Bob James

Bob James’ BJ4 is jazz-funk architecture—sleek, crystalline, and pulsing with under-the-surface tension. This is James at his most meticulously cinematic, stacking Rhodes tones, strings, and horn lines with the precision of a designer building a world where groove and elegance coexist in perfect suspension.

The rhythms simmer rather than shout, every drum accent and bass contour placed with surgical intention. Yet beneath the polish lies a sly funkiness—subtle, seductive, and deeply infectious. James lets the arrangements breathe, expanding into lush, widescreen territory before snapping back into tight, hard-edged hooks.

BJ4 plays like a journey through illuminated mid-’70s city streets—cool, nocturnal, and full of quiet swagger. It’s a masterclass in restraint and sophistication, a record that proves that smooth can still hit hard, and that precision can be every bit as thrilling as raw fire.