

Equally compelling are cuts like the kinetic electro-bop of "Ha Ha Hotel" and the soulful ballad "Tell Me." Eleven is an inspired match-up that lives up to the work of both Lorber and Stern's expansive careers. They split the difference on Lorber's "Rhumba Pagan," a driving modal piece with a funk underpinning that also features Stern's wordless vocal improvs. Conversely, "Jones St." is a dark-toned blues-groover culled from Stern's 1997 album Give and Take. The opening "Righteous" is a breezy Lorber number centered on a hooky acoustic piano and guitar melody. What's particularly interesting on Eleven is that you can pick out how Lorber and Stern have adapted their distinctive styles for each tune. There are also nicely done horn parts peppered throughout by Ned Mann.

Joining them is producer and longtime Yellow Jackets bassist Jimmy Haslip, as well as drummer Dave Weckl, guitarist Leni Stern, drummer Gary Novak, drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, and others. Together, they bring all of their decades-long experience to bear on Eleven playing a handful of original songs. Conversely, Stern built upon his early years as a member of Miles Davis' ensembles, mixing post-bop and blues as one of the top virtuoso jazz guitarists of his generation. As the leader of the Jeff Lorber Fusion, Lorber helped to define the sound of groove-oriented contemporary jazz and R&B. While both artists got their start in the late 1970s playing a hybrid of jazz and electric rock, they each moved in slightly different directions while coming into their own in the '80s. The first pairing between crossover jazz icons keyboardist Jeff Lorber and guitarist Mike Stern, 2019's Eleven is an engaging fusion album that balances each musician's distinct musical personality.
Mike stern and jeff lorber fusion download#
Pre-order it here.Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs. More US dates then follow, ending at Iridium in New York on 16-19 December.Įleven is released on 27 September. They start a European tour in Madrid on 13 November, with shows in Vienna, Paris, London and many other cities in a schedule that ends on 29 November.

They’ll be at Blues Alley in Washington for a four-night run from 26 September. Stern and the Jeff Lorber Fusion will tour, with Haslip and drumming colossus Dennis Chambers, starting in the US in late autumn. Tracks 1 Righteous (Jeff Lorber) 03:59 2 Nu Som (Mike Stern) 05:28 3 Jones. That Philly soul thing is definitely in some of his tunes on this record.” Eleven is an album by Mike Stern and Jeff Lorber (Fusion), released in 2019. And I feel like his music really comes more from soul music than smooth jazz. “He’s got an especially beautiful touch on the acoustic piano, and I know that he studied with Madame Charloff, an amazingly great teacher in Boston. Jeff’s got a strong rhythmic groove and he comps and plays beautifully on acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes, and organ. Stern says of Lorber: “When the idea was floated for this project, I asked a bunch of cats who worked with Jeff, like Randy Brecker, Dave Weckl and Bob Franceschini, and they all said, ‘He’s cool, he throws down, he can really get it going.’ And they’re right. And I think we really hit it off musically as well as personally.” So when I heard he was up for it, I was delighted to have a chance to work with him in the studio on this project. He’s on both sides of the musical spectrum. “And by the same token, he’s got the rock and blues thing covered too. He’s just a bebop wizard, he’s got an incredible jazz feeling. He’s a lot jazzier in terms of his phrasing. And I liked the idea that it would take me away from what some people call ‘smooth jazz,’ which is a moniker that I don’t really love. Observes Lorber: “I was definitely very enthusiastic about it because I knew it would be something different and challenging. “As far as my conception for this collaboration, I thought working together would create something new and different, which was compelling to me.” “Jeff and Mike both admired each other’s musicianship and talent,” notes Haslip. Haslip had played on no fewer than six of Lorber’s albums, starting with Now Is The Time in 2010 and extending to 2018’s Impact. The pair were brought together by bassist, producer and Yellowjackets co-founder Jimmy Haslip, who had recruited Stern for the band’s 2008 album Lifecycle, and the extensive tour that followed.
