Ranked #73 in the Soul Strut 200

Oddly enough One is NOT Bob James' debut album.  After studying music at University of Michigan and Berkely School of Music, James was discovered by Quincy Jones and released a couple experimental jazz records on Mercury in the 1960s.  After those failed commercially, he was hired by Creed Taylor to produce sessions for CTI Records helping evolve the genre best known as smooth jazz.  Eventually James got another shot in 1974 and released this cornerstone album for smooth jazz fusion.  The track "Nautilus" became a staple for 80s and 90s hip hop production thus furthering James' career and culture relevance even into his 70s. 

Here's a picture of Soul Strutter Big Chan with James in 2012 showing off the mythical CTI Suitcase.

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