A godfather of original funky fusion has lately made it a point to demonstrate that there’s still no one who can make this kind of music better than him. Since reviving the Jeff Lorber Fusion moniker in 2010, Jeff Lorber has been stamping out an album every year of so with no letup in quality. His fifth since the JLF comeback is just around the corner, too: Prototype is coming out March 24, 2017 courtesy of Shanachie Entertainment, Lorber’s first for the label.
The Jeff Lorber Fusion has always been scary talented beyond its namesake leader and keyboard whiz, lately including Yellowjackets co-founder and electric bass legend Jimmy Haslip and in-demand drummer Gary Novak (Chick Corea, Allan Holdsworth). The latest addition is saxophonist Andy Snitzer, who recently starred on Jason Miles’ terrific live Grover Washington tribute record. Prototype is also chock full of high caliber guest musicians such as Chuck Loeb, Dave Mann, Larry Koonse and Paul Jackson, Jr.
Today Shanachie released an advance single from Prototype, “Hyperdrive,” that you can dig to your heart’s content in the stream above. And you’ll want to, because this snappy groove features those signature polyrhythms so tightly woven into a worldly, catchy keyboard/sax-rendered melody and capped off by an accomplished Lorber Rhodes aside.
What “Hyperdrive” doesn’t have is Haslip on bass…because another bass legend Nathan East is filling in. Lorber contributed this song for an East project but East left it off of his record; Lorber was quite happy to take it back and put it on his own next record.
I’m quite happy he rescued this tune from the cutting room floor, too.
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