Customer Reviews

Definitive Collection

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've been a Jeff Lorber fan for about 16 years. I had all of his earlier albums and cassettes but unfortunately they were stolen and i've been looking ever since for his recordings especially the Arista series. This won't replace my Jeff Lorber Fusion collection but it will bring back some fond memories. Thanks to whomever is responsible for this discography.

I have been a die-hard fan of Jeff Lorber for 20 years! I used to wistfully think to myself..."if only Jeff Lorber would make a CD of his old stuff..." All I can say is THANK YOU!

I first got hip to Jeff Lober when I started playing bass(1981). The first album I bought was Wizard Island. I learned a lot playing along with that album. Years later I let a drummer used it (hoping he would learn how to keep a pocket). I never saw the album again. I'm very glad to see this CD. It has a lot of good ol jams that I learned on. It truly brings back sweet memories of the good ol days when fusion was fusion. This is what it is all about. I stopped listening to the WAVE type "jazz" about a week and half after they started playing that type of music. I don't know what they are playing now but I know it is not good as what's on this album. I wish the label would re-release the orginals on CD.

I've also been a Lorber fan since the late 70s, and also have always been annoyed that his recordings from that timeframe have not been available on CD. When I heard about a "Greatest Hits" album, I admittedly had a lukewarm reaction; I hoped for a 2 CD set, which even then would be hard-pressed to include what I feel it should as a minimum Lorber collection. When I found it was only 1, I decided to hold off and just listen to my old albums, since so many great tunes have been left out. For example, everything from Wizard Island and Lift Off should be here. Kenny G? Please - some of Jeff's best stuff had little if any Kenny G on it ("Reflections," for example). But if you're one of these "smooth jazz" fans who would be happy with a sampler of Jeff Lorber's older stuff, it's worth the purchase.

This is an excellent collection. I'm so glad this material could see the light of day again and finally remastered making it sound even better.Kenny who this is him at his best by far.Now if they could only bring all the fusion albums back in print. Highly recommend!

Once upon a time Jeff Lorber was the puryeor of snazzy

funk-fusion instrumentals with R&B referances that were either

enthusiastic or calming,but NEVER dull or sellout.The sad truth

is those last two words pretty much describe everything Lorber

has released after his 1986 'Private Passion' album-as much guts

as a recent as a recent Boney James album.But if you want the best available sampling of Lorber's classic music this is the only place to get it.It's not the definative boxed set roundup

he truely deserves but extremely funky grooves such as "City"

and "Tune 88" (with it's chunky guitar riffs) are quite

riviting.And of course theres Lorber's best funk tune "Monster Man",one of his all time show stoppers with Stanley Clarke.

If this set isn't as comprehensive as it could be,namely minus

anything from his first two LP's,it all thats available and nothing here is embarrassing or crassly commercial.So this is a

good sampler in lieu of Lorber's classic CD reissues being in

print only as pricey Japanese imports.

Like the classic tune from Jeff's watershed album "Wizard Island" ..."can't get enough". This needed to be a 2-disc set to cover Jeff's career. I've been hoping that Arista would release what I think are two of Jeff's best albums; "Galaxian" and "It's a Fact". With the popularity of Kenny G (who was Kenny Gorelick when playing with Jeff), I thought they would. There are several cuts from those albums here and you won't believe it's the same syrup-playing sax player. Under Jeff's tutelage and production, Kenny plays the most legit stuff of his career on this record. But enough about Mr. G., who chose to sell out to smoooooth. Jeff Lorber is one of the guys, who together with Spyro Gyra defined the genre of contemporary jazz. He seems to have an endless supply of writing and production chops. Jeff has managed to maintain musical integrity even in the contemporary-jazz-as-elevator-music era we currently are stuck in. This collection gives you a look at where we came from, a day of harder, groovier, and choppier playing.

This is a great collection for both newcomers and fans as you'll at least be able to hear some of that early stuff. Definitely add "Wizard Island" to your collection as well as that's a classic.

Composer/keyboardist Jeff Lorber is shown at some of his creative best on "The Definitive Collection." Far from being a "Best Of" or "Greatest Hits" package, Arista capsulized about a dozen of Lorber's standaut tracks from his 6 albums for the label between 1979 and 1986. The overall effect is historic but incomplete. It is clear that Lorber helped form what becanme the Smooth Jazz genre, and there is talent in spades from Lorber's keyboard solos to the future Kenny G sounding amazingly controlled, but one has to wonder if there is more to Lorber's music than the breezy midtempo numbers that dominate this CD.

There is more to Jeff Lorber than "Fusion Juice," "Night Love", and the dozen other tracks that blend together into a early '80s haze and fans deserve a fairer assesment of his influential work than this. Most of these tracks merit a listen, but "The Definitive Collection" is way too repetative and will either bore the casual listener or frustrate the ardent Lorber fan. Note to Arista: Good attempt, but try harder.

As a few of the reviewers before me, I can only wonder why Arista has not released the BEST of Jeff Lorber.....not this collection (which is great), but namely "Galaxian" and "It's A Fact." One would think that Arista would cash in on the popularity of Kenny G, who in my opinion does his best playing with Jeff Lorber. If my words mean anything, PLEASE, PLEASE, Arista give the listeners what they want!! If you are a buyer wanting something new and great, buy this CD, then you'll understand what my fellow "Lorberers" mean when we say we want it all......

This is a long overdue release. The only thing that would be better is if they actually released all the late 70s early 80s Jeff Lorber Fusion albums on CD. I have all of them, but there is nothing like CD quality, especially when they have been remastered as these songs have. There is absolutely more definition coming out of the speakers from this CD than the original records. Would have preferred more from Water Sign, Wizard Island & Galaxian & less of the later tunes but it is fantastic to hear the original versions of Tune 88, Toad's Place, Rain Dance, Fusion Juice, City and Spur of the Moment in all their remastered glory. I will take what I can get. Maybe Mr. Lorber will release a "Part II" with more of the early gems! This is must buy for any fan of Jazz Fusion or Jeff Lorber.