Tappan Zee

Recorded in 1977 for the Heads album, the session featured Bob James on keyboards with a large ensemble of New York studio musicians. The recording was arranged and conducted by James during his commercially successful CTI Records period. The track exemplified James's fusion of jazz, funk and sophisticated studio orchestration at a time when crossover jazz was reaching a wider audience. It helped reinforce his reputation as one of the leading architects of jazz-funk in the late 1970s. The track became a favorite among crate diggers and hip-hop producers, with its grooves and keyboard passages sampled in later recordings. It remains one of the standout cuts from the Heads album and a staple of jazz-funk compilations.