Gerald Albright has a generous invitation for fans of his
hit 2014 album: If you thought that mix of deep funk and simmering sensuality
was a Slam Dunk, wait’ll you get a load of G. It’s that album’s high octane
sequel, which draws even deeper connections to that in-your-face
horn-section-magic, of classic bands like Earth, Wind & Fire and Tower of
Power.
Early in his career, the versatile saxophonist was often
told by his labels to “be funky, but not too funky” – but after 30 years at the
top of his game as one of contemporary urban jazz’s core artists and sonic
innovators, the eight-time Grammy nominee is letting loose like never before.
What we get from G is nothing less than Genuine Gerald, with powerful support
from his co-producer Chris “Big Dog” Davis and legendary special guests Michael
McDonald and Doug E. Fresh.
When Albright titled his 2006 album New Beginnings, he was
referring to the move he and his family made to Colorado after a lifetime in
Southern California. Ten years later, he’s in a similar mode, blazing into the
next phase of his storied career with the release of his first album ever as an
indie artist, after decades on major and major affiliated labels. Like a lot of
his peers in the genre, he realized that the business models of those big
companies don’t fit into the current economic structures of urban jazz.
Inspired by a loyal fan base of thousands throughout the world, he knew it was
time to leverage his hard won success, step out in faith, and create a company
that could not only release his music but also serve as a legacy for his
family. Choosing the name Bright Music Records, just as in calling the album G,
was not only a play on his name but also reflective of his great optimism in
embarking on an endeavor that uniquely defines who he is.
G gets right down to business, celebrating his fresh start
by titling the thick and feisty, brass fired and groove intensive opening jam
“Taking Control.” He creates all the horn sections himself, texturing alto,
tenor and baritone around the lead melody, while handling the thick bottom via
bass guitar. With Davis (one of urban jazz’s top hit makers, who has worked
with everyone from Najee to Maysa, Phil Perry, and Kim Waters) creating an
array of keyboard sounds, Albright infuses many of the other tracks with a mix
of horns and other instruments. His passionate, high flying soul-jazz fusion
spin through Bill Withers’ classic “Lovely Day” features McDonald on lead
vocals and G himself mixing alto, C flutes and bass flutes while holding down
the spirited rhythms on bass. Likewise, the exotic, briskly paced old school
horn-fired jam “We Came To Play (La Calle)” features G on alto, tenor, bass, a
bass solo and C flutes. On the tight, edgy “G and Doug E.,” a whimsical
self-portrait with Fresh fashioning a tribute to Albright in rhyme, G also
plays the organ. The soaring, emotional power ballad “I Miss You” features the
saxophonist on alto, tenor and bari, in addition to C flutes, alto flutes and
bass flute and bass guitar. It also features his daughter Selina – a solo
artist in her own right – on background vocals.
Other highlights on G include “Frankie B,” a simmering,
horn-drenched light funk ode to his dear friend Frankie Beverly and one of
Albright’s favorite bands, Maze; the mystical soul ballad “Boom Boom” and
buoyant, free-wheeling horn explosion “Funkism,” both of which showcase G’s
every deepening skills as a jazz improviser; a sly, seductive cover of Avant’s
2003 R&B vocal hit “Read Your Mind”; and the sensual, ambient “Closure”, a
simply arranged ballad that wraps the set in a romantic mood.
Albright says that the big, multi-faceted sound of the
album, particularly his use of multiple flutes, is a throwback to the way he
came up in music. “I’ve been implementing them over the past few projects,
using flute seasonings strategically with certain songs, and it was exciting to
take those sounds to the next level,” he adds. “I come from that orchestral big
band sound that defined my high school years playing in the 70s, and had great
teachers who believed that musicians should never take shortcuts. In those jazz
band days, I doubled on other instruments besides sax, and coming from that
world, it’s always been hard to neglect those instincts. I like having a lot of
sonic options. I use everything as a
facility to bring my music to another level. When I think of those EWF and TOP
horns, they were so ‘in your face, present and clear’. That’s what I was
striving for on G.”
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Albright was already an
accomplished saxophonist by the time he enrolled at the University of Redlands,
but he switched to bass after he saw Louis Johnson in concert. A few months
after graduating from college, he joined jazz pianist/R&B singer Patrice
Rushen, who was in the process of forming her own band. Later, when the bass
player left in the middle of a tour, Albright replaced him and finished the
tour on bass guitar. Playing both sax and bass, he became the consummate
session and touring musician in the 80s, working with everyone from Anita
Baker, Ray Parker, Jr., Atlantic Starr, The Temptations and Maurice White to
Les McCann, Teena Marie, the Winans and Whitney Houston.
He launched his solo career in the infancy of what became
the smooth jazz format, with Just Between Us in 1987 and has been a core part
of the genre with chart-topping albums, countless radio hits and as a member of
many all star tours, including Guitars & Saxes and Groovin’ For Grover. In
the late 90s, he fronted a big band for and toured with pop star Phil Collins
and did a dual recording with vocal great Will Downing called Pleasures of the
Night. Between his last two Grammy-nominated solo albums Pushing The Envelope
(2010) and Slam Dunk (2014), he enjoyed hit collaborations with two huge hits –
24/7 with guitarist Norman Brown and Summer Horns by Dave Koz and Friends
(including Mindi Abair and Richard Elliot), which were also Grammy-nominated
for Best Pop Instrumental Albums. He toured with Brown and Summer Horns, and
most recently has been on the road with South Africa gospel/jazz singer and
guitarist Jonathan Butler. Albright’s other albums whose titles perfectly
reflect their flow include Smooth (1994), Groovology (2002), Kickin’ It Up
(2004) and Sax for Stax (2008).
Because Albright’s musical muse has taken him to so many
fascinating locales along the contemporary R&B/urban jazz spectrum, he’s
joyfully defied easy categorizations. Roland S. Martin, Host/Managing Editor,
NewsOneNow, TV One, at last has found a way to explain all the things that make
G who he is. “For two decades,” he says, “jazz artists like Gerald have been
placed in the suffocating box known as ‘smooth jazz.’ But in my years as an
Albright fan, I much prefer to call him a funky, ice cold jazz impresario who
can make your head bob while cruising down the freeway with the sunroof open or
make you do the scrunchy stank face of a George Clinton/Parliament Funkadelic.”
“Top to bottom,” Albright says, “I wanted my new album G to
take the listener on a musical journey with different textures, rhythms, chord
progressions and moods. I want people to know where I’ve been and where I’m going,
and to let them hear that I’m in a really good place in my life.”
