Unlike 2000's
Definitive Collection
, the inappropriately titled
The Very Best of Jeff Lorber
only focuses on his work since 1993. This is a shame, because despite the quality of his playing, his earliest albums display a thoughtful take on
fusion
that emphasized the
rock
elements more than
jazz
. In the '90s,
Lorber
's funky
smooth jazz
doesn't have the same groundbreaking feel or youthful energy that he was so good at creating. His music can still be a lush, powerful force (just check out
"Yellowstone"
for proof), but it can suffer from an indistinct feel that suggests a hundred other players. Still, the small experimental touches (such as the whispered vocals in
"Punta del Este"
) can still shake up his material, making this an above-average collection that doesn't begin to touch the breadth of its subject's catalog. ~ Bradley Torreano