First released in 1974, One is the second solo album by jazz keyboardist Bob James. Bob enlisted a string of experienced Jazz players including Steve Gadd and Idris Muhammad on drums, Grover Washington on Sax and Gary King on bass. Led by the maestro himself on keyboards, One is a lush, experimental Jazz Funk record, excitingly hovering at the forefront of where music can take your soul. Produced by Creed Taylor and recorded at the famous Van Gelder Studios, the record is a monument of progressive musical greatness. It was an important album in the early smooth jazz genre and is famous for its end track, ‘Nautilus’ which became important to hip-hop as one of the most sampled tracks in American music. In the 46 years since the release of One, producers have interpolated or sampled ‘Nautilus’ over 350 times. This is a brilliantly written and performed genre- defying set of superb tracks. ‘In The Garden’ and ‘Night on Bald Mountain’ are wonderful adaptations of two very different pieces of classical music - totally engaging for anyone who appreciates complex arrangements made funky and jazzy and played with consummate musicianship. ‘Soulero’ is a wonderful bolero-style piece, building layers of beautiful tones and rhythms.
Evosound is remastering the album using hi-resolution digital transfers from the original analogue master tapes and will be manufactured as a hybrid Stereo SACD. The hybrid SACD plays on both SACD and regular CD players.
Tracklist:
1 Valley of the Shadows
2 In the Garden
3 Soulero
4 Night On Bald Mountain
5 Feel Like Making Love
6 Nautilus
Alto Flute, Recorder – George Marge, Romeo Penque
Bass – Gary King
Bass Trombone – Alan Raph, Jack Gale, Paul Faulise
Cello – Alan Shulman, Anthony Sophos, Charles McCracken, George Ricci, Jesse Levy, Seymour Barab
Drums – Idris Muhammad (tracks: 5, 6), Steve Gadd
Guitar – Richard Resnicoff
Harmonica – Hugh McCracken (tracks: 2)
Keyboards – Bob James
Pedal Steel Guitar – Eric Weissberg (tracks: 2)
Soprano Saxophone – Grover Washington, Jr. (tracks: 1, 3)
Trombone – Wayne Andre
Trumpet – Alan Rubin, Lew Soloff, Marvin Stamm, Victor Paz
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Jon Faddis, Thad Jones
Vibraphone – Dave Friedman
Violin – Charles Libove, David Nadien, Emanuel Green, Gene Orloff, Harold Kohon, Harry Lookofsky, Joe Malin, Max Ellen, Paul Gershman
