Gerald Albright 'New Beginnings' album

It’s New Beginnings for saxophonist Gerald Albright – the title of his new CD being released March 28th, his label debut for Peak Records. Inspired by the new association, his recent move to Colorado and the development of an alto and tenor sax line with Cannonbal Musical Instruments, there was only one choice for the title of his tenth solo CD – the autobiographical New Beginnings. “New Beginnings was not only inspired by my family’s relocation after living in Southern California all our lives, but it’s also about the creative freedom I have with Peak that allowed me to write and produce music that is genuine Gerald,” says Albright, Consistent with the theme of fresh starts, Albright also decided to make New Beginnings his first recording ever to feature his incredible regular touring band; namely—bassist Melvin Davis, drummer Tony Moore, and the band’s newest member, keyboardist (and Musical Director) Tracy Carter.

The saxman complements his core group with all-star appearances by trumpeter Chris Botti, his old Locke High School classmate (and famed jazz/R&B keyboardist) Patrice Rushen, and Walter and Scotty Scott from of the legendary R&B vocal group The Whispers, who help Albright recall the days of disco with a lively reworking of their trademark hit “And The Beat Goes On.” Albright also co-writes and produces tracks with his Groovin’ For Grover touring mate Jeff Lorber and singer and multi-instrumentalist and former labelmate on Atlantic Records Chuckii Booker. Albright taps R&B/smooth jazz megaproducer Rex Rideout to helm “And The Beat Goes On,” and well-known gospel producer Luther Hanes to add his soul ballad sensibilities to “You Are My Love.” Albright self-produced the title track and the ever-popular “Georgia On My Mind,” a trademark encore of his live shows since the early 90s which he first recorded on Live At Birdland West (1991).

After graduating from Locke High School and later the University of Redlands, Albright hit the road with keyboardist Patrice Rushen’s band and quickly established himself as a first-call fixture on the studio and touring scenes. He has appeared on recordings by such legends as Nina Simone, Barry White, Nancy Wilson, The Temptations, Stanley Clarke, Lamont Dozier, Randy Newman and Teena Marie. Among his personal bests was playing seductive alto sax on Quincy Jones’ “Septembro” (featuring Take 6 from Q’s 12-weeks-at-#1classic, Back On The Block).

While backing Anita Baker in the mid-80s, he was personally signed by Atlantic Records chief Sylvia Rhone just as the smooth jazz format was exploding. Launching his decade of Atlantic recordings with Just Between Us (1987) and Bermuda Nights (1988), he quickly became a staple of the R&B influenced genre. He signed with Verve Forecast in 1998 for the collaborative album Pleasures of the Night with singer Will Downing that struck chords across Urban AC and Smooth Jazz radio lines. Staying with the same parent company, he recorded Groovology and Kickin’ It Up, two monster albums for GRP that have defined the soul of smooth jazz in the current decade. Since the mid-`90s, Albright’s sax has also been an integral part of superstar Phil Collins’ albums and concerts, and in late 2005, he went on Collins’ 27 date worldwide Farewell Tour. He’s also been a part of Groovin’ For Grover tour since 2003 with Lorber and a rotating roster of saxmen including Paul Taylor, Richard Elliot and Kirk Whalum;

“With things going so well in my personal life and career, it’s really hard for me to pinpoint the things I find most rewarding,” says Albright. “But I find the most gratification in the simple but powerful reactions of people in the audience when I play. With every note I play, I really want to move people.” And, that is completely in the spirit of New Beginnings!”

Biography

It’s always been easy for saxophonist Gerald Albright to find titles for his wildly popular CDs over the years—traditionally, they’ve all been about the vibe he was going for musically, from Smooth (1994) and Groovology (2002) to his most recent smash Kickin’ It Up (2004). Based on the powerful changes taking shape in his whirlwind life circa 2005, there was only one choice for his highly-anticipated debut on Peak Records: the autobiographical New Beginnings.

The fresh energy he brings to the 12 track collection reflects his excitement and optimism over two key promising relationships—the one he has with his new label and a new development deal with Cannonball Musical Instruments, for whom he’s developed a popular alto and tenor sax line. He’s also boasting a whole new outlook on life driven by his move early last year from chaotic Los Angeles to the more peaceful environs of Castle Rock, Colorado. Albright fell in love with the Denver area while performing at a benefit there in 2004 for Elijah’s Rainbow Foundation (an organization that raises money for children’s medical bills), and knew almost from the get-go that it was time to shift gears.

“New Beginnings was not only inspired by my family’s relocation after living in Southern California all our lives, but it’s also about the creative freedom I have with Peak that allowed me to write and produce music that is genuine Gerald,” says Albright, who retreated to his new home front after some fun but seriously hectic road time with Groovin’ For Grover and Phil Collins. “It’s incredible being in a place where I can breathe clear air and look outside and see deer grazing on my property, along with snowcapped mountains. I found myself in a relaxed state that led my creative juices to be at their optimum even after getting off the road. When I felt a song coming on, I had the time and a much better spiritual mindset to start developing it. Plus, my family’s together, we’re all doing great here and even after 18 years as a solo artist, the future couldn’t be brighter.”

Consistent with the theme of fresh starts, Albright decided to make New Beginnings his first recording ever to feature his incredible regular touring band, rather than hired gun studio musicians, throughout the whole collection; namely-- bassist Melvin Davis, drummer Tony Moore, and the band’s newest member, keyboardist (and Musical Director) Tracy Carter. “They’re all well known studio musicians as well, and they know instinctively what I’m after,” says Albright.

The saxman complements his core group with all-star appearances by Chris Botti, who wraps his soulful and distinctive muted trumpet harmony around the, Fender Rhodes and horn-drenched blues of “Big Shoes”; Albright’s old Locke High School classmate (and famed jazz/R&B keyboardist) Patrice Rushen, who adds a bold acoustic piano solo to the simmering soul vibe of the title track; and Walter and Scotty Scott from the legendary R&B vocal group The Whispers, who help Albright recall the days of disco with a lively reworking of their trademark hit “And The Beat Goes On.”

Albright also co-writes and produces tracks with his Groovin’ For Grover touring mate Jeff Lorber and his longtime friend, singer and multi-instrumentalist and former labelmate on Atlantic Records, Chuckii Booker. The Albright-Lorber connection goes back to the early 80s, when the young saxman replaced the soon to be famous Kenny G in The Jeff Lorber Fusion band; years later, Lorber helped Albright score three #1 radio singles, including “Ain’t No Stoppin’” (from Groovology) and “To The Max” (from Just Kickin’ It). On New Beginnings, the two vibe together on four tracks that define the saxman’s cool balance between the ultra-funky and the silky smooth romance: “We Got The Groove,” the punchy jam that kick starts the disc; the soaring, passionate ballad “Deep Into My Soul”; “Big Shoes”; and the trip-hoppy, “Take Your Time.” “Jeff creates a wonderful comfort zone for me,” says Albright. “He has a keen ear for knowing what everyone’s going to like but that will also keep me challenged. He’s all about making music with substance.”

Booker, longtime musical director for Lionel Richie, and Albright collaborate on two emotional tunes—the hypnotic hip-hop meets rock-soul driven “I Want Somebody” and the cool, swaying vocal ballad “I Need You.” Albright taps R&B/smooth jazz megaproducer Rex Rideout (Boney James, Mary J Blige) to helm “And The Beat Goes On,” and well-known gospel producer Luther Hanes to add his soul ballad sensibilities to “You Are My Love.” Albright self-produced the title track and the ever-popular “Georgia On My Mind,” a trademark encore of his live shows since the early 90s which he first recorded on Live At Birdland West (1991). New Beginnings also includes a “Reprise” of the song, which finds the tempo exploding after Albright goes as far as he can with the original, slow simmering flow.

The oft-told story of Gerald Albright’s earliest musical awakenings find the Hollywood, California native bored with the piano lessons his parents gave him at age seven—but charged for life by the old alto sax his teacher George Turpeau dug out of his garage. While people have always asked the saxman about his love for Cannonball Adderley, John Coltrane and Eddie Harris, he says there’d be “no Gerald Albright without Maceo Parker.” Albright’s older brother William owned all the James Brown records, and the minute the young saxophonist heard Parker and those classic JB Horns, he was hooked. “I always gravitated to his sound because of its clarity and percussive nature,” he says. “Every time I see Maceo in person, I tell him I’m in the presence of royalty!”

After graduating from Locke High School (an inner city magnet for exceptional musical talents) and later the University of Redlands, he hit the road with Locke alumnus/keyboardist Patrice Rushen’s band. Recording a now signature tenor solo on her Top 5 R&B smash “Forget Me Nots,” Gerald quickly established himself as a first-call fixture on the studio and touring scenes. His saxophone and electric bass work have graced hundreds of recordings by legends such as Nina Simone, Barry White, Nancy Wilson, The Temptations, Stanley Clarke, Lamont Dozier, Randy Newman and Teena Marie. Among his personal bests was playing seductive alto sax on Quincy Jones’ “Septembro” (featuring Take 6 from Q’s 12-weeks-at-#1classic, Back On The Block).

While backing Anita Baker during the diva’s mid-80s heyday, Albright’s powerful soloing style caught the head of Atlantic Records, Sylvia Rhone, who personally signed him to the label just as the smooth jazz format was exploding. Launching his decade of Atlantic recordings with Just Between Us (1987) and Bermuda Nights (1988), Albright, became a staple of the R&B influenced genre and one of its most popular and exciting touring artists. He signed with Verve Forecast in 1998 for the collaborative album Pleasures of the Night with singer Will Downing that struck chords across Urban AC and Smooth Jazz radio lines. Staying with the same parent company, he recorded Groovology and Just Kickin’ It, two monster albums for GRP that have defined the soul of smooth jazz in the current decade.

Since the mid-`90s, Albright’s sax has also been an integral part of superstar Phil Collins’ albums and concerts, and he contributed the song “Chips and Salsa” to The Phil Collins Big Band CD, A Hot Night in Paris. In late 2005, Albright went on Collins’ 27 date worldwide Farewell Tour, which took him to exotic locales throughout Europe and the Middle East, including stops in Beirut, Tel Aviv, Romania and Croatia. He’s also been wowing thousands of smooth jazz fans across the country since 2003 as a part of the Groovin’ For Grover tour with Lorber and a rotating roster of saxmen including Paul Taylor, Richard Elliot and Kirk Whalum; Albright is the only one to play tenor, alto and soprano during the shows.

“With things going so well in my personal life and career, it’s really hard for me to pinpoint the things I find most rewarding,” says Albright. “But I find the most gratification in the simple but powerful reactions of people in the audience when I play. I’m doing a lot more than just blowing heavy on my horn, because it’s really a way of life for me. It’s like through The Creator, I’m a messenger, and my job is to touch someone new every day with the music I play. If people come to one of my shows with the weight of the world on their shoulders, my goal for those few hours is to give them a nice release from their troubles and take them to a fresh, exciting place. That’s completely in the spirit of New Beginnings as well. With every note I play, I really want to move people.”

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Gerald Albright - New Beginnings