The UNLV Performing Arts Center welcomes the Grammy-nominated Smooth Jazz "Supergroup" Fourplay, at 8 p.m. on Saturday, November 3 in Artemus Ham Concert Hall. The contemporary jazz quartet -- keyboardist Bob James, bassist Nathan East, guitarist Chuck Loeb, and drummer Harvey Mason -- has made a dozen albums, including million-sellers and chart-climbing hits.
In addition, members of the award-winning UNLV Jazz group will play in the Artemus Ham Concert Hall lobby prior to the Fourplay performance, 7 p.m.-7:45 p.m.
Fourplay has enjoyed consistent artistic and commercial success by grafting elements of R&B, pop and a variety of other sounds to their unwavering jazz foundations. In the course of a dozen recordings -- six of which have climbed to the top of Billboard's Contemporary Jazz Album charts - Fourplay has continued to explore the limitless dimensions and permutations of jazz while at the same time appealing to a broad mainstream audience.
The Fourplay story begins in 1990, with keyboardist James, who had already established himself as a formidable figure in keyboard jazz - not just as an instrumentalist but as a composer and arranger as well - with solo recordings dating as far back as the mid 1960s. In 1990, James reunited with his old friend, session drummer, producer, composer & recording artist Mason (Herbie Hancock, Barbra Streisand, Notorious B.I.G.), during the recording of James' Grand Piano Canyonalbum. Also involved in the project were guitarist Lee Ritenour (Sergio Mendes) and bassist/vocalist Nathan East (Barry White, Eric Clapton, Phil Collins).
The Grand Piano Canyon sessions marked the genesis of the group that eventually came to be known as Fourplay. Their self-titled debut album was released in 1991, and included a blend of jazz, R&B and pop.
Following the 1999 release of Snowbound, a mix of traditional and contemporary holiday songs, Fourplay shook things up a bit with Yes Please!, an album that challenged the standard definitions of contemporary jazz by incorporating elements of blues, funk and even Celtic music. JazzTimes critic Hilarie Grey called Yes Please! "an expansive album that incorporates each artist's strengths, and in the process travels in some unexpected directions."
The sense of experimentation continued with the 2002 release of Heartfelt. The material in this set emerged from a series of improvisational performances that were assembled into full compositions. As a result, the tunes have less clearly defined melodies, but the overall album is both exploratory and accessible at the same time.
Fourplay joined the prestigious roster of artists on Heads Up International, a division of Concord Music Group, with the 2008 release of Energy, which spent three consecutive weeks at the top of Billboard's Contemporary Jazz chart. The album grafts a variety of sounds - R&B, pop, African and more - to Fourplay's unwavering jazz foundations. In addition to vocals by East, Energy features a vocal track by bassist Esperanza Spalding.
Loeb makes his highly anticipated debut with the quartet on Let's Touch The Sky, the band's new recording scheduled for release in October 2010. The album also includes thrilling performances by guest vocalists Anita Baker and Ruben Studdard.
Tickets to Fourplay are $30, $40, and $55, and can be purchased at the Performing Arts Center Box Office at 895-ARTS (2787) or by visiting pac.unlv.edu. Student rush tickets are $13 each (not inclusive of the facilities fee), and available one hour prior to each event, based on availability and with valid student I.D. UNLV faculty and staff discounts also are available. A $1.25 facilities fee, in addition to the ticket price, is charged on all Performing Arts Center tickets. The box office is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. Information about all of the season's performances can be found on the Performing Arts Center website, located at pac.unlv.edu.
Founded in 1976, the Performing Arts Center at UNLV is Southern Nevada's longest-running performing arts venue. Located on the north end of the UNLV campus, the PAC hosts a variety of performances each year.
