Smitty: Yes, and that certainly has been the case with you because not only did you tour with Chaka, man, you toured with Prince.
Najee: That’s true. We did.
Smitty: You gotta talk about that.
Najee: Oh yeah, oh yeah. But, you know, it’s interesting. Prince, for me, that happened…well, that was from 2000, I think, until 2002 I toured with him, and for me that wasn’t the most challenging gig to do, you know?
Smitty: Yeah.
Najee: As musically speaking. I mean, it was a great gig and he’s a great artist and I had a lot of fun with him, but I can’t say it was the most challenging or difficult musical situation I had been in. But it was a lot of fun, I have to say. It was definitely a lot of fun musically and I learned a lot, yeah.
Smitty: Yeah, absolutely. And then you’ve had some serious highlights in your career. I mean, you performed at Nelson Mandela’s birthday celebration in South Africa.
Najee: Yes.
Smitty: Just talk to me a little bit about how that was, going to South Africa and just seeing the beautiful people there and getting to play for Nelson Mandela.
Najee: Wow. Well, that was my very first time I had gone and I’ve been there at least five times since then. And that very first time it was amazing for me because when he was released from prison during the Clinton administration, he did a tour of the U.S. if you remember that, he and Winnie Mandela.
Smitty: Yes, I do.
Najee: And I had played at one of the functions in Boston, one of the concerts, but I didn’t get a chance to meet him or be close to him. It was very interesting to go over there and be invited as a guest along with Stevie Wonder and Chaka and a few other artists, and we actually had the opportunity to be in his home, have lunch with him and take pictures, and for me that was just an amazing moment. And the most amazing thing for me was the fact that this gentleman, despite all the struggles he had been through, you didn’t sense that he was too big of a person not to be as human as he was, you know? Just a lot of fun to be around and just a very loving man.
Smitty: Isn’t that incredible? Wow.
Najee: It was incredible for me, yeah.
Smitty: Yes, and did you get to meet Bill Clinton?
Najee: Oh yes, on several occasions. Actually, just a couple of months ago I ran into him again at an event in Atlanta, but I played at two of his inaugurations and I was invited by him and Hillary to perform at the White House, I believe it was in 1998, to perform when they hosted the Prime Minster of Ghana. Yeah, Jerry Rawlings. That was great and he’s always been a gracious man, very gracious man.
Smitty: It’s interesting that you say that because I’ve had this conversation with other musicians and I continue to give President Clinton his props because he had such a way of inviting great musicians and really just jazzing up the White House in such a classy way.
Najee: Oh yes. (Laughs.)
Smitty: I mean, he was just a very classy person about doing that.
Najee: Oh yeah, I agree. He’s one of the greatest Presidents I think we’ve had. Honestly, I really believe he’s one of them. I mean, you know, we know all the stories or the problems and all that.
Smitty: Yeah.
Najee: And I don’t believe any of the Presidents that have come through have been squeaky clean, you know? (Laughs.)
Smitty: Exactly.
Najee: It’s kind of a hard job to be that, you know?
Smitty: Yeah, exactly, but he’s always been such a friend of the arts, you might say.
Najee: That he is, yes. On a few occasions I was caught by the President and tried to give him my horn to play but he wouldn’t do it. (Both laugh.)
Smitty: However, you and I both know he can hold his own with a saxophone.
Najee: He can hold his own, yeah. You know, you play blues in C, he’ll be all right, you know? (Both laugh.) Just don’t move from that key, you know? Just stay right there, he’ll be all right.
Smitty: Oh man, that’s pretty cool. Well, let me ask you something. Every time I see you, you still look like you’re 18 years old.
Najee: Oh, you’re too kind, man, yeah. (Laughs.
Smitty: You don’t look old enough to go in the club and play. You don’t look old enough to park the cars at the club.
Najee: Oh, you’re funny. Oh man. I wish I honestly felt that way, but I take your kind words. I appreciate that, thank you.
Smitty: Well, break me off a piece, man. What’s your secret? (Laughs.)
Najee: Honestly, I don’t have one. I’m very fortunate. I ride bikes. When I’m home I ride a bike twice a week if I can and then I don’t really do anything. I don’t drink, I don’t smoke, you know? Pretty much all the things that make a person age quicker. I’ve been fortunate not to have an appetite for those things.
Smitty: I feel you, brotha. (Both laugh.)
Najee: You know
Smitty: That’s cool. That is so cool. I want to talk about this new record.
Najee: Sure.
Smitty: Wow, I mean, one of the things that I said after I listened to the entire project is that I love all the songs. I don’t get to say that…
Najee: Oh, well, thank you, thank you.
Smitty: Yeah, I don’t get to say that a lot, you know, but I love all the songs.
Najee: Oh, well, thank you.
Smitty: Yeah. Talk to me about Track 7, “Moody’s Mood for Love,” because, see, I am a huge James Moody fan.
Najee: Oh, that’s great, that’s good, yeah. Well, I’ve always loved that song. It’s always been one of my personal favorites that he’s done, and for jazz that’s probably a real pop song, if you will.
Smitty: Yeah.
Najee: As a youngster growing up in New York, there was a DJ named Frankie Crocker and every night he would end his show with that song when he went off the air, so it became somewhat of a New York anthem, if you will, and so young saxophone players would try to learn to play the song and I really wasn’t reminded about it until I was in a woodwind shop in New York City and I was just trying out some flutes and he walked in as I was playing, and this guy comes up to me and starts asking me questions and I’m like wait a minute, this is James Moody! He’s asking me questions about the flute? Come on, you gotta be kidding me here, you know? I was so honored. He was such a gracious man. I said you know what? Let me just do something as a tribute to him because we always mention all the greats, Trane and all those guys. He’s the other man who’s had a major influence in the industry that nobody seems to take the time to give the recognition to. And I was just praying that I did the song some justice.
