Four80East
{{Short description|Canadian electro jazz ensemble}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Four80East
| image = Four80East_Positraction_Promo_Skyline.jpg
| image_size =
| alt = A shot of Four80East members Tony Grace and Rob DeBoer from their latest album, Positraction.
| caption = Four80East founding members, Tony Grace (left) and Rob DeBoer (right).
| background = group_or_band
| origin = Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| genre = Jazz, electro jazz, contemporary jazz, acid jazz
| years_active = 1997-present
| label = Native Language, Boomtang Records
| website = {{URL|http://www.four80east.com/}}
| current_members = Rob DeBoer and Tony Grace
}}
Four80East is a Canadian electro jazz ensemble from Toronto, Ontario, with Rob DeBoer (keyboards, bass and guitar) and Tony Grace (percussion); accompanied by various session musicians. Although Four80East began as a studio concept, they have evolved into a live act. Their music is known for its percussive, melodic flow and bass grooves.
History
Four80East began as a studio project when DeBoer and Grace, who had been writing, arranging and producing for other artists on their Boomtang Records label (cf. The Boomtang Boys), put together material of their own and released it as The Album, in 1997. The Album was well received by critics and the public alike.{{cite web |author1=Sean Miller|title=interview with Rob DeBoer and Tony Grace of Four80East Sean's radio program Jazz Pulse|url=https://contemporaryjazz.com/interview-four-80-east |access-date=5 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230329031516/https://contemporaryjazz.com/interview-four-80-east |archive-date=2023-03-29 |url-status=live}} The group's name comes from the address of Boomtang's recording studio, The Speed of Sound, at 480 Richmond Street East in Toronto.{{Cite web |title=Four80East |url=https://hitsradio.com/artist-details/633 |access-date=2024-11-28 |website=Hitsradio {{!}} Free Internet Radio}}
In 1998 they had released music video titled Four80East: Eastside and styled black & white, based on music track from The Album under same name Eastside. Video had been filmed on locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Director was Jeremy Hood, filmed by Domenico A. Galloro. Budget was estimated as CA$20,000 {{cite AV media |people= Jeremy Hood (director), Domenico A. Galloro (cinematographer)|date=1998 |title=Four80East: Eastside |type=music video|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8099520/|access-date=2023-12-11 |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231211114228/https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8099520/|archive-date=2023-12-11|location=Toronto, Ontario, Canada|publisher=Raje Films}} Filming studio was Raje Films.{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1867498/resume|title=IMDB resume for Domenico A. Galloro|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160916151453/http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1867498/resume|archivedate=2016-09-16|access-date=2023-12-12}}
The pair's second album Nocturnal, was released in 2001;[https://www.allaboutjazz.com/nocturnal-four80east-higher-octave-music-review-by-dave-hughes.php?width=1067 "Four80East: Nocturnal"]. All About Jazz, By DAVE HUGHES February 1, 2001 DeBoer and Grace wrote all of the songs for the album, and enlisted tenor saxophonist Jon Stewart, flutist Andrew McPherson, and trumpeter Ivana Santilli to contribute instrumentals.[http://www.allmusic.com/album/nocturnal-mw0000624714 " Four80East Nocturnal"]. AllMusic review by Paula Edelstein
The album Round 3 came out in 2002,{{cite web|url=http://jazztimes.com/articles/13614-round-3-four80east|title=Round 3 Four80East|author=Lucy Tauss|date=March 2003|publisher=JazzTimes|accessdate=August 1, 2011}} and included contributions from harmonica player Carlos Del Junco.[https://jazztimes.com/reviews/currents/four80east-round-3/ "Four80East: Round 3"]. Jazz Times, 03/01/2003 By Lucy Tauss
Their fourth album, En Route, containing instrumental dance music, was released in 2007.[http://www.jazzreview.com/cd-reviews/acid-jazz-cd-reviews/en-route-by-four80east.html "En Route by Four80East"]. Jazz Review, 13.03.2007 by Sheldon T. Nunn
Four80East's fifth CD, Roll On, came out in 2009, followed by a sixth, Off Duty, in 2012.
Four80East LIVE, a collection of 15 select songs recorded from three different shows, was released in early 2014.
The group is also featured on the 2007 compilation album, The Weather Channel Presents: The Best of Smooth Jazz.
Band members
;Permanent members
- Rob DeBoer – keyboards, bass and guitar
- Tony Grace – percussion
Albums
=Studio albums=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |
| rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Album ! colspan="2"| Peak chart positions ! rowspan="2"| Label |
|---|
| style="font-size:smaller;"
! style="width:50px;"|US ! style="width:50px;"|US |
| 1998
| align="left"| The Album | 29 | 18 | rowspan="10"| Boomtang |
| 2001
| align="left"| Nocturnal | 26 | 15 |
| 2003
| align="left"| Round 3 | — | — |
| 2007
| align="left"| En Route | 25 | 10 |
| 2009
| align="left"| Roll On | 20 | 10 |
| 2012
| align="left"| Off Duty | 26 | 11 |
| 2015
| align="left"| Positraction | — | — |
| 2020
| align="left"| Straight Round | — | — |
| 2021
| align="left"| Mixed Up (remixes) | — | — |
| 2023
| align="left"| Gonna Be Alright | — | — |
| colspan="5" style="font-size:90%" |"—" denotes a recording that did not chart. |
=Live albums=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |
| rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Album ! colspan="2"| Peak chart positions ! rowspan="2"| Label |
|---|
| style="font-size:smaller;"
! style="width:50px;"|US ! style="width:50px;"|US |
| 2014
| align="left"| Four80East – Live! | — | — | rowspan="1"| Boomtang |
| colspan="5" style="font-size:90%" |"—" denotes a recording that did not chart. |
=Extended plays=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |
| rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Album ! colspan="2"| Peak chart positions ! rowspan="2"| Label |
|---|
| style="font-size:smaller;"
! style="width:50px;"|US ! style="width:50px;"|US |
| 2019
| align="left"| Four on the Floor – (EP) | — | 11 | rowspan="1"| Boomtang |
| colspan="5" style="font-size:90%" |"—" denotes a recording that did not chart. |
Singles
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"; |
| rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Title ! colspan="1"| Peak chart positions ! rowspan="2"| Album |
|---|
| style="font-size:smaller;"
! style="width:50px;"| Smooth Jazz |
| 2007
| align="left"| "Noodle Soup" | 3 | En Route |
| 2010
| align="left"| "Down to It" | 25 | Jack Prybylski – Out of the Box |
| rowspan="2"| 2012
| align="left"| "M-Powered" | 12 | Marcus Anderson – Now |
| align="left"| "Sandbar"
| 23 | Off Duty |
| 2015
| align="left"| "Cookie Strut" | 5 | Positraction |
| 2019
| align="left"| "Cinco Cinco Seis" | 1 | Mixed Up |
| 2020
| align="left"| "Ba Ba Brazil" | 6 | Straight Round |
| 2023
| align="left"| "This Time Around" | 2 | rowspan="2"| Gonna Be Alright |
| 2024
| align="left"| "Gonna Be Alright" | 24 |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.four80east.com/ Four80East] Official site
- [https://www.amazon.com/s?search-type=ss&index=music&field-artist=Four80East Four80East at Amazon.com]
- [https://www.facebook.com/four80eastmusic Four80East on Facebook]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Four Eighty East}}
Category:Musical groups established in 1997
Category:Musical groups from Toronto
Category:Canadian jazz ensembles
Category:Canadian electronic music groups