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Gerald Albright is an American jazz saxophonist. He earned Grammys for the albums 24/7 in 2012 and Slam Dunk in 2014 and was nominated for New Beginnings in 2008 and for Sax for Stax in 2009.[1]
Gerald Albright | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Genres | Jazz, Smooth Jazz, Funk, Disco, R&B |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instrument(s) | Saxophone, bass guitar, keyboards, flute |
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Labels | Atlantic/WEA, GRP, Peak, Heads Up, Concord, Bright Music |
| Website | geraldalbright |
Albright began piano lessons at an early age, although he professed no interest in the instrument. His love of music picked up when he was given a saxophone that belonged to his piano teacher.[2] It further reinforced when he attended Locke High School. After high school, he attended the University of Redlands where he was initiated into the Iota Chi Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha and received a degree in business management with a minor concentration on music.[3] He switched to bass guitar after he saw Louis Johnson in concert.[2]
After college, Albright worked as a studio musician in the 1980s[4] for Anita Baker, Ray Parker Jr., Olivia Newton-John, and The Temptations. He joined Patrice Rushen, who was forming a band, in which he played saxophone. When the bassist left in the middle of a tour, Albright replaced him and finished the tour playing bass guitar. Around the same time, he began to tour Europe with drummer Alphonse Mouzon. He has also toured with Anita Baker, Phil Collins, Johnny Hallyday, Whitney Houston, Quincy Jones, Jeff Lorber, and Teena Marie In addition to appearances at clubs and jazz festivals, he has been part of Jazz Explosion tours on which he played with Will Downing, Jonathan Butler, Chaka Khan, Hugh Masekela, and Rachelle Ferrell.
Albright has appeared in the television programs A Different World, Melrose Place and jazz segments for Black Entertainment Television, as well as piloting a show in Las Vegas with Meshach Taylor of Designing Women. He was one of ten saxophonists to perform at the inauguration of President Bill Clinton.[5]
His saxophone work appears in the PlayStation video game Castlevania: Symphony of the Night during the theme song "I Am the Wind", which includes keyboardist Jeff Lorber.[6]
Albright himself describes his playing style as being influenced to a large extent by the music which he heard when being a teenager: A mixture of gospel, Motown, Philly International Sound played by the likes of James Cleveland, The Hawkins Singers, James Brown with his band and particularly Maceo Parker.[7]
In September 2021 Gerald Albright received the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award from President Joseph R. Biden.[2]
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Albright plays a professional Big Bell Stone Signature Series model of saxophone made by Cannonball Musical Instruments. Of the two necks that are furnished with the Cannonball saxophones, he usually uses the "Fat Neck" with the octave vent tube on the bottom of the neck, a design similar to some vintage Conn 6M models.On mouthpieces, he uses a Beechler Diamond on alto with Silverstein Hexa ligature, Theo Wanne stainless steel Shiva on tenor.[8] Albright also plays bass guitar.
Studio albums
| Year | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Just Between Us | Atlantic/Wea |
| 1988 | Bermuda Nights | Atlantic/Wea |
| 1990 | Dream Come True | Atlantic/Wea |
| 1994 | Smooth | Atlantic/Wea |
| 1995 | Giving Myself to You | Atlantic/Wea |
| 1997 | Live to Love | Atlantic/Wea |
| 1998 | Pleasures of the Night with Will Downing | Polygram |
| 2002 | Groovology | GRP |
| 2004 | Kickin' It Up | GRP |
| 2006 | New Beginnings | Peak |
| 2008 | Sax for Stax | Peak |
| 2010 | Pushing the Envelope | Telarc |
| 2012 | 24/7 with Norman Brown | Concord |
| 2013 | Summer Horns / with Dave Koz, Mindi Abair, Richard Elliot | Concord |
| 2014 | Slam Dunk[9] | Heads Up |
| 2016 | G | Bright Music |
| 2018 | 30 | Bright Music |
| 2018 | Summer Horns II from A to Z / with Dave Koz, Rick Braun, Richard Elliot, Aubrey Logan | Concord |
| 2019 | Not So Silent Night | There |
Live albums
| Year | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Live at Birdland West | Atlantic/Wea |
EPs
| Year | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | G-Stream | Bright Music |
| 2022 | G-Stream 2 Turn It Up | Bright Music |
As sideman/guest
| Year | Artist | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Pauline Wilson | Only You | Pony Canyon |
| 1999 | The Phil Collins Big Band | A Hot Night In Paris | Atlantic |
| 2000 | Noel Elmowy | Feelin' Good | Expansion Records |
| 2008 | Gerald Alston | Gerald Alston Sings Sam Cooke | LST CO |
Singles
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hot R&B/ Hip-Hop Songs [10] |
Adult Cont. [11] |
Smooth Jazz Airplay [12] |
Adult R&B Airplay [13] | |||
| 1987 | "So Amazing" | 12 | 42 | n/a | n/a | Just Between Us |
| 1988 | "New Girl on the Block" | 59 | — | n/a | n/a | |
| "Feeling Inside" | 47 | — | n/a | n/a | Bermuda Nights | |
| 1989 | "In the Mood" | 80 | — | n/a | n/a | |
| 1990 | "Lift Every Voice and Sing" (Melba Moore and Friends) |
9 | — | n/a | n/a | Melba Moore – Soul Exposed |
| "My, My, My" | 54 | — | n/a | n/a | Dream Come True | |
| 1994 | "This Is for the Lover in You" | 75 | — | n/a | n/a | Smooth |
| 1998 | "Stop, Look, Listen to Your Heart" (Will Downing and Gerald Albright) |
— | — | n/a | 26 | Will Downing – Pleasures of the Night |
| 1999 | "Pleasures of the Night" (Will Downing and Gerald Albright) |
— | — | n/a | 30 | |
| 2000 | "When You Need Me" (Will Downing featuring Chanté Moore And Gerald Albright) |
— | — | n/a | 18 | Will Downing – All the Man You Need |
| 2005 | "Hey Young World" (Gerald Albright with Kevin Toney) |
— | — | 10 | — | Various Artists – Def Jazz |
| "To the Max" | — | — | 38 | — | Kickin' It Up | |
| 2006 | "We Got the Groove" | — | — | 17 | — | New Beginnings |
| 2008 | "Knock on Wood" | — | — | 26 | — | Sax for Stax |
| 2009 | "Walkin' Down Beale Street" | — | — | 29 | — | |
| 2010 | "Highway 70" | — | — | 20 | — | Pushing the Envelope |
| 2011 | "I Found the Klugh" | — | — | 8 | — | |
| 2012 | "In the Moment" (Gerald Albright / Norman Brown) |
— | — | 1 | — | 24/7 |
| "Champagne Life" (Gerald Albright / Norman Brown) |
— | — | 1 | — | ||
| 2013 | "Full Tank" (Ben Tankard featuring Gerald Albright) |
— | — | 20 | — | Ben Tankard – Full Tank |
| "Got to Get You into My Life" (Dave Koz featuring Gerald Albright, Mindi Abair and Richard Elliot) |
— | — | 1 | — | Dave Koz and Friends: Summer Horns | |
| "I Got You (I Feel Good)" (Dave Koz featuring Gerald Albright, Mindi Abair and Richard Elliot) |
— | — | 3 | — | ||
| 2014 | "Hot Fun in the Summertime" (Dave Koz featuring Gerald Albright, Mindi Abair and Richard Elliot) |
— | — | 6 | — | |
| "Slam Dunk" | — | — | 1 | — | Slam Dunk | |
| 2015 | "SomeBossa (Summer Breezin')" (Al Jarreau featuring Gerald Albright) |
— | — | 11 | — | Al Jarreau – My Old Friend: Celebrating George Duke |
| "It's a Man's, Man's, Man's World" | — | — | 8 | — | Slam Dunk | |
| "Because of You" | — | — | 1 | — | ||
| 2016 | "Crush" (John Novello featuring Gerald Albright) |
— | — | 8 | — | John Novello – Ivory Soul |
| "Celebration" (Jonathan Fritzén featuring Gerald Albright) |
— | — | 15 | — | Jonathan Fritzén – Fritzénized | |
| "Taking Control" | — | — | 1 | — | G (Bonus Version) | |
| 2017 | "Boom Boom" | — | — | 3 | — | |
| "Frankie B." | — | — | 1 | — | ||
| 2018 | "Just Between Us" | — | — | 5 | — | 30 |
| "This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)" (Dave Koz and Friends featuring Kenny Lattimore and Sheléa) |
— | — | 10 | — | Dave Koz and Friends – Dave Koz and Friends: Summer Horns II – From A to Z | |
| "Keep That Same Old Feeling" (Dave Koz and Friends) |
— | — | 13 | — | ||
| "4 on the Floor" | — | — | 2 | — | 30 | |
| 2019 | "New Beginnings" | — | — | 5 | — | |
| "Before I Let Go" (Dave Koz/Gerald Albright/Rick Braun/Richard Elliot/Aubrey Logan) |
— | — | 1 | — | Dave Koz and Friends – Dave Koz and Friends: Summer Horns II – From A to Z | |
| 2020 | "Just In" (Justin-Lee Schultz featuring Gerald Albright and Pieces of a Dream) |
— | — | 9 | — | Justin-Lee Schultz – Gruv Kid |
| "Better Days Ahead" | — | — | 1 | — | G-Stream (EP) | |
| 2021 | "Hope" | — | — | 1 | — | |
| "Serendipity" (The Saxtress Pamela Williams featuring Gerald Albright) |
— | — | 1 | — | Pamela Williams – Serendipity | |
| "Crazy" | — | — | 1 | — | G-Stream (EP) | |
| 2022 | "G Wiggle" | — | — | 1 | G-Stream 2 – Turn It Up (EP) | |
| "Keep Holding On" | — | — | — | — | Hank Bilal – Beneath the Covers | |
| "Eddie's Groove" | — | — | 2 | — | G-Stream 2 – Turn It Up (EP) | |
| 2023 | "On My Way" (Phylicia Rae featuring Gerald Albright) |
— | — | 1 | — | Phylicia Rae – On My Way |
| 2024 | "Full Throttle" | — | — | 1 | — | G-Stream 3 – Full Throttle (EP) |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart. | ||||||
The Grammy Awards are awarded annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Albright has received a sum of nine Grammy nominations.[14]
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Best R&B Instrumental Performance (Orchestra, Group or Soloist) | "So Amazing" (single) | Nominated |
| 1989 | Best R&B Instrumental Performance | Bermuda Nights (album) | Nominated |
| 2006 | Best Pop Instrumental Album | New Beginnings | Nominated |
| 2008 | Best Pop Instrumental Album | Sax for Stax | Nominated |
| 2010 | Best Pop Instrumental Album | Pushing the Envelope | Nominated |
| 2012 | Best Pop Instrumental Album | 24/7 | Nominated |
| 2013 | Best Pop Instrumental Album | Summer Horns | Nominated |
| 2014 | Best Contemporary Instrumental Album | Slam Dunk | Nominated |
| 2023 | Best Improvised Jazz Solo | "Keep Holding On" | Nominated |
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