Fourplay (MQA CD)

There was no great cunning master plan that brought noted jazz instrumentalists Bob James (keyboards), Lee Ritenour (guitar), Nathan East (bass) and Harvey Mason (drums) together to form a supergroup. Released in October 1991, Fourplay - aided by the success of the smash single 'After The Dance' - peaked at No. 1 in America's Contemporary Jazz charts for 33 weeks and sold over a million copies. It rose to No. 16 in the R&B rankings and No. 97 in America's list of top pop records, The Billboard 200.

Thanks to the group's impeccable musicianship and its internal creative chemistry, Fourplay created an immediately identifiable signature sound, setting the gold standard for smooth jazz in the 1990s. Now three decades old, the band's self-titled debut album was not only the blueprint for the group's sound but also functioned as a foundation stone upon which Fourplay built a remarkable career. Originally released in September 1991, Fourplay is now reissued by evosound, to celebrate the album's 30th Anniversary, as a multi-channel hybrid SACD including a 5.1 surround mix. A previously unreleased long version of 'After The Dance' is included as a bonus track (only available in stereo). The remastering of the album was undertaken using the high-resolution digital transfers from the original analogue master tapes.