Jeff Lorber

Jeffrey H. Lorber (born November 4, 1952) is an American keyboardist, composer, and record producer. After six previous nominations, Lorber won his first Grammy Award on January 28, 2018 for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for Prototype by his band The Jeff Lorber Fusion.

Jeff Lorber
Background information
Birth nameJeffrey H. Lorber
Born (1952-11-04) November 4, 1952
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
GenresJazz, smooth jazz, jazz pop
Occupation(s)Musician, composer, record producer
InstrumentsKeyboards
Years active1975–present
LabelsInner City, Blue Note, Narada, Zebra, Verve, Warner Bros., Arista, Peak
Associated actsMichael Jeffries, Karyn White

Many of his songs have appeared on The Weather Channel's Local on the 8s segments and on the channel's compilation albums, The Weather Channel Presents: The Best of Smooth Jazz and The Weather Channel Presents: Smooth Jazz II. He was nominated for a Grammy Award for his album He Had a Hat (Blue Note, 2007)

Early life

Lorber was born to a Jewish family[1] in Cheltenham, Pennsylvania, the same suburb as Michael and Randy Brecker, with whom he would later play.[2] He started to play the piano when he was four years old. After playing in a number of R&B bands as a teen, he attended Berklee College of Music, where he developed his love for jazz.[3] At Berklee he met and played alongside guitarist John Scofield. He moved to Vancouver, Washington in 1972. For several years he studied chemistry at Boston University.[4]

Jeff Lorber Fusion
Jeff Lorber at Jazzy Days in Denmark 2018

His first group, The Jeff Lorber Fusion, released their self-titled debut album The Jeff Lorber Fusion in 1977 on Inner City Records. Supported by a revolving cast of musicians, including drummer Dennis Bradford, he recorded five studio albums under this moniker. These early albums showcased a funky sound influenced by other jazz fusion practitioners such as Herbie Hancock, Weather Report, and Return to Forever, the latter's Chick Corea appearing on several songs. Like his contemporaries, Lorber performed on multiple keyboard instruments, including piano, Rhodes piano, and analog synthesizers, often favoring the Minimoog and Sequential Circuits Prophet 5. The Jeff Lorber Fusion's 1980 album, Wizard Island, introduced saxophonist Kenneth Bruce Gorelick, better known as Kenny G.

Solo career

In 1982, Lorber recorded his first solo album, It's a Fact, which explored his R&B roots with a smoother, more synthesizer-heavy sound. The album included a new backing band and former Fusion members Kenny G and Paulinho Da Costa. It's a Fact also contained several songs with vocalists, a stark contrast to the instrumental recordings of the Fusion.

In 1984 he released his second solo album In the Heat of the Night and Jeff Lorber Fusion compilation album Lift Off. Later that year, he and the production duo of David Frank and Mic Murphy, otherwise known as The System,[5] produced Step By Step.[6] The title track, written with Anita Pointer of The Pointer Sisters, rose to number 31 on the U.S. Billboard R&B chart.[5] The song "Facts of Love" (featuring Karyn White) from the 1986 album Private Passion was his biggest chart hit, reaching No. 27 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 17 on the R&B chart. Several singles from this period also appeared on the Billboard Dance charts. However, Lorber was not satisfied that he was being overtaken by a more vocal and R&B feel on his own albums,[7] so he took a seven-year-long hiatus.[8] After Step by Step, he quoted Clive Davis as telling him, "We really want you to put more vocals on your records", which Lorber thought was a mistake.[9]

Lorber's keyboard work appeared in the video game Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. His input can be heard during the game's closing theme song "I Am the Wind" (which also featured the saxophonist Gerald Albright).[10]

His albums continued to evolve in a smooth jazz direction. Two greatest hits compilation albums were released in 2000 and 2002. Flipside (2005) was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Pop Instrumental Album category.[11] At the 56th Annual Grammy Awards, his 2013 album Hacienda was nominated for Best Pop Instrumental Album.[12] In 2018, he received a Grammy for his album Prototype in the Best Contemporary Instrumental Album category.

Lorber has done extensive production and session work for other musicians, including Dave Koz, Eric Benét, Herb Alpert, Carol Duboc and Laura Branigan. He hosts a show on Sirius Satellite Radio.[13][14]

Personal life
Jeff Lorber in 2012

In 2004, Lorber was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease and received a successful kidney transplant from his wife.[4]

He has served as a spokesman for the PKD Foundation, an organization for fighting polycystic kidney disease.[15] He has mentioned that the disease is common in his family. His daughters have it and his mother and sister died from it.[16]

Discography

Albums

Jeff Lorber Fusion

Year Title Label Chart positions
US
200
[17]		 US
R&B
[18]		 US
Trad
Jazz
[19]		 US
Cont
Jazz
[20]
1977 The Jeff Lorber Fusion Inner City - - - -
1978 Soft Space - - - -
1979 Water Sign Arista 119 - - -
1980 Wizard Island 123 - - -
1981 Galaxian 77 45 - -
2010 Now Is The Time Heads Up - - 8 4
2011 Galaxy - - 7 3
2013 Hacienda - - 5 3
2015 Step It Up - - 9 4
2017 Prototype Shanachie - - 6 2
2018 Impact - - 5 4
2019 Eleven (with Mike Stern) Concord Jazz - - 4 2

Solo

Year Title Label Chart positions
US
200
[17]		 US
R&B
[18]		 US
Trad
Jazz
[21][19]		 US
Cont
Jazz
[20]		 UK
[22]
1982 It's a Fact Arista 73 44 - - -
1984 In the Heat of the Night 106 44 7 - -
1985 Step by Step 90 33 11 - 97
1986 Private Passion Warner Bros. 68 29 17 16 -
1993 Worth Waiting For Verve Forecast - - 33 1 -
1994 West Side Stories - - 6 5 -
1996 State of Grace - - 14 10 -
1998 Midnight Zebra
2004 reissue: Narada		 - - 19 14 -
2001 Kickin' It Gold Circle
2004 reissue: Narada-EMI		 - - 19 9 -
2003 Philly Style Narada - - 10 5 -
2005 Flipside - - 9 4 -
2007 He Had a Hat Blue Note - - 9 5 -
2008 Heard That Peak - - 9 6 -

Jazz Funk Soul

Year Title Label Chart positions
US
Trad
Jazz
[19]		 US
Cont
Jazz
[20]
2014 Jazz Funk Soul Shanachie 5 2
2016 More Serious Business 7 2
2019 Life And Times 6 2

Charted Singles

Solo

Year Title Chart positions
US
[23]		 US
R&B
[24]		 US
Dance
[25]		 US
Jazz
[26]		 UK
[22]
1985 "Step by Step" — 31 4 — —
"Best Part of the Night" — — 15 — 80
1986 "Facts of Love" 27 31 9 — 95
1987 "True Confessions" — 88 — — —
2006 "Ooh La La" — — — 4 —
2007 "Anthem for a New America" — — — 21 —
2008 "Rehab" — — — 12 —
2009 "You Got Something" — — — 5 —
2010 "Pixel" — — — 22 —
2011 "Sumatra" — — — 39 —
2013 "Right There" — — — 45 —

Jeff Lorber Fusion

Year Title Chart positions
US
Jazz
[26]
2012 "Big Brother" 1
"City" 5
2013 "Hacienda" 1
2014 "Fab Gear" 1
2015 "The Steppe" 1
"Get Up" 3
2016 "Soul Party" 11
2017 "Hyperdrive" 2
2018 "The Badness" 5
"Sport Coat Makes Good" 8
2019 "Highline" 24

Jazz Funk Soul

Year Title Chart positions
US
Jazz
[26]
2014 "Serious Business" 1
2015 "Speed of Light" 20
2016 "You'll Know When You Know" 21
2017 "Tuesday Swings" 7
2019 "Windfall" 3
"Blacksmith" 23

References
  1. Soergel, Brian (May 2001). "Jeff Lorber Kickin' Back". jazztimes.com. Retrieved November 30, 2013.
  2. "Interview with Jeff Lorber". jazzmonthly.com. May 2007. Retrieved November 27, 2013.
  3. Ankeny, Jason (November 4, 1952). "Jeff Lorber - Music Biography, Credits and Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
  4. "C.J.: Jeff Lorber, pioneer of smooth jazz who'll do it as long as he can". startribune.com. August 24, 2013. Retrieved November 27, 2013.
  5. Hogan, Ed (February 22, 2000). "Step by Step - Jeff Lorber : Listen, Appearances, Song Review". AllMusic. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
  6. Wynn, Ron. "Step By Step - Jeff Lorber : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
  7. Campbell, Mary (August 25, 1985). "Jeff Lorber Switching Musical Style Away From Fusion". Associated Press. Retrieved November 27, 2013.
  8. "For The Record, This Dropout Is Back". The Philadelphia Inquirer. February 24, 1995. Retrieved November 27, 2013.
  9. Nowlin, Rick (March 20, 2011). "Jeff Lorber still fusing jazz elements after all these years". post-gazette.com. Retrieved November 27, 2013.
  10. "Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (1997) PlayStation credits". MobyGames. March 20, 1997. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  11. "The 48th Annual GRAMMY Awards Roundup: Pop/Dance Fields". grammy.org. January 27, 2006. Retrieved November 30, 2013.
  12. "Exploring The Pop Field Nominees". grammy.com. December 16, 2013. Retrieved December 25, 2013.
  13. Goddard, Lisa (April 6, 2008). "Music fest in Riviera Beach to feature range of artists". sun-sentinel.com. Retrieved November 30, 2013.
  14. "Jeff Lorber - Yamaha Artists". yamaha.com. Retrieved November 30, 2013.
  15. Shelton, Eleanor (May 15, 2009). "Living Legends Concert Features Jazz Keyboardist Jeff Lorber". wccnet.edu. Retrieved November 30, 2013.
  16. Redley, Simon. "Life Really Is A Gift For Jazz Fusion Star Jeff Lorber". bluesandsoul.com. Retrieved November 27, 2013.
  17. "Jeff Lorber: Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  18. "Jeff Lorber: R&B". Billboard. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  19. "Jeff Lorber: Jazz". Billboard. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  20. "Jeff Lorber: Contemporary Jazz". Billboard. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  21. "Jeff Lorber: Traditional Jazz". Billboard. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  22. "Jeff Lorber: UK". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  23. "Jeff Lorber: Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  24. "Jeff Lorber: R&B". Billboard. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  25. "Jeff Lorber: Dance". Billboard. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  26. "Jeff Lorber: Jazz". Billboard. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
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