In 2014, pianist Jeff Lorber, guitarist Chuck Loeb and saxophonist Everette Harp formed the supergroup Jazz Funk Soul after logging many hours on the road and onstage together with one another. That year, they released their eponymously titled debut album, which was followed by More Serious Business in 2016. Loeb died on July 31, and on the new Jazz Funk Soul album, Life and Times, Lorber and Harp are joined by guitarist Paul Jackson Jr. to celebrate the legacy and inspiration that their longtime friend and collaborator left behind.
Life and Times will be released on January 25 via Shanachie Entertainment, but you can listen to an exclusive stream of the album via the player below:
As mentioned, Life and Times pays tribute to Loeb. The late great guitarist was known for his superb musicianship by fellow artists and fans alike. “Besides being a great musician, he was a real peacemaker,” Lorber recalls in an interview with JAZZIZ. “The three of us were all bandleaders and Chuck was always the peacemaker. Everette and I would kind of butt heads sometimes and Chuck would always come in and smooth things over. That’s just the kind of guy he was. We miss him so much; he was a great musician and a great producer. He loved bebop and the two of us used to have a lot of fun working together in the studio, writing songs.”
Jackson Jr. brings something new to Jazz Funk Soul and marks an evolution in the sound of the band. Lorber, who has played with the guitarist for many years, explains: “I know Paul as one of the finest rhythm guitarists on the planet. Chuck was more of a jazzer, so he would tend to lay out sometimes and let me cover the rhythm, whereas Paul and I, we have played on and off together for many years and we just love playing the rhythm together. That kind of gives the band a different character.”
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