Gerald Albright, Instrumental, Classic and Smooth jazz Artist

He is not only a phenomenal jazz saxophonist, but a multi-instrumentalist, who is well known by jazz lovers and concert-goers for his emotional sax playing style in the smooth/contemporary and classic jazz genres

Born in Los Angeles, California

Genre: Classic Jazz, Smooth Jazz

Gerald Albright was already an accomplished saxophonist by the time he enrolled at the University of Redlands, but he switched to bass guitar after he saw Louis Johnson in concert.

A few months after graduating from college, Albright joined jazz pianist/R&B singer Patrice Rushen, who was in the process of forming her own band.  Later, when her bassist 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, Maurice White,  Les McCann, Teena Marie, the Winans and Whitney Houston.

He launched his solo career in the infancy of what became the smooth jazz era/music 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 called “Pleasures of the Night” with vocal great Will Downing.

Between his last two Grammy-nominated solo albums “Pushing The Envelope” in 2010 and “Slam Dunk” in 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).  He toured with Brown, Summer Horns, and also with South Africa gospel/jazz singer and guitarist Jonathan Butler.

Albright’s other albums include Smooth (1994), Groovology (2002), Kickin’ It Up (2004) and Sax for Stax (2008).

Biographical information courtesy of Gerald Albright; for more reading see link below.

http://geraldalbright.com/biography/