Four for All

Four for All is an album by the group Sphere featuring saxophonist Charlie Rouse, pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Buster Williams, and drummer Ben Riley which was recorded in 1983 and released on the Verve label.[1]

Four for All
Studio album by
Sphere
Released1987
RecordedMarch 2, 1987
StudioVan Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ
GenreJazz
Length56:29
LabelVerve
831 674-1
ProducerJoanne Klein & Sphere
Sphere chronology
Pumpkin's Delight
(1986)		 Four for All
(1987)		 Bird Songs
(1988)
Kenny Barron chronology
Now Was the Time
(1986)		 Four for All
(1987)		 Live at Fat Tuesdays
(1988)

Reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]

On UPI, Ken Frankling wrote "This, Sphere's finest album, highlights the vast difference between a pick-up group and a band that was meant to play together. Sphere is one of the best small jazz bands around".[3] In his review on AllMusic, Ken Dryden states "Although Sphere was initially formed by Kenny Barron, Buster Williams, Charlie Rouse, and Ben Riley to honor Thelonious Monk, their repertoire expanded far beyond his compositions. There is only one piece by Monk included here, a very playful arrangement of "San Francisco Holiday" (or "Worry Later," as it was tentatively titled by Riverside producer Orrin Keepnews when it was first recorded by Monk). Barron's samba "Baiana" proves to be a lively opener, while "Lunacy" is a tense post-bop chart that inspires some of the group's best playing on the date. Rouse's upbeat "Bittersweet," Williams' moody ballad "Air Dance," and the bassist's calypso-flavored "Lupe" are also tasty originals. "This Time the Dream's on Me" is the only standard, but the call-and-response intro between Williams and the rest of the quartet and Rouse's joyous tenor sax make it a memorable interpretation. Duke Ellington's infrequently played "Melancholia" is simply breathtaking, as Barron's consummate voicings blend beautifully with Rouse's bittersweet sax".[2]

Track listing
  1. "Baiana" (Kenny Barron) – 7:49
  2. "Bittersweet" (Charlie Rouse) – 6:00
  3. "Lunacy" (Barron) – 8:02
  4. "Air Dance" (Buster Williams) – 7:59 Bonus track on CD
  5. "San Francisco Holiday (Worry Later)" (Thelonious Monk) – 7:16
  6. "Lupe" (Williams) – 9:21
  7. "This Time the Dream's on Me" (Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer) – 5:32
  8. "Melancholia" (Duke Ellington) – 4:30 Bonus track on CD

Personnel

References
  1. Fitzgerald, M. Kenny Barron Discography, accessed February 2, 2017
  2. Dryden, Ken. Sphere – Four for All: Review at AllMusic. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
  3. Frankling. K. Review, November 13, 1987
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