Jazz Funk Soul is an intersection of three of the most soul satisfying forms of music. It’s also the name of a cooperative of three of the best practitioners within that intersection.
Earlier in 2022, saxophonist Everette Harp, keyboardist Jeff Lorber and guitarist Paul Jackson Jr. re-convened Jazz Funk Soul for their fourth release, Forecast, and once again these master alchemists make these three little words seem like one. The resumes of each of these members are too exhaustive to list here but suffice to say, they’ve all been at it a long time with many of the biggest names in music.
The major thing going for a supergroup when all are legit composers in their own right is that there tends to be a lack of filler; everyone is bringing only their best effort to the table. Now two albums removed from the original lineup that included Lorber, Harp and the late phenomenal guitarist Chuck Loeb, the latest lineup is clearly getting comfortable and settled in with Jackson – a consummate session guitarist with chops and taste to spare – now in the mix.
The democracy in this group makes Jazz Funk Soul greater than the sum of its parts. The tightly constructed funk of “Hustle” is quintessential Lorber, but the Harp/Jackson unison line in the bridge is the crest of this wave. In fact, since first bursting on the scene in the mid ’70s, Lorber has been the master of the serpentine unison lines laid over uber-tight grooves and his “Bouncing Back” is peppered with them.
Harp, on the other hand, opts for a more easygoing groove for “Keep Holding On,” highlighted by Jackson’s tasty licks. “Funkin’ in AZ” is Harp’s alto saxophone tribute to David Sanborn and the presence of Marcus Miller’s unmistakable bass and mixing by Ray Bardani contributes to making this call to mind Sanborn’s ’80s-era and his successful collaborations with those two. For his only sole composition contribution, Jackson (who also co-wrote “Fish Grease” with Harp) chose to honor his late predecessor at Jazz Funk Soul with “CSL (for Charles Samuel Loeb)” where he presents the main riff with sweet sounding octaves.
If you like classic Crusaders, you’re bound to love the swampy sway of “Fish Grease,” and Jackson amps up the backwoods factor by adding a dobro to it. “When The Time Comes” is another unexpected but welcome sound in this modern and electrified music. That comes from the acoustic bass of Reggie Hamilton, in the service of a mint-cool, nocturnal groove and another overflow of RnB goodness coming from Harp’s tenor sax.
Some people might quibble over whether this music is contemporary jazz, smooth jazz or crossover jazz. But Everette Harp, Jeff Lorber and Paul Jackson, Jr. make it clear in both their group name and the music they make what to call it, and Forecast is a very fine example of their hybrid. Jazz Funk Soul’s Forecast is now available, through Shanachie Entertainment.
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