Jeff lorber fusion hacienda rar series#

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. Step It Up is not to be missed.If the word 'fusion' is a dirty word don't tell Jeff Lorber. HereвЂ™s to many more collaborations between Lorber, Haslip and their merry band of jazz makers, who keep us well supplied in effortless-sounding records such as this one and the many that have come before. ItвЂ™s great to hear albums such as this that are smart, intimate and filled with players keen to work their way through a range of styles that are blended seamlessly such that we donвЂ™t know what it is and know only that we like it. The last Fusion album, 2013вЂ™s Hacienda was another career highlight and the arrival of this record so close can only be a sign that Lorber and friends are a kind of high that we can only hope theyвЂ™ll be riding high for some time to come.

Whatever the reasons-that the audience has caught up, that Lorber is writing better than before, or that critics are just happy to have such seasoned players and writers around-there can be no mistake that the praise is both deserved and real. If neither the band nor its records, including the savory Wizard Island, never received the kind of acclaim they deserved in that initial run, the more recent outings have yielded a greater amount of respect. But this isnвЂ™t total revivalist stuff either this is music crated in the now, stuff that is as prescient now as it was back in вЂ™82 when Lorber initially left behind the Fusion tag. also join in and the omnipresent Lenny Castro pops in.ДЇor newcomers thrown off by the word fusion in the collectiveвЂ™s moniker, those expecting something closer to Mahavishnu Orchestra than Steely Dan, let the record(s) show that the fusion in question here is jazz, funk, R&B, and soul, and not just the standard jazz and rock blend that most of us have come to expect when hearing the F-word.

Jeff lorber fusion hacienda rar series#

Of course, no jazz outing is complete without a series of players who can bring the music to life and these two have a contacts list that has allowed them to assemble some, shall we say, serious help: Robben Ford and Bob Mintzer, pals from HaslipвЂ™s time with the Yellowjackets appear, as do drummers Ash Soan, Gary Novak and Vinnie Colaiuta saxophonist Gary Meek and guitarists Michael Thompson and Paul Jackson Jr. The movement-oriented rhythms and melodies of pieces such as вЂњUp On ThisвЂќ, вЂњFire SpiritвЂќ (an early nomination for best track on the album) and вЂњDeep GreenвЂќ are hard to beat but the interplay heard on those tracks and others, including вЂњSoul PartyвЂќ and вЂњMustangвЂќ. Also no surprise? Lorber and Haslip continue their R&B obsession, working it into virtually every nook and quarter beat, but thatвЂ™s no problem at all. Jeff LorberвЂ™s name is synonymous with jazz fusion and first-rate recordings, so itвЂ™s no surprise that this latest entry in a line of collaborations with bassist Jimmy Haslip crosses the finish line of success from its first notes with ace compositions and playing that is commensurate with the reputation of both of the main players and the many who join them here.