Fourplay is the debut album of the contemporary jazz quartet Fourplay

Fourplay

Fourplay is a contemporary jazz quartet in the United States. The original members of the group were Bob James , Lee Ritenour , Nathan East , and Harvey Mason . In 1997, Lee Ritenour left the group and Fourplay chose Larry Carlton as his replacement...

 which was released by Warner Bros. Records

Warner Bros. Records

Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...

 on September 17, 1991. The album cover showed four pictures of the original group on a variety of musical instruments (such as a guitar, piano keys and a drum). The album has sold over 1,000,000 copies in the United States and has thus been certified platinum by the RIAA.
Their album charted at the #1 position on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Charts for an unprecedented 33 weeks.

Review

This CD was the debut of Fourplay, the super quartet composed of keyboardist Bob James

Bob James (musician)

Robert McElhiney James is a jazz keyboardist, arranger and producer.-Biography:During the 1970s, Bob James played a major role in establishing the smooth jazz genre. "Angela", the instrumental theme from the sitcom Taxi, is probably Bob James' most well-known work to date...

, guitarist Lee Ritenour

Lee Ritenour

Lee Mack Ritenour is an American jazz guitarist who has recorded over 42 albums, appeared on over 3000 sessions, and has charted over 30 instrumental and vocal contemporary jazz hits since 1976. One of his most popular songs was the smash hit, “Is It You” in 1981. Ritenour is considered to be a...

, bassist Nathan East

Nathan East

Nathan Harrell East is a jazz, R&B and rock bass player and vocalist. East holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from the University of California, San Diego...

 and drummer Harvey Mason

Harvey Mason

Harvey William Mason is an American jazz drummer. He has worked with many jazz and fusion artists such as Bob James, The Brecker Brothers, Lee Ritenour, Herbie Hancock's Headhunters and almost all the Mizell Brothers productions with Donald Byrd, Johnny Hammond, Bobbi Humphrey and Gary Bartz...

. The style is a soulful blend of jazz, R&B, and pop with an emphasis on original compositions by each band member. El DeBarge lends his seductive vocals to the Marvin Gaye classic "After The Dance" to round out this musical masterpiece.

Track listing

Musicians

• Bob James
  Bob James (musician)
  Robert McElhiney James is a jazz keyboardist, arranger and producer.-Biography:During the 1970s, Bob James played a major role in establishing the smooth jazz genre. "Angela", the instrumental theme from the sitcom Taxi, is probably Bob James' most well-known work to date...
  
  - Keyboards & Synthesizers
• Nathan East
  Nathan East
  Nathan Harrell East is a jazz, R&B and rock bass player and vocalist. East holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from the University of California, San Diego...
  
    - Bass, Background vocals
• Lee Ritenour
  Lee Ritenour
  Lee Mack Ritenour is an American jazz guitarist who has recorded over 42 albums, appeared on over 3000 sessions, and has charted over 30 instrumental and vocal contemporary jazz hits since 1976. One of his most popular songs was the smash hit, “Is It You” in 1981. Ritenour is considered to be a...
  
    - Guitar
• Harvey Mason
  Harvey Mason
  Harvey William Mason is an American jazz drummer. He has worked with many jazz and fusion artists such as Bob James, The Brecker Brothers, Lee Ritenour, Herbie Hancock's Headhunters and almost all the Mizell Brothers productions with Donald Byrd, Johnny Hammond, Bobbi Humphrey and Gary Bartz...
  
    - Drums, Percussion
• El DeBarge
  El DeBarge
  Eldra Patrick "El" DeBarge is an American R&B/pop falsetto singer and was the focal point and lead singer of the family group DeBarge throughout the early to mid-1980s....
  
    – Lead Vocals, Background vocals
• Patti LaBelle
  Patti LaBelle
  Patricia Louise Holte-Edwards , better known under the stage name, Patti LaBelle, is a Grammy Award winning American singer, author and actress who has spent over 50 years in the music industry...
  
    - Background vocals
• Philip Bailey
  Philip Bailey
  Philip Irvin Bailey is an American R&B, soul, gospel and funk singer, songwriter, percussionist and actor, best known as one of the longtime members of Earth, Wind & Fire. Together with Verdine White, B. David Whitworth, and Ralph Johnson he forms the heart of the current EWF line-up on...
  
    - Background vocals

Production

• Fourplay
  Fourplay
  Fourplay is a contemporary jazz quartet in the United States. The original members of the group were Bob James , Lee Ritenour , Nathan East , and Harvey Mason . In 1997, Lee Ritenour left the group and Fourplay chose Larry Carlton as his replacement...
  
    – Producer
• Don Murray - Engineer
• Mike Kloster - Assistant Engineer
• Bob James
  Bob James (musician)
  Robert McElhiney James is a jazz keyboardist, arranger and producer.-Biography:During the 1970s, Bob James played a major role in establishing the smooth jazz genre. "Angela", the instrumental theme from the sitcom Taxi, is probably Bob James' most well-known work to date...
  
    - Executive Producer
• Debra Johnson - Production Coordination
• Marcel East - Additional Engineering & Overdubs
• Harvey Mason, Jr. - Technical Assistance
• Paul May - Guitar Technical Engineer
• Don Murray - Engineer, Remixing, Mixing
• Clif Norrell - Assistant Engineer
• Robert Vosgien - Digital Editing & Mastering
• Wally Traugott - Mastering
• Spencer Chrislu - Mastering, Audio Master, Authoring

Recorded at Ocean Way Studios in Hollywood, California

Charts

Album – Billboard

Year	Chart	Position
1991	Top Contemporary Jazz Albums	1
1991	Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums	16
1991	The Billboard 200	91