With a unique instrumental sound bringing together elements of funk, R&B, rock and electric jazz, legendary keyboardist Jeff Lorber helped pioneer the music genre now formatted under such names as NAC and smooth jazz. With Kickin It, his debut recording for Samson Records and his first studio album in two years, Lorber teams with top-producer and fellow Philadelphia native, Steve Dubin to return to his jazz fusion roots. And, in doing so, Lorber has also enlisted special guest performances by such saxophonists as Gerald Albright, Dave Koz, Richard Elliot, and Steve Cole resulting in one of his tightest, most melodic and exciting projects in years. In mid-2000 Lorber, who has traditionally produced his own projects, had nearly a full album of material ready to roll for his next release, but he wanted to experiment on a few extra tracks with an outside producer and contacted Steve Dubin. Best known for his work with Peter White, Richard Elliot and Najee, Dubin like Lorber worked in the late 80s and early 90s as a remixer of pop and dance songs. The chemistry was immediate. Working with Steve on Kickin' It was a great learning and growing experience for me," says Lorber. "As with any album, the artist is always looking for that one thing that will spark a whole new and interesting direction. The title of the project can work two ways, as in 'I'm just kickin' back, relaxing,' or 'I'm kickin' it up a notch.' I think the second definition captures the energy and vibe here." To paraphrase a few tracks from what is sure to be one of 2001's most acclaimed instrumental recordings, Ain't Nobody better to be Kickin' It with than the legendary Jeff Lorber..

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