OVER AND OVER, WE KEEP READING ARTICLES AND HEARING MUSICIANS TALK ABOUT HOW “NOBODY IS LISTENING TO JAZZ ANYMORE.” LET’S BE HONEST: ONE OF THE BIGGEST REASONS IT HAS NOT REACHED THE MAINSTREAM IS THAT IT JUST DOESN’T MAKE YOU WANT TO GET UP AND DANCE. JAZZ WAS MOST POPULAR DURING THE ‘SWING ERA’ WHEN IT WAS THE SOUND TRACK FOR JITTERBUGGING, AND THEN IN THE LATE 50’S WHEN THE SOUL AND GOSPEL GROOVE PERMEATED ALBUMS FROM BLUE NOTE AND RIVERSIDE.
THESE DAYS, ONE OF THE ARTISTS ABLE TO ATTRACT AN AUDIENCE IS GERALD ALBRIGHT. HE STRADDLES THE LINE OF R&B, SOUL AND MAINSTREAM JAZZ LIKE A TIGHTROPE WALKER. HE’S GOT THE CHOPS TO PUT OUT ALBUMS THAT SOUND LIKE THE SECOND COMING OF CANNONBALL ADDERLEY, BUT HIS HEART IS IN THE FUNKIFIED GROOVES OF MACEO PARKER. STUFF WITH AN INFECTIOUS BACKBEAT.
ALBRIGHT HAS BUILT AN IMPRESSIVE CAREER WORKING IN THE STUDIOS AND IN CONCERT FOR ARTISTS RANGING FROM QUINCY JONES TO WHITNEY HOUSTON TO THE TEMPTATIONS TO PHIL COLLINS. HE’S BEEN HIRED NOT ONLY AS AN ALTO SAXIST, BUT HE’S ALSO ADEPT AT THE BASS AND WOODWINDS, USING HIS MULTIPLE TALENTS FOR HIS OWN CATALOGUE OF SOLO ALBUMS. HIS LATEST ALBUM, G, IS THE START OF A NEW PATH FOR HIM, AS HE’S CREATED HIS OWN LABEL.
WE RECENTLY HAD A CHAT WITH ALBRIGHT, WHO WAS ABLE TO SHARE ABOUT HIS CAREER FROM MORE ASPECTS THAN MOST OTHER JAZZ ARTISTS ARE ABLE TO DO,WHICH WILL BE ELABORATED FURTHER DOWN.
MOST GUYS I INTERVIEW FOCUS ON ONE INSTRUMENT, BUT YOU HAVE MASTERED TWO ENTIRELY DIFFERENT INSTRUMENTS, AND YOU ALSO PLAY VARIOUS STYLES
It’s a passion, and I’ve been doing it for a long time, but at times it feels like I’m just getting started.
YOU GREW UP IN SOUTH CENTRAL LA.
On 104th , near Will Rogers Park right in the heart of Watts. I spent all of my life through high school there. I then went off to college in the University of Redlands. I lived in different places after that.
THAT’S AROUND WHERE EV HILL HAD HIS CHURCH
I’ve been there a few times myself. My best friend was a member of that church at the time. He actually had his wedding there, and I was his best man.
WHAT DID YOUR PARENTS TRY TO INSTILL IN YOU WHILE GROWING UP?
The old Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you’d have them do unto you.” Do right by folks. For scholastics, it was about being the best you could be. Spread your wings in whatever you’re interested in.
Thank God, my parents were very supportive of everything I’ve decided to do. Looking back, you realize how it was a real blessing to see how they were always there to make sure I had my feet planted in order to survive.
DID YOU GO TO CHURCH A LOT THEN?
I went to church pretty much every Sunday; that was a mandate in our family. My dad was on the deacon board, my mother was the bookkeeper of the credit union at the church. Church was a big part of our lives.
DO YOU STILL GO?
Absolutely. I go to The Potter’s House in Denver when I’m in town. Of course, now I do a lot of touring, but when I am in town that’s where I go.
A LOT OF GREAT MUSICIANS SUCH AS PATRICE RUSHEN, NDUGU CHANCLER AND KAMASI WASHINGTON HAVE COME OUT OF LOCKE HIGH SCHOOL. WHAT WAS SO SPECIAL ABOUT IT?
I believe that it was initially the teachers. There were three: Donald Dustin, Reggie Andrews and Frank Harris went over and beyond just being teachers. They ensured that the students had what they needed from everything to jazz band to concert band to marching band to individual study. At Locke High School the Music Department was the pride of the school. We won city events, state events and national events as a marching band.
Even with the gang members at school, they knew that “if we’re going to fight, we’re not going to fight near the Music Department at school.” It had that kind of pride. (laughs)
That’s actually how we stayed out of a lot of fights during that time period. Just like today, back then there was this whole Gang Warrior thing going on.
DID YOU PLAY BASS OR ALTO SAX BACK THEN?
Alto. I didn’t play bass until I got to college in 1978. I was inspired by a concert I went to by The Brothers Johnson, with Louis Johnson who was my very first influence on the bass guitar. It excited me to find a friend who had a spare bass; I sat in my dorm room and was self-taught during my college years.
NOWADAYS YOU’RE MORE ON THE R&B SIDE OF THINGS. WERE YOU MORE OF A MAINSTREAMER BACK THEN?
I first started out being inspired by Maceo Parker. My brother had virtually every James Brown record ever recorded; this is what I would hear in the household. I’d hear this saxophonist just screaming out of James Brown’s funky music, so the R&B side really started at that point.
It wasn’t until late high school that I was introduced to Cannonball Adderley’s music, and that’s when I started going into the jazz improvisational side of the saxophone.
My sound is basically a combination of traditional jazz and R&B.
SOMEONE GAVE YOU GOOD ADVICE, BECAUSE YOU GOT A DEGREE IN BOTH MUSIC AND BUSINESS.
It was a move that evolved between myself and my parents. I wanted to just play horn and be fully committed to the music business. They were like, “Well, you can do that, but you’re going to get your degree first. Find something that you can do besides music, something that you can fall back on in case music doesn’t work out.”
I thought, “Well, business management seems to be a versatile degree; I can definitely get a job in a business.” I went to school in business management and minored in music performance.
I’m glad I did, because being a recording artist we have to read recording contracts, do negotiations and stuff, and that launching pad of experience in college helped me to build to what I’m doing now.
THERE ARE SCORES OF MUSICIANS THAT HAVE DIED WITH JUST THE MONEY IN THEIR POCKETS.
My hat is off to my parents who were really there for me. It was quite a blessing.
WHAT’S THE BEST ADVICE A MUSICIAN GAVE YOU?
Be true to the art. There’s really no shortcut in the music business. You really have to learn your instrument, and it’s not about everything being generated from a computer.
The essence of music is to really find your voice in a given instrument, and at the same time really learn the business aspect.
WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO GO THE STUDIO ROUTE FOR A CAREER?
Being around Patrice Rushen and Leon Ndugu Chancler, all of us went to high school together, although they were a year or two ahead of me. Even when I was in the 9th grade at Gompers I used to come over to the high school and play with the high school jazz band.
I saw these friends of mine graduating and getting right into the studio side of things, doing all of these recording sessions with all of these different musicians and recording artists. Doing movie soundtracks and things like that was really appealing to me at that time in my life.
Also, the teacher at Locke inspired us to double on various instruments, especially as a woodwind player. He said I need to flute and clarinet. That lead to a comfort zone as far as going towards those positions in studio work.
I love doing record dates with different musicians. There’s a wonderful comradery and fraternity, and I got a wonderful chance to play alongside some of my mentors like Buddy Collette and Bobby Bryant Sr.
HOW WAS IT HAVING QUINCY JONES AS A PRODUCER FOR AN ALBUM?
You’re talking about an Industry Father. It’s the greatest complement in the world to play alongside him, when he was doing his Back on the Block project, where I played on a couple of tunes.
He followed my career all those years, which I didn’t know he was doing. I went to the Universal Amphitheater one night and I was sitting right behind him with my wife. I nudged my wife and said, “That’s Quincy Jones.”
After the first act went off, the lights went up and everyone kind of stood up to stretch. Quincy turned around, and I got enough nerve to say “hello” to him. He goes, “Gerald Albright! Man, I love your stuff” and he starts singing the melodies to some of the songs I wrote!
Shortly thereafter, he called me for different things. Talk about the right place at the right time!
BUT LIKE THAT VERSE IN THE BIBLE SAYS, “DO YOU SEE A MAN WHO EXCELS IN HIS WORK? HE WILL PLAY BEFORE KINGS”
WHAT ABOUT YOUR STINT WITH THE TEMPTATIONS?
I did a lot of Motown stuff back in the day, through guys like Hal David and Berry Gordy. I remember one session I did with them, a song called “Standing on the Top” recorded by Rick James. I was part of the horn section that recorded it. Just to be in the room with all of these guys…you’re talking about history! But also just the nicest guys; they treated me like a friend.
But when they went on stage they took on a whole different element. It was nice to see that contrast.
YOU’VE RECORDED STRAIGHT-AHEAD JAZZ, SMOOTH AND R&B. HAS YOUR CAREER BEEN A CONSCIOUS DECISION TO PLAY THE SMOOTH/R&B SIDE OF THINGS OR DID THINGS JUST DRIFT THAT WAY?
Honestly, I wanted to be a chameleon. I wanted to be good at every genre of music, and that would allow me to move to whatever mood I was in. I never put a stronghold on any genre of music.
Sometimes I’d want to do an R&B record. I came along before “smooth jazz” was even a term. It was “contemporary jazz” or “quiet storm”. One of those kinds of formats, and I loved it all.
So what I was feeling at the time I could be able to put together a project and feel confident that I could do something that my fans would love.
BECAUSE YOU PLAY BASS, WHEN YOU ARE IN A BAND OR IN THE STUDIO, ARE YOU MORE CRITICAL OF THE BASSIST YOU’RE PLAYING WITH WHEN YOU’RE ON THE SAX?
Because I’m a bass player, I’m more selective about the bass players that I choose. The guys that I choose I know that I enjoy their sound and that they are going to add something positive to what I’m trying to envision.
I really don’t give them any direct instructions, except the road map of the song so that we can all be together from part to part. But in terms of style, I just let them spread their wings, and usually when you allow musicians to do what they do, the best stuff comes out of them as opposed to “blue printing it” and saying “keyboard player, you do this; bass player you do this; drummer you do this.”
You have to let them go free to put their own element into it.
ONE THING THAT ALWAYS SURPRISES ME ABOUT “SMOOTH JAZZ” ARTISTS IS THAT WHILE THEIR ALBUMS ARE USUALLY TAME AND “EASY” THEIR CONCERTS CAN BE REAL SWINGING AFFAIRS.
I can answer that. It’s no discounting record companies, but when you put too many chiefs and not enough Indians in the equation, it tends to dilute the music.
So, when smooth jazz came out, according to the programmers or record company execs it couldn’t be too funky. It couldn’t be too edgy; you had to put a governor or harness on it. That’s why a lot of artists had these subdued productions on their albums.
But when they’d play live in concert they have a chance to spread their wings and do what they really want to do. I’ve heard this time and time again.
I was one of those artists that wouldn’t succumb to that. I was pretty firm in saying, “Let’s approach this in terms of the studio project like how we play on stage.” That’s why my albums are more energetic.
I want to bring out that James Brown element, and the Philly element and the Motown element. On those records they didn’t hold back. When James Brown sang on a record, it’s like how he sounded live on stage.
WHY IS MOST JAZZ THAT THE CRITICS LOVE NOT AS POPULAR AS THE MORE R&B OR SOUL JAZZ? WHAT’S MISSING IN TODAY’S SCENE?
I think a lot of artists are trying to chase a certain “hit.” Whatever they think is popular, they are trying to emulate that sound, that song form or the elements in that tune. My approach has been to just be Genuine Gerald. Whatever you’re feeling at the time, just give it 100%, knowing that some of what you play will be popular, but at least your fans know you’re getting Gerald, and not just today’s current sound.
WHAT WAS THE IMPETUS FOR YOUR LATEST ALBUM, G?
I wanted it to be a sequel to my previous album Slam Dunk which was edgy and funky, but I think we took it another level with this new one.
The other thing that is really special about this project, which is number 18 for me, is that it’s done with my own record company.
I went into the direction of being an independent artist. I’m really excited about that; I felt that in these days and times the Old School business model of the record business doesn’t fit where we are now.
Everything has changed. There aren’t as many outlets to sell our product; we don’t have as many radio stations to let our fans hear the music.
It’s really time for artists to take hold of their careers and be more grassroots about the approach. For this music for this day and time, I would say that the apex of the big business is in a live concert setting, where the people in the audience can see the performer get inspired by their presence, and then I can sell my cds right there. Then they can get the signature, picture and the whole thing.
I did some soul searching, and decided to do my own record the way I wanted. The energy of that, and the determination of that came out in my project G.
I’m very excited about it; ten very strong tunes, co-produced by my very good friend and keyboardist Chris Davis. We have Michael McDonald and Doug E. Fresh on the project. It’s ten steps up from the Slam Dunk project, but still very musical and very energetic. My fans will love it.
IT SEEMS LIKE MOST MUSICIANS DON’T COUNT ON ANY INCOME COMING FROM THEIR ALBUMS ANYMORE.
Coupled with the pirating and illegally duplicating cds, and the record companies aren’t giving us the budgets that we used to have. Back in the day we used to get really nice budgets, and you could live on it for awhile until the album paid off. That’s what the budgets were designed for. It was to create a great album and pay for some living expenses.
Nowadays, record companies aren’t giving a fraction of the money for the music that we do, and at the same time they’re taking all of your licensing. All you really get is your performance royalties; they own all of the masters. The equation is lopsided.
I decided not to go down that road anymore.
AND AS MY DAD USED TO SAY, “YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT PRAYER IS LIKE UNTIL YOU RUN YOUR OWN BUSINESS”
Exactly
WHAT MOTIVATES YOU TO KEEP GOING?
The music itself. The fans, my immediate family who are my biggest fans. They push me.
I just love what I do. When you love what you do it doesn’t feel like work. I look around at where I am and consider myself blessed to still be in the game after 43 years of playing this instrument.
I feel that right now I’m more at the top of my game than ever, and I just love the evolution of what has happened in my career. I never get tired of it.
AS WITH MOST SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE, GERALD ALBRIGHT HAS BEEN BLESSED WITH A STRONG SUPPORT SYSTEM WITH HIS FAMILY, HIS SCHOOLING AND HIS GOD. ARMED WITH THIS ARSENAL, HE’S FORGING AHEAD TO CREATE A SOUND AND STYLE THAT STAYS TRUE TO THE JAZZ FORM, BUT ALWAYS MAKES SURE THE MUSIC KEEPS A SMILE ON THE FACE. WASN’T THAT ONE OF THE REASONS YOU FELL IN LOVE WITH JAZZ IN THE FIRST PLACE?