ALBUMOnce Upon a Time: The Lost 1965 New York Studio SessionsBob James
ALBUMEspresso (feat. Billy Kilson & Michael Palazzolo)Bob James
ALBUMIn the Chapel in the MoonlightBob James & Nancy Stagnitta
ALBUMThe New CoolBob James & Nathan East
ALBUMAlone: Kaleidoscope By Solo PianoBob James
ALBUMStorm WarningHilary James & Bob James
ALBUMQuartette HumaineBob James & David Sanborn
ALBUMAltair & VegaBob James & Keiko Matsui
ALBUMJust Friends: The Hamilton Hall SessionsBob James & Howard Paul
ALBUMBoteroJack Lee & Bob James
ALBUMChristmas EyesHilary James & Bob James
ALBUMAngels of ShanghaiBob James
ALBUMUrban FlamingoBob James
ALBUMBob James Live!Bob James
ALBUMTake It From the TopBob James
ALBUMMorning, Noon & NightBob James
ALBUMDancing On the WaterBob James
ALBUMJoy RideBob James
ALBUMPlayin' HookyBob James
ALBUMJoined at the HipBob James & Kirk Whalum
ALBUMStraight UpBob James
ALBUMJoined At the Hip (2019 Remastered)Bob James & Kirk Whalum
ALBUMFlesh and BloodBob James
ALBUMHapgoodBob James
ALBUMCoolBob James & Earl Klugh
ALBUMGrand Piano CanyonBob James
ALBUMIvory CoastBob James
ALBUMDouble Vision (2024 Remastered)Bob James & David Sanborn
ALBUMObsessionBob James
ALBUM12Bob James
ALBUMThe SwanBob James
ALBUMThe Genie: Themes & Variations From the TV SeriesBob James
ALBUMFoxieBob James
ALBUMHands DownBob James
ALBUMTwo of a KindEarl Klugh & Bob James
ALBUMSign of the TimesBob James
ALBUMHBob James
ALBUMLucky SevenBob James
ALBUMOne On OneBob James & Earl Klugh
ALBUMHeadsBob James
ALBUMTouchdownBob James
ALBUMBj4Bob James
ALBUMThreeBob James
ALBUMTwoBob James
ALBUMPower of SoulIdris Muhammad
ALBUMOneBob James
ALBUMExplosionsBob James
ALBUMBold ConceptionsBob James
Bob James's Popular Music Videos
Deep In the Weeds
Bob James & David Sanborn
If I Had The World To Give (feat. Bob James)
Dave McMurray
Artist Playlists
Bob James Essentials
Pay your respects to the godfather of smooth jazz.
Bob James: Sampled
Hip-hop's smooth jazz soul.
About Bob James
Artist Biography
Keyboardist Bob James is one of the most popular smooth-jazz musicians ever, but that’s not the entirety of his story. Born in Missouri in 1939, James was a child prodigy on piano, turning pro in the ’50s. His Quincy Jones-produced 1963 debut album, Bold Conceptions, was a brash mix of bebop and avant-garde jazz, while the follow-up was a full-on free-jazz exploration. His next couple of releases mixed experimental impulses with the fusion of jazz, pop and funk that would soon make him famous. By 1978’s Touchdown (which featured “Angela”, his hugely popular theme for TV’s Taxi), he’d perfected that radio-friendly sound. James remained a smooth-jazz star thereafter, but detours into classical music showed he still had an eclectic soul. In the ’90s he formed the long-lasting supergroup Fourplay with Lee Ritenour, Nathan East and Harvey Mason. Over time, James’ funky grooves became frequent hip-hop fodder, making him one of the most sampled jazz artists.
Hometown
Marshall, MO, United States
Genre
Jazz
Bob James: Member of
Bob James is also a member of, or has been a member of the following groups