Review: Greg Phillips. Photos: Jason Rosewarne.
It had been a while since we’d been back to the plush surrounds of Melbourne jazz club Birds Basement. We were lured back by the prospect of seeing the fabulous Jeff Lorber Fusion in action on night one of a five night residency and were so glad we did. We last experienced Jeff and bass great Jimmy Haslip at Birds around eight years ago and caught up with the pair for an interview at the time. (Watch here) On that occasion Gary Novak completed the trio. This time we have the pleasure of seeing Joel Taylor in action behind the drum kit. Joel has worked with Michael Buble, Victor Wooten, Rick Springfield, Al Di Meola, Allan Holdsworth and many other highly regraded artists.
Kicking off with Water Sign, from the band’s 2010 album Now is The Time, the trio began to loosen up and work their way into a solid groove. Joel Taylor made an immediate impression on the music, showcasing his skills in an early drum solo and adding bite to the song with his work on the cymbals. Jeff released a new album called Elevate around six months ago and offered Spanish Joint next, a tune written by D’Angelo and Roy Hargrove. With his right hand working a Yamaha Montage 8 and his left on a Yamaha Motif XS8, Lorber was able to swap seamlessly from authentic Rhodes tones to natural piano sounds. All the while the left-handed Jimmy Haslip was not only holding down the bottom line but also contributing so much colour to the mix with his nimble fingers on his Roscoe LG3006 bass. Joel Taylor’s rimshot beats and deft stick work added another layer of complexity and interest.
Jeff then announced that they’d be playing a couple of tunes from the 2017 Grammy Award winning album Prototype and launched into the energetic What’s The Deal, propelled along by Joel’s driving beats and Jimmy’s innovative bass lines. Lorber is extremely generous in the time he affords each musicians to shine. There’s so much space left in the music that anyone can jump in, take the lead and run with an idea. Clearly they listen to each other intently and have a sixth sense about what their next moves might be but they’re also eyeballing each other too, whether it be a broad smile or nod of approval. After a classy 45 minutes of quality jazz fusion, the guys took a short break to rejuvenate.
Returning to the stage and continuing to give us a fair spread of material from his vast catalogue, the band delivered Soul Party from 2016’s Step It Up album, a tune on which Haslip’s bass performance was truly sublime. Jeff joked after, “Did anyone notice that Jimmy took 14 solos on that one!” While on the microphone Jeff re-introduced Joel telling us he hails from a town called Worland, Wyoming, “a place which he shares with three squirrels and two moose.” It’s obvious they’re enjoying each other’s company up on stage and that vibe radiates out into the audience, creating a joyful communal experience. “Montserrat”, a Jimmy Haslip penned song from the ‘Galaxy’ album followed receiving an enthusiastic response from the fusion-loving crowd.
In his introduction of a song by bebop legend Horace Silver, Jeff recalled his days at high school in Cheltenham, Philadelphia and a couple of guys who were five or six years older at the school named Michael and Randy Brecker. The first time anyone from his high school that appeared on an album was Randy Brecker, who played on a Blood, Sweat and Tears record. Then later when Jeff was studying at Berklee School of Music Horace Silver brought a new band to town featuring both of the Brecker brothers. It was a wonderful full circle story to set up the extended jam the band then ripped into.
The latin-tinged Hacienda, the title track of the 2013 album and one of my fave Lorber records followed, giving Joel Taylor the opportunity to rock out a little. Lorber then took the spotlight to play a beautiful solo piano piece, showcasing his delicate touch leading into one final funkified band jam. For fans of jazz fusion or just quality live music, Jeff and band are back for four more nights of high-class musicianship and entertainment. The venue is comfy, the sound system is perfect, why wouldn’t you?
