fourplay Archives - ContemporaryJazz.com https://contemporaryjazz.com/category/fourplay Celebrating 30 Years Online! Tue, 21 Jul 2026 02:08:05 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.4 https://i0.wp.com/contemporaryjazz.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/cropped-ContemporaryJazz-mascot-logo-favicon-512x512-1.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 fourplay Archives - ContemporaryJazz.com https://contemporaryjazz.com/category/fourplay 32 32 124780169 Top Contemporary Jazz Chart – July 2, 1994 https://contemporaryjazz.com/top-contemporary-jazz-chart-july-2-1994 https://contemporaryjazz.com/top-contemporary-jazz-chart-july-2-1994#respond Mon, 06 Jul 2026 16:43:12 +0000 https://contemporaryjazz.com/?p=5189 Tenderness from Al Jarreau was a live-in-the-studio recording that blended the intimacy of a concert performance with the polish of a studio album. Produced by Marcus Miller, the project featured an all-star cast including Joe Sample, David Sanborn, Michael Brecker, Patches Stewart, Steve Gadd, Eric Gale,  and acclaimed soprano Kathleen Battle. The album found Jarreau […]

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]]> Tenderness from Al Jarreau was a live-in-the-studio recording that blended the intimacy of a concert performance with the polish of a studio album. Produced by Marcus Miller, the project featured an all-star cast including Joe Sample, David Sanborn, Michael Brecker, Patches Stewart, Steve Gadd, Eric Gale,  and acclaimed soprano Kathleen Battle. The album found Jarreau revisiting classics such as “Try a Little Tenderness,” “Your Song,” “My Favorite Things,” “She’s Leaving Home,” and “Summertime,” while also including updated versions of his own compositions like “We Got By” and “Save Your Love for Me.” Tenderness may be one of the most relaxed and inspired recordings of Jarreau’s career, pairing his vocal agility with stellar talent and songs that gave him plenty of room to soar.

Top Contemporary Jazz Albums
Week of July 2, 1994

# Artist Album
1 Kenny G Breathless ▶
2 David Sanborn Hearsay ▶
3 Al Jarreau Tenderness ▶
4 Norman Brown After the Storm ▶
5 John Tesh Project Sax by the Fire ▶
6 The Benoit/Freeman Project The Benoit/Freeman Project ▶
7 Boney James Backbone ▶
8 Incognito Positivity ▶
9 Nancy Wilson Love, Nancy ▶
10 Paul Hardcastle Hardcastle ▶
11 Gerald Albright Smooth ▶
12 Bob James Restless ▶
13 Patti Austin That Secret Place ▶
14 Fourplay Between the Sheets ▶
15 Dave Koz Lucky Man ▶
16 Marion Meadows Forbidden Fruit ▶
17 Gil Scott-Heron Spirits ▶
18 Candy Dulfer Sax-A-Go-Go ▶
19 Ronny Jordan The Quiet Revolution ▶
20 Stanley Clarke East River Drive ▶
21 Carl Anderson Heavy Weather Sunlight Again ▶
22 Tom Scott Reed My Lips ▶
23 Joe McBride A Gift for Tomorrow ▶
24 Yellowjackets Run for Your Life ▶
25 Nelson Rangell Yes, Then Yes ▶

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]]> https://contemporaryjazz.com/top-contemporary-jazz-chart-july-2-1994/feed 0 5189 Top Contemporary Jazz Albums – April 22, 1995 https://contemporaryjazz.com/top-contemporary-jazz-albums-april-22-1995 https://contemporaryjazz.com/top-contemporary-jazz-albums-april-22-1995#comments Fri, 18 Apr 2025 20:47:45 +0000 https://contemporaryjazz.com/?p=4458 According to Billboard magazine, here were the Top Contemporary Jazz Albums for the week of April 22, 1995!   Meanwhile, over on the Top Jazz Albums for the same week, David Sanborn was on top with Pearls, his lush recording with orchestral arrangements. And Grover Washington, Jr. was also on the chart with All My […]

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]]> According to Billboard magazine, here were the Top Contemporary Jazz Albums for the week of April 22, 1995!  

Meanwhile, over on the Top Jazz Albums for the same week, David Sanborn was on top with Pearls, his lush recording with orchestral arrangements. And Grover Washington, Jr. was also on the chart with All My Tomorrows, a more stripped-down  album with strings.

Top Contemporary Jazz Albums

Week of April 22, 1995

# Artist Album  
1 Kenny G Breathless ►
2 Pat Metheny Group We Live Here ►
3 Spyro Gyra Love & Other Obsessions ►
4 John Tesh Project Sax on the Beach ►
5 George Duke Illusions ►
6 Phil Perry Pure Pleasure ►
7 Najee Share My World ►
8 Norman Brown After the Storm ►
9 Incognito Positivity ►
10 John Tesh Project Sax by the Fire ►
11 Pieces of a Dream Goodbye Manhattan ►
12 David Sanborn The Best of David Sanborn ►
13 Tom Scott Night Creatures ►
14 Jeff Lorber West Side Stories ►
15 Acoustic Alchemy Against the Grain ►
16 Hilary James & Bob James Flesh and Blood ►
17 Dave Koz Lucky Man ►
18 Russ Freeman & The Rippingtons Sahara ►
19 Chris Botti First Wish ►
20 Peter White Reflections ►
21 Fourplay Between the Sheets ►
22 Richard Elliot After Dark ►
23 Fattburger Livin’ Large ►
24 Avenue Blue Avenue Blue Featuring Jeff Golub ►
25 George Howard A Home Far Away ►

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]]> https://contemporaryjazz.com/top-contemporary-jazz-albums-april-22-1995/feed 1 4458 Top Contemporary Jazz – December 3, 1999 https://contemporaryjazz.com/top-contemporary-jazz-december-3-1999 https://contemporaryjazz.com/top-contemporary-jazz-december-3-1999#respond Mon, 02 Dec 2024 03:18:30 +0000 https://contemporaryjazz.com/?p=4328 The top ten contemporary jazz recordings 25 years ago, ranked by ContemporaryJazz.com! As it was in the 1990s, Kenny G topped the chart. However, this week he had two recordings: his renditions of standards and his third holiday album. Other Christmas and holiday music were moving into the top 10, including a nice compilation from […]

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]]> The top ten contemporary jazz recordings 25 years ago, ranked by ContemporaryJazz.com! As it was in the 1990s, Kenny G topped the chart. However, this week he had two recordings: his renditions of standards and his third holiday album. Other Christmas and holiday music were moving into the top 10, including a nice compilation from Windham Hill, which had branched out from just a “new age” label to add contemporary jazz. A Jazz Noel had new holiday music from Michael Franks, Spyro Gyra, Ricky Peterson, Tom Grant, and Earl Klugh.

collage of 1999 contemporary jazz and holiday album covers from Dave Koz, Kenny G, Hiroshima, Take 6, Brian Culbertson and more.

Top Contemporary Jazz for the
Week of December 3, 1999:

  1. Kenny G, Faith: A Holiday Album
  2. Fourplay, Snowbound
  3. Kenny G, Classics in the Key of G
  4. Windham Hill Jazz Artists, A Jazz Noel
  5. Hiroshima, Between Black and White
  6. Dave Koz, The Dance
  7. Take 6, We Wish You A Merry Christmas
  8. Various Instinct Label Artists, This Is Smooth Jazz 
  9. Yada Yada, Fingalikkin’ Good
  10. Brian Culbertson, Somethin’ About Love

Listen to music from these recordings on this YouTube playlist or on Apple Music:

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