Nathan Dcg Ue4

After 25 years of collaboration, Bob James and Nathan East are set to release their debut duo album The New Cool in September on Yamaha Entertainment Group. The New Cool marks new territory for legendary jazz pianist Bob James and bassist Nathan East, who’ve spent decades playing together in contemporary jazz quartet Fourplay but never before as an official duo. “The more I played with Nathan over the course of many live performances and spanning more than 20 years, the more in sync we were whether or not we had the anchor of the drums,” says James. “Something special happens when we only have each other’s notes to play off of, when the music is totally exposed.” Recorded entirely in Nashville, Tennessee, the album is a collection of original material contributed by both James and East, along with a small selection of standards. The duo’s musicianship is laid bare in a soulful reimagining of Irving Berlin’s “How Deep is the Ocean,” while the pair is joined by strings and woodwinds for a surprising take on Willie Nelson’s classic country hit 'Crazy'.

The band, based around the figure of keyboard player Guy Leblanc, puts together a very potent mix of sounds to produce this Progressive (mostly instrumental) work. Their music is both dark and light, complex and largely symphonic prog, loud and quiet, yet always stretching way beyond. Their musical style incorporates elements of Yes, ELP, Gentle Giant and even a bit of Frank Zappa, blending it together to create a style that is very much their own.