Fourplay是由四位大师级的当代爵士乐手所组成的乐团，担任键盘乐手的Bob James拥有深厚的古典乐底子，因此出自他指下的每一个音符，都经过精雕细琢的仔细忖度。而有「金手指」之称的Lee Ritenour，更被许多的Fusion吉他乐手视做精神宗师。Nathan East的贝斯声线铺陈出舒软畅快的进行动向，不似一般摇滚乐团的张牙舞爪，确仍维系着乐曲脉动的生命力。担任鼓手的Harvey Mason，则以充满开创性的精神为乐团所创造的音乐搭建出多样骨架。四位当今情调爵士乐坛的巨星所组成的乐团，当然是空前的梦幻组合。
This all-star group — comprised of keyboardist Bob James, guitarist Lee Ritenour, bassist Nathan East, and drummer Harvey Mason — was formed in 1991 after the quartet came together on part of James' Grand Piano Canyon album. They have since recorded a number of CDs for Warner Bros. that have all been big sellers, not surprising considering the popularity of James and Ritenour. Larry Carlton took over the guitarist's spot in the late '90s, first appearing in Fourplay on the band's successful 1998 album, 4. The group's music borders on jazz with some strong improvisations mixed in with large doses of pop and R&B.
Fourplay爵士四人行
1990年，名爵士键盘手 BOB JAMES 正录制他个人专辑 《GRAND PIANO CANYON》 当时找来了圈中好友一起合作为此专辑进行制作。过后 JAMES 便蒙起了念头想组成 一支爵士组合，于是便与这些好友们成立了 FOURPLAY，除了 JAMES 之外，其他成员为贝司手 NATHAN EAST、吉它手 LEE RITENOUR 及鼓手 HARVEY MANSON。对于爵士喜好者来说，这些人的名字绝对不陌生，个个来头不小！
1991 年，他们的第一张同名专辑 《FOURPLAY》 正式与大家见面。此专辑一推出便受各界瞩目，更在全球句权威性的 BILLBOARD 爵士音乐专辑排行榜中一飞冲天登上冠军宝座。虽然如此，但却也曾引来了一些传统音乐人的负面批评，指他们的音乐曲风太过前卫而不该被归类于爵士音乐。但从专辑销售量证明了他们的音乐受到了大家的热烈欢迎，为爵士音乐写下了新的一页。
1993 年第二张专辑 《BETWEEN THE SHEETS》里的同名主打歌‘BETWEEN THE SHEETS’找来了爵士歌后 CHAKA KHAN 与 NATHAN EAST 合唱。其中EAST 在歌里以磁性的假音呈现，若没特别注意的话肯定认不清谁的声音！如今‘BETWEEN THE SHEETS’已成了 SMOOTH JAZZ 的经典之一。
随后的第三张专辑 《ELIXIR》 把这支乐团带上高峰，我也是因为这张专辑开始注意他们的音乐。里面的歌曲如 ‘ CLOSER I GET TO YOU ’ 、 ‘ DREAM COME TRUE ’ 、 ‘ WHY CAN’T WE WAIT TILL MORNING ’ 等歌曲首首皆非常动听。
FOURPLAY 的特色末过于他们在每首歌曲里都各自扮演了自己最拿手的角色，谁也占不了各自的光彩。JAMES 浪漫的弹奏、EAST弹而优则唱的专业、CARLTON 那扣人心弦的独特、以及 MANSON 质扑自如却不失水准的潇洒，全都写在他们的专辑上。四位都很有次序地把各自风格在每首歌曲里尽情发挥，呈现出层次感的精彩。
Fourplay的四位乐手都是大师级的当代爵士乐手，由四位当今情调爵士乐坛的巨星所组成的乐团，当然是空前的梦幻组合。
吉他手：Lee Rit
可以说是一代吉他宗师，甚至是Smooth Jazz吉他手，从blues到jazz，对即兴爵士演奏，不沉迷商业化的演奏，又低调，主流。无一不表现出他的才华与大师气质
键盘手：Bob James
多年的吉他演奏生涯使得他拥有坚固的古典吉他功底，出自他手下的音符都是经过精雕细琢的仔细忖度，绝对是历史上优秀的作曲家。Jazz，Funk的先驱，他早期曾为SARAH VEUGHAN 担任KEYBOARD伴奏，工作之余积极参与录音的工作，并和当时颇负盛名的QUINCY JONES、DIONNE WARWICK、ROBERT FLACK 等共事，1973年他加入了一间叫CTI 的音乐工作室，并为ERIC GALE、GROVER WASHIN GTON等JAZZ乐的好手监制唱片发行
贝斯手：Nathan East
中学时开始学习小提琴，14 岁才开始学习 bass，除了在当地的教会表演外，他也加入学校里的军乐队，在当时影响他的人有 Ron Carter 及 Ray Brown 等，贝斯温柔中带着跳跃，又不张牙舞爪，平淡中带着快乐，迸发出无比的激情，由于他在音乐上的杰出表现，YAMAHA 因此推出以他命名的纪念琴。
鼓手：Harvey Mason
从小耳濡目染众多大师的演奏，又受到众多指点。乐队的灵魂人物，构架了一首首名曲
以下是专辑介绍：
1991：Fourplay
Warner Bros.
1993：Between the Sheets
Warner Bros.
1994：Elixir
Warner Bros.
1998：4
Warner Bros.
1999：Snowbound
Warner Bros.
2000：Yes, Please
Warner Bros.
2002：Heartfelt
Bluebird
2004：Journey
Bluebird
2006：X
RCA
Fourplay is a contemporary jazz quartet in the United States. The original members of the group were Bob James (keyboards), Lee Ritenour (guitars), Nathan East (bass), and Harvey Mason (drums). In 1997, Lee Ritenour left the group and Fourplay chose Larry Carlton as his replacement. In 2010, Larry Carlton left Fourplay and was replaced by Chuck Loeb.
Grammy-nominated supergroup Fourplay has enjoyed consistent artistic and commercial success by grafting elements of R&B and pop to their unwavering jazz foundations. In a span of eighteen years and eleven albums, the quartet has continued to explore the limitless dimensions and permutations of jazz while at the same time appealing to a broad mainstream audience.
Their first record, 1991's Fourplay, sold over a million copies and remained at the number one position on Billboard's contemporary jazz charts for 33 weeks. Their next LP, 1993's Between the Sheets, reached number one, went gold, and received a Grammy nomination. In 1995, their third gold album, Elixir, also reached the number one position and remained on the charts for more than 90 weeks.
Fourplay received a Congressional Record from the United States Congress, House of Representatives recognizing them as distinguished members of the music industry. The award was presented by A. Robert Brown, Sr., Advisor to Congressman Ed Towns of New York at a Fourplay performance in Philadelphia. Fourplay is the only musical group in history to be recognized by the U.S. Congress.
Links：www.fourplay.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourplay
http://baike.baidu.com/view/1080653.htm?fr=ala0_1_1
