I’m genuinely surprised we’ve never had Bob James' One in the lab before. “Nautilus" is sampled in more songs than I can count—”Children’s Story” by Slick Rick, “Follow the Leader” by Eric B. and Rakim, “Beats to the Rhyme” by Run-DMC (one of my all-time favorite beats), and “Clap Your Hands” by A Tribe Called Quest, just to name a few. The entire record is often hailed as an important predecessor to the smooth jazz genre, which is a bit ironic considering the intense orchestral arrangements on “Valley of the Shadows,” “Soulero,” and “Night on Bald Mountain.” “In The Garden” also intertwines laid-back country elements with Pachabel’s “Canon in D.” Engineered by the legendary Rudy Van Gelder in his Englewood Cliffs studio, the record features Idris Muhammad on drums and Grover Washington Jr. on soprano sax alongside a who’s who of session musicians like Steve Gadd and Eric Weissberg. Remastered from the original analog tapes. 6 tracks on yellow 180g vinyl, recommended.

• 180g yellow colored vinyl
  
• indie exclusive
• remastered from the original tapes
• housed in gatefold jacket w/ extensive liner notes + printed insert
• limited edition
• original release year: 1974
• music label: Evosound 2021

reviewed by SHH! 08/2021

ALSO AVAILABLE

• Bob James: Two 180g Colored Vinyl LP

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