He Had A Hat

He Had A Hat

The Jeff Lorber Fusion's 1970s grooves were hip enough for Nelly to sample them on his 2003 "Pimp Juice" remix. On Lorber's latest CD, the Philly-born keyboardist delivers some of his trademark funk, albeit with musical twists, and a slew of guests from saxophonists Kirk Whalum and Tom Scott, guitarist Russell Malone, and trumpeter Chris Botti to the horns from Blood, Sweat & Tears. His smooth-jazz fans will dig Lorber's lovely rendition of Bill Wither's "Grandma's Hands," graced with Eric Benet's impassioned vocal, and "The Other Side of the Heart," the quiet storm duet with Benet and Holly Cole. But, like a few of his contemporaries, Lorber unplugs and takes to the acoustic ivories on the orchestral, Aaron Copeland-esque overture "Anthem for a New America." He increases his swing cred on the Gil Evans-ghosted "Surreptitious" and "BC Bop" and proves that some smooth stars still have a little hard bop left in them. --<i>Eugene Holley, Jr.</i>