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He Had a Hat

He Had a Hat is a 2007 album by jazz pianist Jeff Lorber. All compositions on this album were original, except for "Grandma's Hands" which was originally composed and performed by Bill Withers.

He Had a Hat

April 3, 2007

JHL Sound (Pacific Palisades, California)
Sunset Sound and Capitol Studios (Hollywood, California)
The Lair Studio (Los Angeles, California)
Avatar Studios (New York City, New York)

Smooth jazz

55:39

Blue Note

Bobby Colomby

The album, and title track, are named after the punchline of an old Jewish joke about a grandmother whose grandson is saved from drowning in the ocean after she prays to God. The joke was told to Lorber by the album's producer, Bobby Colomby, in the recording studio, and Lorber felt it fit in well with the album's lighthearted mood.[2]


He Had a Hat was nominated for a 2008 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album, losing to Herbie Hancock's River: The Joni Letters.

Jeff Lorber – all keyboards, keyboard solos, horn arrangements (2, 4, 7, 9, 10, 11, 13)

– guitars (2, 3, 4, 8, 10)

Paul Jackson Jr.

– guitars (3)

Paul Brown

– guitars (13)

Russell Malone

– bass (1, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 14)

Brian Bromberg

Alex Al – bass (2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 13)

– drums (1, 2, 3, 8, 9)

Abe Laboriel Jr.

– drums (4, 10, 13)

Dave Weckl

– drums (5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 14)

Vinnie Colaiuta

– percussion (2, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14), tambourine (3)

Lenny Castro

– tenor saxophone (2), horns (2)

Kirk Whalum

– alto saxophone (3)

Gerald Albright

Ada Rovatti – tenor saxophone (4)

Tom Timko – saxophone (4, 7, 9, 11, 13)

– horns (3), horn arrangements (3, 5), alto saxophone (5)

Tom Scott

John Mitchell – (5, 10, 12)

bass clarinet

– alto flute (5, 10, 12), flute (5, 10, 12), tenor saxophone (6, 9)

Bob Sheppard

Jeff Driskill – alto flute (5, 10, 12)

– flute (9, 11)

Hubert Laws

Steven Durnin – (5, 10, 12)

French horn

Richard Todd – French horn (5, 10, 12)

Jacques Voyemant – trombone (2)

– trombone (4, 7, 9, 11, 13), bass trombone (4, 7, 9, 11, 13)

Jens Wendelboe

Bob McChesney – trombone (5, 10, 12)

Greg Gosnell – bass trombone (5, 10, 12)

– trumpet (4), horn arrangements (4)

Randy Brecker

Steve Jankowski – trumpet (4, 7, 9, 11, 13), flugelhorn (4, 7, 9, 11, 13)

Hernan "Teddy" Mulet – trumpet (4, 7, 9, 11, 13), flugelhorn (4, 7, 9, 11, 13), horn arrangements (4)

– trumpet (5, 10, 12)

Gary Grant

– trumpet (6, 14)

Chris Botti

– horn arrangements (7, 9, 11, 13)

Bobby Colomby

– orchestrations (1, 8)

Jeremy Lubbock

The Krim Symphonic Orchestra – orchestra (1, 8)

– vocals (3, 8)

Eric Benét

– vocals (8)

Paula Cole

Bobby Colomby – producer

Jeff Lorber – recording, mixing (4, 6)

Dave Rideau – basic track recording

– guitar recording (13)

Kevin Killen

Paul Brown – mixing (1, 2, 3, 5, 7-13)

Larry Goetz – recording assistant for horns (2, 3, 4, 7, 9, 11, 13)

Dragan "DC" Capor – mix assistant (1, 2, 3, 5, 7-13)

Chris Bellman – mastering at (Hollywood, California)

Bernie Grundman Mastering

Eli Wolf – A&R

Keith Karwelies – A&R administration

Josh Gold – product manager

Adam Barber – orchestrations

Dante DeSilva – music copyist

Gordon H. Jee – creative direction

Carla Leighton – art direction, design

Jeff Bender – photography

Bud Harner – management at Chapman Management

on lorber.com

He Had A Hat by Jeff Lorber