More than a fine jazz keyboardist, Bob James was a composer, arranger, and record producer who transcended any single style of music. In the early 90s, he founded the supergroup Fourplay … previously enjoying notoriety for his composition of “Angela”, the theme song for the TV show Taxi, for which he also performed the soundtrack.  It is generally accepted that music from his first seven albums has often been sampled, and is believed to have contributed to the formation of the musical genre hip hop.  Bob started playing piano at the tender age of four, and is said to have had perfect pitch from the very beginning!

In 1962, James was a twenty-two year old college student; his trio won the Collegiate Jazz Festival and recorded his first album, “Bold Conceptions,” as The Bob James Trio. Half-a-century later, he found himself the leader of another red, hot trio … this time featuring Billy Kilson on drums, and Michael Palazzolo on bass, the same musicians performing on both of these videos.  The one [above] is Angela –– also known as the Theme from Taxi –– originally written for a character in one of the TV episodes, but so well liked by the show’s producers that it became the program’s now instantly recognizable theme song.  The video [below] is Westchester Lady, another of Bob James’ most identifiable tunes.

For more Bob James, see MOJ posts on August 10, 2018 and October 24, 2020.