Gerald Albright

Since the late 1980s, award-winning, chart-topping contemporary jazz saxophonist Gerald Albright has recorded many albums. His added fluency on bass, keyboards, and woodwinds have garnered him hundreds of recording credits playing with top-shelf R&B, gospel, and hip-hop artists. In 1987, his debut leader date, Just Between Us, cracked the Top 200 and spent 25 weeks on the charts. Albright later moved to Verve, where he and Will Downing released the chart-topping Pleasures of the Night. 2002's Groovology spent 21 weeks on the charts, while 2012's 24/7 with guitarist Norman Brown went to number one, and 2014's Slam Dunk rode the charts for another six months, peaking at two. In 2019, after forming the Bright Music label, Albright issued the album 30; it spent nearly six months on the jazz charts and peaked at number seven. Born in South Central Los Angeles, Albright took piano lessons from a young age, and later claimed the instrument -- which he only came to love over a decade later -- taught him the rudiments of harmony, theory, and melodic composition. After being given a saxophone by his piano instructor, Albright made the switch in grade school and continued studying the horn while playing in the band at Locke High School. The saxophonist idolized James Brown and was deeply influenced by groove saxophonists Maceo Parker and Cannonball Adderley. At Redlands University, he received a degree in business management with a minor in music. In college, he caught the Brothers Johnson in concert; deeply affected by Louis Johnson's bass playing, Albright immediately devoted himself to learning the bass; since then, his playing has adorned his own and dozens of other recordings. After college, Albright applied his skills as a session musician, playing on recordings by dozens including Ray Parker, Jr., Rick James, the Chocolate Jam Co., and others. He joined keyboardist/composer Patrice Rushen's band. While on tour, her bassist quit the group, so Albright stepped in to complete the tour on bass. His saxophones were featured heavily on early Rushen recordings including the charting jazz-funk sides Patrice, Pizzazz, her international breakthrough album Straight from the Heart, and 1984's Now. Over the next several years, Albright worked in the studio with dozens of artists including Lenny Williams, Syreeta, DeBarge, Third World, Anita Baker, and Leon Ware. He toured with many more, from Johnny Hallyday and Quincy Jones to Hugh Masekela and Jeff Lorber. He remains an extremely popular first-call session player in the 21st century. Albright's sterling reputation resulted in him signing a solo contract with Atlantic Records. His first album for the label, Just Between Us, introduced him to the masses in 1987. It cracked the Top 200 and went to number seven on the contemporary jazz charts. The following year, he played on recordings by Bebe and CeCe Winans (Heaven), Rodney Franklin, and others. Albright came into his own with Dream Come True in 1990, Live at Birdland West in 1991, Smooth in 1994, and Live to Love in 1997. All sold well enough to register on multiple charts. In 1998, Albright collaborated with Will Downing on Pleasures of the Night for Verve Forecast. It spent 58 weeks on the jazz album charts, 48 at contemporary jazz albums, and peaked at number one on both. In 2002, after seven albums for Atlantic, Albright signed to GRP in 2002 for Groovology -- his first long-player in more than five years. Fans hadn't forgotten him, and it went to number five on the jazz charts and four at contemporary jazz. He toured the United States as a headliner and continued his work as a session musician His second GRP album, Kickin' It Up, appeared in 2004 and placed inside the Top Ten on the R&B, contemporary jazz, and jazz lists; it spent six months on the charts. 2006's New Beginnings was a star-studded affair that counted Lorber, Rushen, and Chris Botti in its studio cast. Nominated for a Grammy for Best Instrumental Pop Album, it topped the contemporary jazz chart and peaked at four in jazz albums. In 2010, he signed to Heads Up International; at the time one of the premier contemporary jazz labels. Albright released the club conscious jazz-funk set, Pushing the Envelope. He produced, played saxophones, bass, and EWI on the set. It was certified gold, peaked at two on the contemporary jazz chart, and at four on the jazz list. Albright teamed with jazz guitarist Norman Brown for the Concord release 24/7. It topped both the jazz and contemporary jazz album charts -- it spent more than a year on the latter list. In 2013, Albright joined Dave Koz, Mindi Abair, and Richard Elliot on the Grammy-nominated Summer Horns, which comprised jazz, funk, and R&B covers. It spent six weeks at number one on the jazz charts, and stayed on the list for 71 weeks. It also charted well inside the upper half of the Top 200. The support tour sold out its entire run of dates. 2014's Slam Dunk was his 12th consecutive album to reach the jazz albums Top Ten, peaking at number two on both jazz charts. In 2016, Albright delivered G, his first album on his own Bright Music Records label. Despite its more limited distribution, Albright's fan base remained extensive and solidly faithful. The album featured guest Michael McDonald singing "Lovely Day" and rapper Doug E. Fresh on "G and Doug E." It peaked inside the Top Five at both jazz and contemporary jazz, and remained on the latter for more than 30 weeks. Albright reprised his role with Koz and Elliot, along with trumpeter Rick Braun and trombonist Aubrey Logan for 2018's Summer Horns II: From A to Z. The star-studded collection of jazz and pop covers included guest singers Gloria Estefan, Kenny Lattimore, and Jonathan Butler. The best-selling Concord set topped the contemporary jazz chart, and hit number two on the jazz albums list. It spent more than six months on both charts. Albright's soulful jazz-funk album, 30, also arrived in 2018 as Bright Music's second release. Offering re-arranged and re-recorded versions of tunes from his catalog, it featured a guest spot by daughter Selina Albright on the ballad "Come Back to Me." 30 peaked at three at contemporary jazz and seven at jazz albums and spent six months on the charts. A year later, Albright issued his first holiday collection, Not So Silent Night, that refused to surrender the grooves for the season. Vocalists Selina Albright, Jonathan Butler, and Take 6 guested on various tracks. Unusually for a holiday album, it placed at both contemporary jazz (number four) and jazz albums (number 18). After a long break during which he toured the world exclusively, Albright returned to recording in May 2024 with the three-track G - Stream 3 - Full Throttle. The set's opening track was a hard jazz-funk instrumental with guest Trombone Shorty.
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