(August 5, 2024) Grammy-award winning keyboardist Jeff Lorber has never refrained from touching a timeless classic. Although his catalog is full of ripe performances and original discoveries, from his work with Jeff Lorber Fusion (which yielded the first professional appearances of Kenny G on 1980’s Wizard Island) to his solo act achievement on the 1986 Karyn White-featured Top 40 smash hit “Facts of Love,” Lorber knows how to do a decent cover. For example, he gave us saucy, robust instrumentals like Rufus & Chaka Khan’s “Ain’t Nobody” in 2001 and Amy Winehouse’s “Rehab” in 2007. Now the smooth jazz man is back with a familiar ear worm, an apropos anthem for the season.
This time around, he takes on the enduring Robert Palmer 1977 classic, “Every Kinda People.” With the help of powerhouse vocalist (and SoulTracks favorite) Eric Roberson and a dynamic seasoned team of musicians including drummer Gary Novak, guitarist Mark Lettieri and bassist Cornelius Mims, this 2024 remake maintains the integrity, grit and sunny vibes of the original while gloriously injecting lots of fresh soulful jazz swag into the mix. And Roberson’s vocal performance gives off echoes of Donny Hathaway brilliance, especially as he declares those poignant messages of human connection with such efficiency: “Whether yellow, black or white/Each and every man’s the same inside.”
Check out the new track and let us know what you think.
By J Matthew Cobb
