Jeff Lorber Interview Page 4

JL:  I mean, that’s very much the way it is.  Everything on the record is pretty much organic, there’s almost nothing synthetic anywhere except for a little bit of some synthesized strings here and there.  That’s kinda the main synthetic element.  Everything else is real:  the real horns and real piano and Rhodes and bass, and when it comes to instrumental music, sometimes it’s like the real instruments have so much more depth to it and more like when you listen to it over and over again you hear little variations about how things were played, like every snare drum sounds different when you use a real drummer, and also real drummers, you know, they bring so much emotion to the song, and that’s really what we were going after.

Smitty:  Yes, and the great pleasure that everyone has the opportunity to experience is to get out and hear this great record live because, I mean, after picking up this record on the 3rd of April, then comes this great tour that you have lined up.

JL:  Yup.

Smitty:  And, man, you’ve got some great cities and some great gigs lined up, and I would tell everyone to go to your Web site.

JL:  Yeah, go to www.lorber.com and check it out. We’re trying to get more so, I mean, I’m basically going everywhere I can and doing everything I can do to let people know about this, so….I’m not saying no to anything at this point.  (Both laugh.)

Smitty:  Well, that’s cool.  And you’re gonna be at the Smooth Jazz Awards Show in Canada too, right?

JL:  Yeah, my first time doing that.  It’s funny because they used to have the Smooth Jazz Awards in the U.S. for a few years and I was the MD of that a number of times, and I guess we don’t have that anymore, but they’ve had it up in Canada for a few years, so I’m glad to have a chance to check that out.  I have a good buddy up there, this guy Alexander Zonjic, that’s a flute player.  He’s sort of the Mac Daddy of the Detroit jazz scene.  He promotes shows and he’s in a lot and he’s got the morning show on the radio station up there, and so he’s basically my sponsor when it comes to things Canadian.

Smitty:  Yeah, and he emcees that show, the Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards Show.

JL:  Right.

Smitty:  He does a great job with it too.  Well, I will tell you this:  you’re in for a treat at that show because it’s a gala.  They do it right in Canada, let me tell ya, so you’re in for a good time.

JL:  I’m looking forward to it.

Smitty:  Yeah.

JL:  And Toronto’s a great city.  Honestly, I haven’t had a chance to really spend a whole lotta time there, so maybe I’ll get a chance to really drive around a little bit and see a little bit of that town ‘cause I’ve heard good things about it.

Smitty:  Oh yeah.

JL:  I know they’re making all our TV shows up there, right?

Smitty:  Yes indeed.  (Both laugh.)  And you’re still doing the radio show?

JL:  A little radio show on Sunday nights on Sirius and I’m glad they let me do that.  They let me kind of play an eclectic mix and actually in the month of April we’re gonna have a few live performances in the studio.  Jeff Golub, Kyle Eastwood and Rick Braun are all gonna be featured, so we don’t do that very often, but we’re gonna be doing that the month of April.

Smitty:  That’s a nice lineup. Jeff, thanks again for this great record, and keep doing your thing, we love what you’re doing, it’s always highly anticipated when you do a record, so once again, my hat’s off to you for another great project.

JL:  Thanks very much.

Smitty:  All right, we’ve been talking with Blue Note recording artist Mr. Jeff Lorber.  He has released a fantastic new record that dropped on April 3rd.  You have got to check out this record. It is called “He Had A Hat.”  Jeff, it’s been a pleasure, my friend, and best of everything in 2007.

JL:  Thanks so much. I appreciate it a lot.

Baldwin “Smitty” Smith

For More Information Visit www.lorber.com and www.bluenote.com