For whatever reason, I own three records by Jeff Lorber, pioneer in the 'contemporary' jazz scene of the 1980s. Although he has faded into obscurity today, I do find Lorber to be at least an interesting figure. To my surprise, Step by Step is no doubt a 'black' music record, with the song "Pacific Coast Highway" even winning a Grammy for best R&B instrumental. It's a mixture of mid-80s R&B and jazz, with lots of synthesizers and drum machines. I don't think that this particular mixture was ever a good idea, so it would probably take a lot for this record to escape the blue bin. And indeed it won't.
There are a few interesting tracks here, although they are mostly when he goes completely instrumental. "On the Wild Side" is the only song where the synthesizers and drum machines are used in a unique way, generating intense rhythmic drive, and for that reason, it is the clear highlight. But even the better songs are marred by the robotic sound, and I don't find that these 'smooth' jazz instrumentals sit well with the more R&B-tinged vocal numbers, most of which are fairly generic and dated. There's even a song written by the infamous Diane Warren and true to her oeuvre, it is trite and well, awful ("Every Woman Needs It"). Really, I don't even like "Pacific Coast Highway" that much, so this isn't that close to being a keeper for me. But it's an interesting blue bin record. If you have any interest in Lorber's brand of jazz, try the Jeff Lorber Fusion. I own Water Sign and that one I can actually recommend.
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