Fourplay (stylized as fOURPLAY) is a contemporary American smooth jazz quartet. The original members of the group were Bob James (keyboards), Lee Ritenour (guitars),

Nathan East Nathan Harrell East (born December 8, 1955) is an American jazz, R&B, and rock bass guitarist and vocalist. With more than 2,000 recordings, East is one of the most recorded bass players in the history of music. East holds a Bachelor of Arts ...

(bass), and Harvey Mason (drums). In 1997, Ritenour left the group and Fourplay chose Larry Carlton as his replacement. In 2010, Carlton left Fourplay and was replaced by Chuck Loeb, who died on July 31, 2017. During Loeb's illness, saxophonist Kirk Whalum joined the group for performances. The group has enjoyed consistent artistic and commercial success by grafting elements of R&B and pop to jazz, appealing to a broad mainstream audience. Their debut album, '' Fourplay'' (1991), sold over a million copies and remained at the number one position on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' contemporary jazz chart for 33 weeks. Their next album, '' Between the Sheets'' (1993), reached number one, went gold, and received a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

nomination. In 1995, their third gold album, ''

Elixir An elixir is a sweet liquid used for medical purposes, to be taken orally and intended to cure one's illness. When used as a dosage form, pharmaceutical preparation, an elixir contains at least one active ingredient designed to be taken orall ...

'', also was number one and remained on the chart for more than 90 weeks. In 2015 the band celebrated its 25th anniversary with the release of the album ''Silver'' with former members Ritenour and Carlton.

Discography

DVD-Video

* ''An Evening of Fourplay'' Volumes I and II (1994) * ''Live in Cape Town'' (2005) * ''Live at San Javier Jazz Festival'' (2006)

References

External links

* {{Authority control American jazz ensembles Smooth jazz ensembles Warner Records artists Bluebird Records artists Musical groups established in 1991 1991 establishments in the United States