Smooth as cream cheese

by Mac VerStandig, ArtsEtc. Writer

With Philly Style, Jeff Lorber takes a significant step away from his traditional blend of so-called L.A. jazz and, as the album’s title indicates, moves toward a more gentle, traditional blend of East Coast music. The 10-track disc’s greatest faults come when Lorber falls back on the proven methods of his previous compilations and injures the flow of Philly Style. But the album is mostly successful, subtly mixing different tempos and creating a soothing, gentle flow.

The disc opens with “Under Wraps,” Lorber’s longest track at nearly five minutes. The song’s introductory percussion is deceptively uneasy, setting a false tone. An exceedingly smooth brass arrangement quickly cuts in and establishes a more aptly mellow feel to the music. Devoid of vocals and tenor saxophone-heavy, “Under Wraps” firmly puts to rest any doubts about the sincerity of Lorber’s attempt to, at least temporarily, depart from his L. A. style.

“Gigabyte” and “Step on It,” the album’s second and seventh tracks, respectively, are delightfully infused with undertones of funk. Along with the title track and “Soul Food,” these pieces represent the only emergence of a trombone on Philly Style and help elevate the album’s tempo, firmly moving the disc away from any hints of elevator doom.

“Soul Food,” however, is one of Lorber’s most troubling tracks, as he transparently relies on his L. A. success and stubbornly includes lyrics. The only other verbal piece is “Regardless Of,” an equally plagued experiment. Naila performs the vocals on both tracks, and the problem is not so much her performance as the bland and repetitive nature of the lyrics.

Fortunately, these mutterings are barely elevated to any degree of coherence, as they are almost entirely drowned out by instrumentals. When deciphered, the vocals, which are love-centric, are decidedly less romantic than Lorber’s previous pieces like “Bring It On.”

Philly Style‘s finest track is the penultimate “When She Smiles.” Exotic use of a soprano saxophone gives the piece a delightfully quiet mysticism. Despite being by far the album’s softest track, “When She Smiles” is subtle enough to provide a gently breezy sound and yet has enough range to provide for an active listening experience.

The album’s title track has a tempo and rhythm reminiscent of Glenn Miller’s legendary big-band piece “In the Mood” but with an obviously softer sound. The track is ripe with character and, as one of the aforementioned four tracks to use a trombone, is sufficiently unique to merit title prominence (although “When She Smiles” remains Philly Style’s finest effort).

With a salted hot pretzel serving as its cover art, Jeff Lorber’s most recent album is a substantial venture away from the L. A. style that has brought him note and toward the East Coast techniques in which he is apparently rooted.

Overall, the album is pleasantly eclectic, although it would be far more robust without the vocal cameos which weigh down two of its tracks. Lorber’s music is predominately mellow and, as this homework-buried writer can attest, makes for delightfully soothing study music.

Grade: A/B