation for the Great Man! Great Sound!, December 2, 2005

By 

Frederick Baptist (Singapore) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Restoration: The Best of Bob James (Audio CD)

I have to confess that I only really got this disc because I loved "Angela-The Theme From Taxi" and so I didn't really want to get everything the man has ever done and so I waited and searched high and low for a cd like this and my prayers were answered! Not only did I finally get the track but I was very impressed by the other tracks on the 2 discs. Great smooth jazz and although no mention of any remastering is made clearly on the disc, I have to say that the sound quality is amazing! I've heard many "remastered" discs that are blatant misrepresentations and only a very few that are clear improvements over the original but this disc sounds a lot better than even many of those! For the lover of smooth jazz and those who want to get a great truly representative best of compilation of the man but not get all the albums, this is the best version that's currently out there and I think the only one really. Highly recommended.