Straight Up (Bob James album)

Last updated
Straight Up
Bob James - Straight Up Cover.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedMay 18, 1996 (1996-05-18)
RecordedDecember 20 & 21, 1995
Studio The Power Station (New York, NY) [1]
Genre Jazz
Length54:27
Label Warner Records
Producer Matt Pierson
Bob James chronology
Restless
(1994)
Straight Up
(1996)
Playin' Hooky
(1997)

Straight Up is Bob James' 24th album. It was recorded on December 20 and 21, 1995, and released on May 28, 1996.

Contents

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [1]
Los Angeles TimesStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [2]

Scott Yanow of AllMusic concludes, "With (Christian) McBride and (Brian) Blade contributing consistently stimulating interplay, Bob James has recorded what is certainly the finest jazz album of his career."

Don Heckman of the Los Angeles Times gives this album 2 out of a possible 4 stars and concludes his review with, "this is still not the jazz outing that, somewhere, somehow, he is capable of making." [2]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Bob James, unless otherwise noted.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Nightcrawler" 4:42
2."Ambrosia" 6:29
3."James"4:53
4."The Jody Grind" Horace Silver 7:09
5."Lost April"
5:38
6."Three Mice Blind" 7:19
7."Hockney" 6:10
8."Shooting Stars" 6:21
9."Quiet Now" Denny Zeitlin 5:46
Total length:54:27

Musicians

Production

Track information and credits adapted the album's liner notes. [3]

Charts

Chart (1996)Peak
position
Traditional Jazz Albums (Billboard) [4] 6
Jazz Albums (Billboard) [5] 20

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References

  1. 1 2 Yanow, Scott. Bob James - Straight Up at AllMusic. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  2. 1 2 Heckman, Don (5 July 1996). "Bob James Trio "Straight Up" Warner Bros". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  3. Straight Up (liner notes). Bob James. Warner Records. 1996. 9 45956-2.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  4. "Bob James Chart History – Traditional Jazz Albums)". Billboard. 16 August 1996. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  5. "Bob James Chart History – Jazz Albums)". Billboard. 21 June 1996. Retrieved 14 February 2020.