And rather than being a musical Odd Couple, it turns out that Lorber and Stern fit hand-in-glove on the ten scintillating tracks that comprise Eleven, set for release on Septemvia Concord Jazz. In subsequent years, each staked out his respective musical territory - Lorber, the electric maestro from Los Angeles, pioneering the post-fusion sound of contemporary jazz with his radio-friendly, groove-oriented instrumental music Stern, the esteemed six-stringer from New York, lending his considerable chops to bands led by Jaco Pastorius, Michael Brecker and Joe Henderson as well as groups like Steps Ahead, Vital Information and the Brecker Brothers while also leading his own band and cutting 18 recordings under his own name.Ĭredit bassist-producer Jimmy Haslip, a charter member of Yellowjackets, with bringing these two seemingly disparate musical forces from opposite sides of the country together. We were just in different orbits, me and Jeff. “Jeff Lorber Fusion and Miles Davis were playing some of the same festivals back then, so I got to hear him play.” For his part, Stern offered, “To be honest, I was aware of him, and had heard a bunch of good things, but I had never really checked him out. “I’ve been a fan of his for a long time,” said the keyboardist, who was touring hard in support of his hit records Wizard Island andIt’s a Fact in those analog days. The spark that precedes Galaxy (Heads Up, 2010) shines brightly on Hacienda as Lorber, Haslip and Marienthal are on a brilliant musical adventure that is compelling, innovative, and unique.THE WOODLANDS, TX - GRAMMY Award-winning keyboardist/composer/producer Jeff Lorber recalls seeing guitarist Mike Stern during his much-ballyhooed tenure with Miles Davis in the early ‘80s. Lorber's unwavering commitment to fusion results in some of his strongest renditions in years as Hacienda exhibits his expertise on the Rhodes electric piano and various synths. "Hacienda" and "Fab Gear" are standard Lorber jams designed primarily to make toes tap and heads nod than anything more ambitious.
Marienthal's alto sax gets a showcase on "The Steppe" and his lyrical approach is a warm caress to the senses as Haslip plucks some funky bass lines as Lorber and Colaiuta joining in to make their own contributions. Colaiuta, who can play with power, style and restraint, is the "X" factor here and the de facto fourth member of the band. Luc-Ponty's is a gifted electric violinist who has been missing in action lately as he has pared back his appearances, but he sounds in fine form here as his leads dance in and out around Vinnie Colaiuta's kinetic drumming. What's changed in nearly four decades later in the current version is a vastly improved model, but Lorber's energy and exuberance for funky, rollicking jams is undiminished.Ī perfect summation of how things come together is Frank Zappa's "King Kong" which teams Lorber with two Mothers of Invention alumni, Jean-Luc Ponty and Ed Mann.
In 1977, the Jeff Lorber Fusion made the scene and 36 years later there's a new incarnation of the band built around Lorber's keyboards, synths and occasional guitar, Jimmy Haslip on bass, and Eric Marienthal on saxophone. If the word "fusion" is a dirty word don't tell Jeff Lorber.