Westchester Lady

Recorded between November 1975 and January 1976 at Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 'Westchester Lady' featured Bob James on keyboards, Will Lee on bass, Harvey Mason on drums, Eric Gale and Hugh McCracken on guitars, and Ralph MacDonald on percussion. The session also included Grover Washington Jr. and an extensive horn and string ensemble, with arrangements and conducting by James, production by Creed Taylor and engineering by Rudy Van Gelder. Released in 1976 on CTI Records as part of Bob James's third solo album, Three, 'Westchester Lady' showcased his elaborate arrangements, combining a distinctive keyboard melody with a driving bassline, syncopated percussion and layered orchestration. The composition became one of the album's signature recordings and was also issued as an edited single, contributing to the album's commercial success and its number-two position on Billboard's Jazz Albums chart. The recording became an enduring favourite among jazz-funk DJs, rare groove collectors and instrumental music enthusiasts, valued for its infectious rhythmic arrangement and memorable keyboard passages. Its continued appearance on Bob James compilations and specialist DJ collections has helped preserve its reputation as a defining recording from his influential CTI period.