Foxie

by Alex HendersonBecause so many of Bob James' albums have been devoid of integrity and epitomized musical prostitution at its most shameless, quite a few people in the jazz world (both fusionists and hard boppers) dismiss everything he's done since 1974. But it's best to judge the keyboardist on an album-by-album basis and not lump all of his releases together. Not a gem but certainly superior to Touchdown or Sign of the Times, Foxie has its moments. Some of the pop-jazz material is decent, including the delicate "Miranda," the reggae-influenced "Calaban," and the relaxed "Fireball." The playful "Zebra Man" employs David Sanborn on soprano sax; regrettably, he simply meanders and doesn't get a chance to stretch. None of the songs are brilliant, but with the exception of "Marco Polo," none of them are schlocky either.