In the 90s Lorber released a successful string of projects including West Side Stories (1994), State of Grace (1996) and Midnight (1998).
He scored his first Grammy nomination in 1985 for his radio hit “Pacific Coast Highway” from his album Step By Step. In 1982 Lorber made his solo debut with It’s A Fact. The ensemble quickly gained traction and became one of the most popular jazz acts, touring nonstop. Their 1980 album Wizard Island made the introduction of a then little known Kenny G. In 1977 Jeff Lorber Fusion released their self-titled debut. “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.” Growing up in Cheltenham, Pennsylvania offered great inspiration for Jeff 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.” “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. A true clinician, Lorber has made it a point to study the long line of modern jazz pianists since 1945. Jeff Lorber Fusion came to life in the 70s when the pianist attended Berklee College of Music. We enlisted many of our brilliant collaborators that we like to work with - of course Andy Snitzer and Gary Novak, as well as Dave Mann, Paul Jackson Jr., Peter Mokran and Michael Thompson, among others.” “At this point the chemistry we have works so well together that it’s really about having fun in the studio. “We were committed to try to make a record that was even funkier, more focused and musically compelling than the last one,” states Lorber. Lorber shares, “I’m always giving Jimmy a hard time about “moguling” because he’s always on the phone talking to clients he’s producing.” Lorber and Haslip’s plan was simple. It felt very different to hear my name rather than somebody else’s after ‘the winner is…!’” The experience left Lorber and longtime collaborator and bassist Jimmy Haslip (founding member of The Yellow Jackets) recharged and ready to start work on their next album. “Winning a Grammy was a thrill, especially after not winning after the last six nominations. “The whole thing was a bit surreal,” recalls the Cheltenham, PA born and LA based pianist. Last year Lorber marked his 40th recording anniversary and in January 2018, he scored his first Grammy win for his Jeff Lorber Fusion recording Prototype in the category of Best Contemporary Instrumental Album. A groundbreaking Fender Rhodes pioneer along with Herbie Hancock, Joe Sample and Bob James, Lorber has triumphed as one of the most innovative musical minds in contemporary jazz. Trailblazing pianist, composer, producer and bandleader Jeff Lorber has hit a career stride and shows no signs of slowing down. The velocities of his virtuosic solos hitting the right momentum create an electric field of pure joy. His pressure-cooked grooves are kinetic energy at work. Those who know Lorber’s music are probably not surprised, as he is a force of nature. “I’m a science fan and like to watch youtube from videos from different lectures about various scientific subjects especially physics,” confesses Jeff Lorber. TolkienJeff Lorber’s latest epic odyssey takes us to two mythical locations inspired by The Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit author J.R.R. Lorber’s Epic Odyssey Takes Us To Two Mythical Locations Inspired by J.R.R.
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