Breaking from their routine, Fourplay created most of the material on Heartfelt in the studio, through a process of free jamming followed by assembly of the best parts through Pro Tools editing. The differences in the results are subtle and, on balance, not necessarily positive. Though all four players are true virtuosos, the band's mellow feel encourages each to avoid excess, or its positive alter ego, adventurism, in their solos, while the improvisational core of the project tends to weaken the compositional foundations. The strongest cuts are those written by one member or two in combination; on these, from the Pat Metheny-inflected title track to Nathan East's velvety vocal showcase "Let's Make Love," the quartet's taste and fundamentally conservative aesthetic shine most brightly.

Smooth-jazz journeymen Fourplay reunite for X and deliver more solid, lite-instrumental sounds. Centered around the talents of keyboardist Bob James, guitarist Larry Carlton, bassist Nathan East and drummer Harvey Mason, Fourplay also feature here blue-eyed-soul icon Michael Mcdonald who takes an inspired vocal turn on the Steve Winwood tune "My Love's Leavin'. It's a great track that nicely exploits the aesthetic connection and '70s heritage of both smooth jazz and soft-rock. Similarly appealing are James's noirish "Screenplay showcasing Carlton's bluesy chops and James's urbane keyboard style; as well as East's slow R&B ballad "Sunday Morning". This is a softly-funky, superbly crafted and unapologetically low key album. Frankly, that's what longtime fans have come to expect from these masters of smooth and in that sense X succeeds.

YES, PLEASE was nominated for the 2001 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album.This is jazz lite, no doubt about it the four storied musicians who make up Fourplay would be the first to tell you so. But YES, PLEASE is far from the overripe, cloying tones employed by so many "pop jazz" artists. Instead, it's full of subtlety, emotive, carefully considered solo statements, and tunes intended for more than coffee- commercial soundtrack music.