GERALD ALBRIGHT
For more than two decades, Gerald Albright has graced the landscape of instrumental Jazz music with his saxophone.
“I make music that makes people feel good,” said Albright who was born and raised in California but currently resides in Colorado. “We musicians are missionaries. We are here to help people feel good.”
Recently Albright returned to Pittsburgh to perform along with fellow horn players Dave Koz, Mindi Abair and Richard Elliot for Dave Koz’s “Summer Horns” tour.
“It’s been a real special adventure for us to do this tour,” Albright said. “We picked the cream of the crop songs to feature on the album (of the same name) and the tour.
“We take people back to good times through familiar songs. We’re just having a big party and Dave Koz is a class act who brings geniality to the music,” Albright continued.
The last time Albright performed in Pittsburgh was alongside Anita Baker as part of the singer’s “Rapture” tour in the mid 1980’s
“I haven’t worked with Anita for about a year and a half, but it was a unique tour because I toured with her as a bass guitarist and a lot of people didn’t know that I play bass guitar that puzzled people,” Albright said with a laugh. “We were out there for two years and we had to continue to return to cities due to popular demand.”
Albright became fascinated with the saxophone after his parents wanted him to play the piano but he wasn’t feeling the instrument.
“After about a year my piano teacher put me on an old saxophone he had. He said we’d try something new and I was puzzled but I took to it pretty fast. It was like a toy to me,” Albright recalled.”
From elementary school on, Albright performed in school and church concerts throughout California.
After college, Albright began working with some of the music industry’s top musicians including Patrice Rushen, Ray Parker Jr., The Winans and Olivia Newton-John.
He toured extensively for eight years before getting signed to Atlantic Records by Sylvia Rhone.
He released his debut album, “Just Between Friends” in 1987 and quickly solidified his place as one of the premier saxophone players of our time.
While on Atlantic, Albright released seven records and has sold more than 1 million records in the United States alone. His self-produced music allows him to not only showcase his talents on the saxophone but also on guitar, flute, drum programming and background vocals.
In 2012, Albright teamed up with fellow musician Norman Brown to record “24/7,on which he recorded the song “Champagne Life” from singer Ne-yo’s “Libra Scale” album.
“We thought it’d be great to do an album and a tour. We have respect for each other and it was a real natural thing for us to do a record,” Albright said. “Norman used his musicians and I used mine, but we had strong communication throughout the whole project. I loved working with him he’s one of the good people in this business.”
Once he completes the “Summer Horns” tour with Koz, Albright plans on returning to the studio and continue working on an album he hopes to release next year.
“When people see you and hear you on stage, they get to see your passion for the craft and they take that with them. I’ve always try to be honest with my music. I try to go with my gut feeling,” Albright said. “I’ve swayed from contemporary Jazz to traditional Jazz. It’s like waiting on the season finale of your favorite show, you never know what’s going to come next. That keeps me afloat.”
When Albright isn’t touring or recording, he enjoys spending time with his wife and two children, golfing with friends and giving back to the community. He has participated in various fundraisers for the American Cancer Society and the NAACP.
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