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Contact: Kezia Preville
Tuesday, May 4, 2010 – Unforeseen injury has necessitated a line-up change for main stage on Saturday at Saint Lucia Jazz.
The Saint Lucia Tourist Board has received news from the Cuban Music Institute of an unfortunate arm injury sustained by Cuban Guitarist and Vocalist Eliades Ochoa, which will warrant surgery. As a consequence, the advertised appearance of Eliades Ochoa and Amadito Valdés stars from Buena Vista Social Club at Pigeon Island on Saturday May 08 will not be possible.
The unfortunate occurrence, notwithstanding, the Saint Lucia Tourist Board has been successful in booking a replacement act in the person of keyboardist and composer Jeff Lorber who is a prominent name in urban and jazz fusion.
“We are sensitive to the fact that injuries and illness cannot be predicted. We are hopeful that we can extend a future invitation to the Cubans. But we are extremely excited to have Jeff Lorber whose experimentation with music is typical of the kind of groundbreaking sound Saint Lucia Jazz is known for,” said Tourist Board Director, Louis Lewis.
Born in Philadelphia in 1952, Lorber began playing piano when he was just four years old. By his teen years, he had hooked up with several local R&B bands, but his tastes trended more toward jazz when he studied at Berklee College of Music. The Philly-born and bred three time Grammy nominated composer, producer and keyboard legend went solo after a three decade run as leader of the pioneering Jeff Lorber Fusion. As high charting, pop-jazz oriented releases like West Side Stories (1994), State of Grace (1996) and Midnight (1998) were establishing Jeff Lorber as one of the genre’s top artists, Lorber also became an in demand producer, who has added his signature to the works of successful artistes like Gerald Albright, Eric Marienthal, Richard Elliot and David Benoit.
Prolific for his collaborations, often with other equally talented and celebrated producers, his alliances have resulted in projects like Kickin’ It (2001), Philly Style (2003) and 2005’s Grammy nominated Flipside. His eclectic 2007 He Had A Hat, earned him his third Grammy nomination.
He heads to Saint Lucia on the eve of the release of his new recording Now Is The Time, which is scheduled for release on June 1, 2010, on Heads Up International, a division of Concord Music Group. It echoes of his early 80s Fusion heyday though brilliantly infused with pop, jazz, R&B and blues-influenced tracks. The CD features a typically vibrant Lorber all-star who’s who of contemporary jazz and soul instrumentalists, including trumpet great Rick Braun, guitarist Paul Jackson Jr., Saxman Gary Meek, bassist Alex Al, trumpeter Ron King, guitarist Darrell Crooks, and Saxman Gerald Albright.
Prior to his new release Lorber toured extensively throughout 2008 as part of Guitars & Saxes with Albright, Jessy J, Jeff Golub, and Peter White.
About Saint Lucia Jazz Saint Lucia Jazz, a premier music festival in the Caribbean region, is among the top five around the world. The Festival, which has attracted some of the biggest names in the music industry, marks its 19th anniversary this year.
Media Contacts: Kezia Preville Saint Lucia Tourist Board 758 452 4094 / 758 458 7116 |
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