Thank you very much for picking up a copy of our, “GLADIATOR”, CD release. We hope you will enjoy the music just as much as we did making it, and you’ll use it now and then as a stress relief from all the insanity that the world, and we as human beings, are going through in these darkest hours.
In this release, Hoff and yours truly, have used the rise and fall of the Roman empire as a metaphor and link to todays events. We’re starting with the uprising of hostility and fearmongering, where freedom of speech, freedom of movement, freedom of gatherings, even rights to decide over our own body, all taken away in a higher speed than ever in the history of our civilization.
If you follow the tracks and titles from start to end, this recording has a curve of starting with the tune, “Turn the tide”. It has an uneasy A section which gives the feeling of something worrying in the air, but when the very optimistic B part comes the fear and anxiety disappears. It tells us that everything is fine but actually is a cover-up for what’s coming. Then we are performing our way through the times of war with battles, but also having quieter moments knowing that the sun comes up every day, even in the most devastating periods. We are of course optimistic by nature so we end with peace, love and “Good News”, believing that those virtues once again will prevail, we just don’t see it in the horizon yet when these words are written, July 25th, 2021.
GRAMMY WINNING JEFF LORBER FUSION BLASTS FAST FORWARD ON INTERGALACTIC JAM SPACE-TIME OUT JULY 2nd!
The Stars Align on Anticipated New CD Featuring Special Guests Hubert Laws, Bob Mintzer, Paul Jackson Jr., Gerald Alright & More
“I’m incredibly lucky to spend my time doing something that I love. When you are doing things that you enjoy, it is easy to spread those good vibes around,” shares Jeff Lorber. The down to earth and humble trailblazing Grammy-winning pianist, composer and producer has built an impressive four-decade career, transcending musical boundaries and honing his own uniquely identifiable sound. A groundbreaking Fender Rhodes pioneer along with Herbie Hancock, Joe Sample and Bob James, Lorber is also one of the most in-demand producers in Contemporary Jazz. Maintaining a busy schedule during the pandemic this past year, Lorber worked on projects with Herb Alpert, Richard Elliot, Norman Brown and Alexander Zonjic, just to name a few.
“While working on all of these projects,” explains Jeff, “I was sending my manager Bud Harner stuff that I was writing and he was particularly enthusiastic when I sent him my now new single “Back Room” in demo form. His reaction really inspired me to want to focus on making my own record.” July 2, 2021 Jeff Lorber continues to affirm why he is a magnetic force of nature with the release of the anticipated Space-Time. In selecting an album title, Jeff Lorber alludes to his affinity for science and physics. With all the recent chatter about Government confirmed UFO sightings and potential extra terrestrial life, Lorber muses, “If there are aliens, they are probably watching I Love Lucy right now and maybe jamming to early Miles Davis and John Coltrane or listening to some Sun Ra!”
Space-Time is a supersonic odyssey with longtime Jeff Lorber Fusion trio-mates drummer Gary Novak (who has worked with everyone from George Benson to Chick Corea) and bassist/Yellowjackets founding member Jimmy Haslip. “I first met Jimmy and we worked together in the early 80s but we really started working closely in 2010 after a tour we did together in Russia,” recalls Lorber. “He’s a good partner to have and he keeps the big picture in mind, when I sometimes tend to be more detail oriented about things. Gary became part of the core rhythm section around 2010. He’s a good friend and good hang. We have a lot of fun together besides making music.” The album also enlists some help from flutist Hubert Laws, guitarists Paul Jackson, Jr., Michael Landau and Robben Ford, saxophonists Bob Mintzer, Dave Mann, Gary Meek and Gerald Albright (who actually plays electric bass on a track). Space-Time showcases new and original material including a track that was penned for Jeff’s friend and towering piano giant Chick Corea, shortly after his passing.
Jeff Lorber Fusion maps out all of the celestial coordinates on Space-Time, offering a wondrous galaxy of sonic delight. Lorber and company manage to create a sound and feel throughout the album that captures the essence and vibe of a live show. “All the musicians are experienced studio musicians and that’s something that studio players always aim for. The idea is to make it sound natural, grooving and relaxed and to capture the sound of playing for a live audience even though the audience isn’t physically there.” While most of the band completed the album from their own remote studio locations, Lorber and Gary Novak did have the opportunity to record together in the same studio. “Over the last number of years most of us have gotten used to tracking at home,” explains Jeff. “So from that standpoint it wasn’t that different from a normal record. One thing that was different, however was the absence of live touring, I was able to really focus on the record and this album benefitted positively from that.”
In 2018, Jeff Lorber Fusion scored their first Grammy win with the recording Prototype. Lorber reflects, “Winning a Grammy was a thrill, especially after not winning after the last six nominations. It felt very different to hear my name rather than somebody else’s after ‘the winner is…!” Jeff Lorber Fusion came to life in the 70s when the pianist attended Berklee College of Music. A true clinician, Lorber has made it a point to study the long line of modern jazz pianists since 1945. “Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea have been major influences but I had to go back and try to figure out who they listened to and were inspired by,” says Lorber. “Some of these icons that come to mind are Bill Evans, Thelonious Monk, McCoy Tyner and Bud Powell.” He adds, “I also can’t forget all of the pianists who played with Miles Davis such as Red Garland, Wynton Kelly, Tommy Flanagan and Horace Silver.” Growing up in Cheltenham, Pennsylvania offered great inspiration for Jeff Lorber. “There were a lot of home grown record labels like Cameo Parkway and Philadelphia International (Gamble and Huff) not to mention tons of home grown talent and the Dick Clark show originated from there too.”
In 1977 Jeff Lorber Fusion released their self-titled debut. Their 1980 album Wizard Island made the introduction of a then little known Kenny G. The ensemble quickly gained traction and became one of the most popular jazz acts, touring nonstop. In 1982 Lorber made his solo debut with It’s A Fact. He scored his first Grammy nomination in 1985 for his radio hit “Pacific Coast Highway” from his album Step By Step. In the 90s Lorber released a successful string of projects including West Side Stories (1994), State of Grace (1996) and Midnight (1998). During this time Lorber also stayed busy producing Michael Franks, Richard Elliot, Gerald Albright and Rick Braun, among others. The prolific pianist continued to add to his accolades with his shining recordings Kickin’ It (2001), Philly Style (2003), Flipside (2005), He Had A Hat (2007, Grammy nominated) and Heard That (2008), Now Is The Time (2010, Grammy nominated), Galaxy (2012, Grammy nominated) Hacienda (2013, Grammy nominated) and Step It Up (2015). Lorber made his first recordings for Shanachie as a member of Jazz Funk Soul with the late revered guitarist Chuck Loeb and saxophonist Everette Harp on the albums Jazz Funk Soul and the Grammy nominated More Serious Business.
Jeff Lorber has endured his own battle with Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) and has made it a mission to work with the PKD Foundation to raise awareness. “I was very lucky that my wife donated her kidney,” shares the pianist. “I’m very grateful for that. My sister had a transplant a couple years ago and she is doing well also. There are some solutions that are being worked on but like many genetic based diseases it could be a long time before there is significant progress. People should know that there are 800,000 people in the US with PKD and two million worldwide. It’s a huge problem that unfortunately doesn’t get a lot of publicity.”
With the release of Space-Time, Jeff Lorber continues to demonstrate that his inspiration to push his music forward is as energized as it ever was. He concludes, “Just being alive at this time with everything that’s going on and all of the developments in music technology, keeps me busy and on my toes!”
Life Four decades have passed since the golden era of fusion, when groups like the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Weather Report and Return To Forever ruled the musical landscape. Today only a select few are still waving the flag for fusion. Chick Corea, at age 75, continues to fire up his Elektric Band on occasion while John McLaughlin, who at age 74 has announced that he will retire from touring at the end of 2017, is still killing it with his 4th Dimension Band. Joe Zawinul is gone but the powerhouse Zawinul Legacy Band continues in his spirit of fusing world music, rock and jazz. There’s also Human Element, a co-op group featuring keyboardist and Zawinul disciple Scott Kinsey, electric bass marvel Matthew Garrison, drummer Gary Novak and percussionist Arto Tuncboyaciyan. And bass great Jimmy Haslip, formerly of Yellowjackets, is reuniting with guitar slinger Robben Ford for another upcoming Jing-Chi project and also appears on the new Jeff Lorber Fusion album, Prototype. Add to that list the name of Michael Schmidt, or as he prefers to be called, MSM Schmidt. The Bremen-born keyboardist-composer has been consistently turning out high quality jazz-rock recordings over the past decade with a Who’s Who in American Fusion as his sidemen. Bassist Haslip, who produced or co-produced Schmidt’s previous two outings — 2015’s Utopia and 2012’s Evolution — is back on board for Life, a staggering collection of funk fusion with some of the biggest names in that genre today, including guitarists Mike Miller and Oz Noy, keyboardists Kinsey and Mitchel Forman, saxophonist Steve Tavaglione, violinist Charlie Bisharat and a phalanx of superb drummers in Dave Weckl, Gary Novak, Virgil Donati and acclaimed German drummer Jost Nickel. “This is my fifth project working with Michael and my third production for him,” said Haslip. “Over that time, I have found a real connection with Michael, his intellect and his passionate expression. Life is a culmination of his voice as a composer and synthesist. Working with Michael as a producer is always a beautiful challenge and quite rewarding on several levels and this project was a joy to work on. My hopes are that he will reach a larger widespread audience with the release of this new recording.” Says Schmidt of his working relationship with bassist-producer Haslip: “We met in person for the first time after a ‘Tribute to Tony Williams’ concert with Allan Holdsworth in Berlin and immediately liked each other. With each project his role as a producer and his influence on the music has grown. He knows my favorites and by now has a carte blanche to select and contact the musicians and organize the recording sessions.” This potent project, Schmidt’s sixth overall, also marks the final recorded performances of the late guitar hero Allan Holdsworth, who lends his astonishing legato lines to two songs on Life, the aptly-titled “Trance” and the posthumously-titled “Vista,” the name of the California town where the guitar great resided until his passing on Easter Sunday at the age of 70. “It has always been one of my dreams to feature Allan on one of my songs,” said Schmidt. “Thanks to Jimmy's initiative, this dream became true. And it came as a surprise, too, because Jimmy only told me after Allan's recording session was finished.” Added Haslip, who played alongside Holdsworth in the guitarist’s group for the last ten years of his life (appearing on 2010’s 2-CD set, Blues For Tony): “I spent a couple of days with Allan in late January 2017 and watched over some of the final process of him editing and playing, but basically his process was best accomplished with no one around. He was a perfectionist with his own very meticulous method of compiling his music and his solos. He preferred to be alone during those days of preparing, studying the harmony at hand and then building and constructing his soloing on the two tunes he played on. He was brilliant and like no other musician I've ever worked with. His playing will always be ahead of its time, even though he would never cop to that, being such a very humble person. I was extremely appreciative to him for agreeing to play on the music and I will always be in awe of working with him.” Originally a self-taught drummer, Schmidt transitioned to keyboards during the ‘90s as he began developing a knack for composition. “Over the years I discovered that playing drums did not put me in the position to influence songs,” he explained. “Therefore I started to learn to play keyboards and various music software to compose my own music. Realizing that my drumming skills were too limited, I discovered that it was more satisfying to compose music. And with the help of my friend Helge Mruck, who showed me how to play keyboards and create songs on the computer, I began composing. As time passed, keyboards and software became more and more user friendly, which made composing easier for me. Not knowing how to read and write notes, I searched for sounds that are close to the natural instrument I had in mind, so that musicians who I wanted to play the music got an impression of my idea. However, I always needed the support of professionally educated musicians who were able to put my music into playable charts.”
And once again, Schmidt is supported by the cream of the fusion crop on Life. The album kicks off with the kinetic groover “Trance,” underscored by Weckl’s authoritative backbeat and featuring some brisk soprano sax lines from Katisse Buckingham, a member of the Zawinul Legacy Band. Kinsey delivers an exhilarating synth solo on this aggressive number and Holdsworth contributes one of his patented mind-blowing legato solos to quickly elevate the proceedings. Novak paces the melodic “Saudade City,” which features a soaring soprano sax solo from Andy Snitzer and an edgy fusion guitar solo from Mike Miller. “Vista,” dedicated to Allan Holdsworth, rides on Donati’s insistent groove. John Daversa delivers a haunting muted trumpet solo here while Holdsworth extended jaw-dropping solo is followed by a furious flurry on the kit by Donati. The percolating, African flavored 6/8 jam on “Life” is fueled by Nickel’s muscular drumming and features a buoyant frontline of Tavaglione overdubbing flutes and soprano sax. Schmidt’s chorus of programmed handclaps and Sophia Wackerman’s wordless vocals add to the uplifting vibe of this highly-charged number. Haslip also turns in a resounding fretless bass solo here and is followed by potent solos from guitarist Miller and Tavaglione sailing over the top on soprano sax. “Red & Gold” is an infectious world music flavored groove powered by Donati’s solid backbeat and the strong piano comping of Ruslan Sirota, a Ukranian pianist-composer who came to Schmidt’s attention as a member of the Stanley Clarke Group at the North Sea Jazz Festival in The Netherlands. This ebullient number features a bracing violin solo from former Mahavishnu Orchestra member Jerry Goodman along with a heroic wah-wah soaked guitar solo from Oz Noy and a rousing piano solo from Sirota. The driving “Exodus” is a large ensemble showcase featuring a stellar horn section comprised of saxophonists Bob Mintzer, Brandon Field and Snitzer alongside the Fowler Brothers (Walt on trumpet and Bruce on trombone, both formerly of the Frank Zappa band). Nickel anchors this swaggering bit little big band funk which features killer solos from guitarist Miller, tenor saxophonist Mintzer and soprano saxophonist Snitzer. “Rush” is a slap bass feature for the incredible MonoNeon (aka Dwayne Thomas, jr.), a YouTube sensation and protege of Prince and Screaming Headless Torsos guitarist David “Fuze” Fiuczynski. Weckl lays down the slamming groove while Sirota comps persuasively on the Rhodes before adding a nimble, Herbie Hancock influenced solo. Larry Koonse contributes a warm-toned flowing guitar solo and MonoNeon adds a fluid fretless bass solo on this invigorating number. “Medusa” is a menacing bit of slow-grooving funk-fusion paced by the formidable tandem of Donati and Haslip and featuring a potent Rhodes solo from Kinsey. Oz adds a ripping distortion-laced guitar solo that is brimming with urgent speed-picking and audacious fretboard flights while Donati showcases a touch of metric modulation on his drum solo before erupting on the kit with abandon at the tag. “RE-Start” is a buoyant bit of future funk fueled by the tight tandem of Novak and Haslip along with Schmidt’s kinetic synth sequences. Snitzer carries the melody on soprano sax while Noy showcase his heavy metal bebop chops on a fuzz-inflected guitar solo. Keyboardist Andy Milne also stretches out on a potent Rhodes solo here. The album closes with a short reprise of the title track, which reveals a significant world music influence. “I would definitely describe my music as fusion,” says Schmidt. “My influences come from bands like Metro, The Yellowjackets, Weather Report and Steps Ahead and also from film scores from the eighties. I am a big fan of the French composer Michel Colombier, who lived in Los Angeles for many years and wrote scores for movies such as Purple Rain and The Golden Child, both synthesizer-heavy scores with drum programming.” All those myriad influences come together in brilliant fashion on Life, another fully realized project from the pen of MSM. — Bill Milkowski Bill Milkowski is a regular contributor to Down Beat and Germany’s Jazzthing magazine. He is also the author of “JACO: The Extraordinary and Tragic Life of Jaco Pastorius (Backbeat Books)
1. Trance (feat. Dave Weckl, Allan Holdsworth, Scott Kinsey, Jimmy Haslip & Katisse Buckingham) 6:02
2. Saudade City (feat. Gary Novak, Andy Snitzer, Scott Kinsey, Mike Miller, Ruslan Sirota & Jimmy Haslip) 7:32
3. Vista (feat. Virgil Donati, Allan Holdsworth, John Daversa, Andy Milne & Jimmy Haslip) 8:20
4. Life (Long Version) [feat. Jost Nickel, Mike Miller, Steve Tavaglione, Jimmy Haslip & Sophia Wackermann] 8:11
5. Red and Gold (feat. Virgil Donati, Ruslan Sirota, Jerry Goodman, Oz Noy & Jimmy Haslip) 6:19
6. Exodus (feat. Jost Nickel, Mitch Forman, Mike Miller, Brandon Fields, Andy Snitzer, Bob Mintzer, Bruce Fowler, Walt Fowler, Charlie Bisharat & Jimmy Haslip) 6:59
7. Rush (feat. Dave Weckl, MonoNeon, Ruslan Sirota, John Daversa & Larry Koonse) 7:19
8. Medusa (feat. Virgil Donati, Scott Kinsey, Oz Noy & Jimmy Haslip) 7:39
9. Re Start (feat. Gary Novak, Oz Noy, Andy Milne, Andy Snitzer & Jimmy Haslip) 6:45
10. Life (Short Version) [feat. Jost Nickel, Mike Miller, Steve Tavaglione, Sophia Wackerman & Jimmy Haslip] 5:29
Line up:
Charlie Bisharat, Katisse Buckingham, John Daversa, Virgil Donati, Brandon Fields, Mitchel Forman, Bruce Fowler, Walt Fowler, Jerry Goodman, Jimmy Haslip, Allan Holdsworth, Scott Kinsey, Larry Koonse, Mike Miller, Andy Milne, Bob Mintzer, MonoNeon, Jost Nickel, Gary Novak, Oz Noy, Michael Schmidt, Ruslan Sirota, Andy Snitzer, Steve Tavaglione, Sophia Wackerman, Dave Weckl
