Jazz Monthly.com Interview with Gerald Albright

“Jazz Monthly Feature Interview” Gerald Albright

Smitty: You know I’m excited when I get one of the most flamboyant sax sounds in the world here as a guest at Jazz Monthly, and I must say his great new project speaks for itself, a very appropriate title, it’s called New Beginnings, please welcome Peak recording artist Mr. Gerald Albright. Gerald, how ya doin’, man?

Gerald Albright (GA): Fine. How you doin’, Smitty?

Smitty: All right, my friend. Well, wow, I must say when I got this new record, man, I said “Whoa, he has stepped it up another notch!” This is great stuff, man! Wow!

GA: Thank you so much. I’m really excited about this project, man. It’s feeling real good doing it.

Smitty: Yes. And, you know, this title is very appropriate. I mean, this is a follow-up from Kickin’ It Up, which was just busting at the seams with vibes.

GA: [Laughs.] Yeah, well, you know, New Beginnings is definitely reflective of a lot of events that have occurred in the past year. A little over a year ago I moved to Denver, Colorado, and this is after being on the West Coast in Los Angeles all of my life, and so the family moved last February and we’re so happy here. The pace is a little slower, the air’s a little cleaner, it’s just a win-win for us and everybody’s happy to be here. And the other side of the “New Beginnings” concept is the fact that I just signed with Peak Records in May of last year and the project New Beginnings is the first CD reflective of that relationship and I’m real happy to be at Peak Records and they’ve been very supportive, so a lot of great things going on and I’m just a happy man right along here.

Smitty: Yes, you are and rightly so. Man, and talk to me about this Cannonball Musical Instruments deal.

GA: Yes, they helped me design a horn, both an alto and tenor saxophone for Cannonball. The company is out of Salt Lake City, Utah, and the Laukat family [Tevis and Sheryl], who own the company, have been so supportive and just been right there for me, and I just got word that my signature horns are back ordered til July, so we’ve gotten a lot of orders in and we’re just trying to keep up with the pace, you know? You know, that’s been a very successful venture as well.

Smitty: Yes, it is. And speaking of successful, you just come off the road with Groovin’ for Grover, Phil Collins, man, talk about some of the wonderful things that were associated with these great tours you’re doing.

GA: Well, with Phil Collins, who I’ve been working with since 1998, it’s always….I call it the cream of the crop tour. I mean, that’s one of the tours that you wanna be on because Phil is very, very into selecting the right people for, you know, the tour in terms of not only their musical proficiency but their personality, so it’s one big happy family on the road and we did two months, all of which was international. We went to the Middle East, we went to Europe, and went to places like Beirut and Tele Aviv and Romania, Croatia, you know, places that are not necessarily vacation spots at this time, but the people wanna hear the music, and we went down to give them some fun shows and to just give them a two-hour release from all the, you know, the burden of the political scene down there and wartime and things like that, so, you know, as well as it being fun, it was also an honor to be a part of the tour because you got a chance to be, you know, one-on-one with all these different people who were reflective of all these different cultures and, you know, walking where Jesus walked in Jerusalem…I mean, it was just….it was a crash course in other cultures and it really, enlightened me in so many ways and let me know that I should take nothing for granted, you know, with all the blessings that have been bestowed upon me and the family here.

Smitty: Yes for sure.

GA: And the Groovin’ for Grover thing is an ongoing thing which happened three years ago. It’s been from a performance that we did in Cleveland, Ohio at the Palace Theater, and initially it was just kind of a one-show idea that we wanted to, do in terms of honoring Grover Washington [Jr.] and his music and the man that he was away from the music and, you know, after that one gig the promoters were like “Well, we need to put this on the road and other people need to see this show,” and it’s been a wonderful annuity for the past three years and we’re still doing it, and right now the current lineup is myself and Jeff Lorber on keyboards and Kirk Whalum on sax. So it’s just been wonderful, man. It’s been a well-rounded experience of travel over the past several months.

Smitty: Yeah, it’s great. That tour, to me, just….it seems like a….such a great celebration-type tour. Everybody’s having a great time, we’re remembering Grover and all the great things he did, and you guys really kick it with the music.

GA: Well, thank you. Thank you very much. We’re enjoying it and it’s an honor to be chosen to help to keep his legacy alive and, you know, it’s common knowledge that there’s millions of Grover fans out there and when they come and hear the hits that he has, you know, left behind, man, you know, everybody really reacts in a positive way, and I’m still in touch with Grover’s family, Christine and the kids, and they’re doing fine. And the real cool thing about the Groovin’ for Grover tour is not only do we get a chance to play Grover’s music, but part of the proceeds of the tour go to Grover’s foundation, which is called the Protect the Dream Foundation….

Smitty: Yes.

GA: ….which is geared toward implementing education on the musical side of things in schools on the East Coast, so it’s a win-win for everybody, really.

Smitty: Yes, man, and what a fitting picture of Grover because he did those kinds of things when he was here, you know?

GA: Absolutely. He was a guy that everybody knows as the musician, but over and above that, he was a great family man, very, very helpful, if somebody stopped him on the street and wanted to ask him anything, he would take the time and do it, you know, if, you know, if they asked him to sit in with a band or something, he’d take his horn out and he’d play all night if he had to. I mean, he was just….he was one of those guys that just opened his whole self and being up to somebody in an effort to help them.

Smitty: Yeah was very rare and loved.

GA: It was a great friendship for me. I totally miss him, man. I mean, I think about him all the time, but the time that I did get a chance to spend with him has enlightened me in so many different ways.

Smitty: Yes, very cool. Well, you’re just a blessed dude, man, you know that? [Laughs.]

GA: Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

Smitty: Just going back a little to your tour with Phil Collins, you described for me a while back a concert in Brussels.

GA: Okay.

Smitty: And I’ve never forgotten that. In fact, I’ve related it a few times to friends in small circles. But I remember you saying something about playing before 70,000 people or a large number of people and they all had their lighters swaying to one of the Phil Collins ballads [“Take Me Home”] and that must have been quite an experience, you know, because in some circles you’re playing to maybe three, four thousand people, maybe a little more, but then to go to that scene, that must have been something.

GA: It was something in a lot of senses. I mean, basically, Phil Collins obviously headlined the gig and Alicia Keys was on it and a few other groups, but to walk out on stage and to see 70,000 people in one accord and the crowd is so huge you can’t see the end of the crowd, it’s just a sea of people standing together waiting to hear all of these Phil Collins hits, and you stand there on stage with Phil and you go “Wow, there’s 70,000 people out here that come to see this one guy.”

Smitty: [Laughing.]

GA: You know, and it’s just amazing how music can touch people to that magnitude, ….where they will congregate in those kinds of numbers to hear such a historical icon jump on the microphone and just roll off all of these hits and to be associated with that entourage was just the greatest compliment for me because, you know, you think about the magnitude of what you’ve done and then you sit down at the dinner table and just have dinner with him and talk to him, and he’s just a regular guy, man. He’s just a guy that made it big, is very humble about what he does, he’s a family man, and it’s just great to see that after all the years of, you know, being in the music industry and, you know, obviously everyone knows the music industry is a volatile industry anyway….to come out to be so content and so humble, it’s just great to see that, it’s very encouraging.

Smitty: Yeah, exactly, and he features you quite well in that tour. I remember attending one of the shows in Houston and, man, I’ll tell you he’s amazing….it’s such a great production. I mean, it’s just unbelievable. I was a Phil Collins fan when I left. [Both laughing.]

GA: Yeah, he spares no expense, man. I mean, he has a million dollar stage out there that literally takes a whole day to construct and from that to all the technology that helps to drive the whole tour, the production, and then, he has maybe 70 or 80 people out there working on his behalf doing various functions. It’s a big organization, but it’s a fine-tuned organization.

Smitty: Indeed it is.

GA: He’s done it for so many years, so it’s like clockwork for Phil.

Smitty: [Laughing.] Yeah, it’s a great show, man. Well, let’s get into this new record, man. Wow! New Beginnings. I could tell you now, I love the title track and the first track, “We Got the Groove.” Man, what a track. Now, this is your regular band, right?

GA: On “New Beginnings,” yes. “New Beginnings” and then “Georgia On My Mind,” those are the two songs that I brought my touring band in the studio on.

Smitty: Wow. So talk about the synergy of working with these cats, opposed to hiring different cats to play on your project.

GA: Well, in most cases, I mean, with my discography I’ve normally hired studio musicians, but in this case, especially in talking about “Georgia On My Mind,” my touring band played this tune all the time. I mean, this has kind of been an anthem for me for several years. “Georgia” was also recorded on my 1991 live traditional jazz CD. And per the request of Mark Wexler at Peak Records, he said, “Man, you gotta do a studio version of it for me.” And I said “You got it.” And so in doing that, I said who better to do “Georgia On My Mind” than the musicians who have been playing it for years?

Smitty: Absolutely!

GA: And so we actually went in the studio and I was able to get the spontaneity that we normally get on stage and we recorded that in the studio, man, and it just made for a wonderful arrangement of “Georgia.” In fact, we couldn’t just do the actual tune at the end of the CD, as the last tune on the CD is a “Georgia” reprise where we go from the actual body of the tune and then we segue into this funk medley….

Smitty: That’s what I’m talking about!

GA: ….which we do in a live setting as well, so I’m so proud of my touring band being involved in this project because they really raised the bar and they took those two tunes to another level, man, and I’m so happy that they’re a part of it.

Smitty: Yeah, introduce these cats, man. Let’s let the world know who they are.

GA: Well, my musical director is Tracy Carter….he plays the keys….my bassist is Melvin Davis, and my drummer is Tony Moore. And on those particular tracks we used a guitar player who I’m a big fan of, he works with Frankie Beverly and Maze, and I just wanted his element on this tune….actually, these two tunes….because he just has such a soulful approach on the guitar, his name is John “Jubu” Smith. We call him “Jubu” for short. So that was the rhythm section and then, of course, some guy named Gerald Albright came and played a few notes on top if, you know? [Both laughing.]

Smitty: I heard that. Did he ever. You also have another friend in the in mix, Miss Patrice Rushen, on a track and that was cool.

GA: Yeah, Patrice and I go back to high school. We went to Locke High School in South Central L.A. together and we’ve had this long friendship and we’ve been able to work together in different scenes through the years and I just wanted her to be a part of this project because not only is she one of the finer pianists out there, but she has been a total support to me for so many years and I owe so much to her in regards to the start of my career and she’s always been there, she’s always been the same person, and so we wanted her to be a part of this and she really came strong with it on the title track, “New Beginnings.”

Smitty: Yes she did, she has such a vibe. And “Take Your Time” is a nice track I kept hitting the repeat button on that one.

GA: Well, “Take Your Time” is a….thank you for saying that. “Take Your Time” is a special tune to me. It’s one of four productions that Jeff Lorber and I co-produced and co-wrote, and it kinda reminds you of that Philly international sound and we coupled that with the contemporary jazz side of things, and it really came out to be a nice mid-tempo ballad, man, and like you, that’s one of the tunes on the CD that I put on repeat too.

Smitty: [Laughs.]

GA: I gotta hear it more than once. You know, it’s like a Lay’s Potato Chip, you know?

Smitty: Yeah.

GA: You can’t have just one experience at it, you know?

Smitty: [Laughs.]

GA: So Jeff did a fine job in terms of production and performance and songwriting on this project, and he’s also been a part of my last two or three projects as well. Two of the singles that we both were involved in went No. 1 and we have a nice little roll going here and we hope that the single that we have out now, “We Got the Groove,” does very, very well. We want it to go to No. 1 as well.

Smitty: Yes indeed. I kinda think it will, man, I tell ya. Jeff’s a bad boy, yeah, he’s totally cool. I love Jeff’s work as well.

GA: Yeah, he’s phenomenal.

Smitty: Yeah. And I must tell ya, I love the artwork of this CD, man. Wow!

GA: [Laughs.]

Smitty: Who came up with that ‘cause that’s….I’ve never seen anything like that before.

GA: The artwork on the CD?

Smitty: Yeah.

GA: Yeah, well, actually, it’s directly reflective of where I’m living now. We went up to the mountains of Denver and the photographer, who is Carl Studna , who is a Denver resident, really got the essence of Denver and I thought he took some fine photos both in and out of the photo studio, and we just wanted to capture, you know, that God’s Country type of thing here in Colorado, and I think we captured it very well, and Peak did a great job in terms of, you know, taking the pictures and placing them correctly on the booklet within the CD, and all the artwork and everything surrounding the pictures. I’m really, really happy with it, so everybody came to the table with something positive and it was ultimate teamwork for us.

Smitty: Yeah, and it’s cool. So this is just a celebration for you right now, isn’t it?

GA: It really is, Smitty. It’s a good time of life for us I’m happy, the family’s happy, we found a nice place to live out here and, you know, it’s just, you know, closer to nature, it’s just a wonderful thing, and I know Colorado to be one of your favorite places to hang out too.

Smitty: Yes, it is. Yes, it is, man, I must say. You’re right. I love it out there. Get out there every opportunity I can. And you’re right. You’re in a….you’re probably in one of the most wonderful laid back picturesque parts of the country there is, I tell ya. You’ve gotta love it.

GA: Yeah, you never get tired of the scenery here. You wake up in the morning and you look out the window and you go “Wow, man. God really knows how to put it together.”

Smitty: Yes, sir! [Both laughing.] I like that, man. That’s definitely cool. [Both laughing.] Wow. So now let’s talk about the release, my friend. When’s this record hitting the street?

GA: The release date for the record is March 28^th.

Smitty: All right.

GA: And we’re right around the corner. I’m real excited about it. And we’re going to be doing some extensive touring to help promote the project and a lot of….hopefully a lot of TV and radio and print interviews and whatever else we need to do to get the music to the people.

Smitty: Yes indeed.

GA: And we hope that they love it and embrace it.

Smitty: Yeah, I think the public’s going love it, I think radio’s going love it as well. You’ve got some great tracks on here, some fantastic musicians of support, and this is just a record waiting to bust out.

GA: Well, thank you. I appreciate you saying that.

Smitty: Yes, my friend, this is really cool and I can really see some great live performances as a result of this new record as well, yeah. [He’s also doing the Guitars & Saxes tour this season with Richard Elliot, Peter White, and Jeff Golub.]

GA: Well, thank you. As we speak, I’m trying to figure out which tunes off the CD we wanna do live and obviously we’ll do the very first single, “We Got the Groove,” and the title track, “New Beginnings.”

Smitty: Yeah.

GA: But, you know, we also have the cover tune “And the Beat Goes On” by the Whispers, which we have to do live, man, because that’s just one of those anthems from the Whispers that, you know, it can turn out to be a 25, 30-minute tune if we’re on stage. [Both laughing.]

Smitty: Yes indeed.

GA: So I’m eager to do that song and, you know, I’m real close to all of these songs. I wish I had enough time on stage to do every single tune.

Smitty: I know.

GA: But with 12 CD’s under my belt, man, you gotta pick and choose from each CD all the favorites that the people wanna hear, so we hope to balance that out strategically.

Smitty: Yeah. Well, you know, you’ve got a great opportunity the entire summer to mix it up and really have a great time with it, man. It’s great.

GA: Yeah, thank you, man. We’re looking forward to a lot of fun with this one and, Smitty, we appreciate all your support throughout the years, man, and you’ve always been right there for us writing those great articles and doing the great interviews. I mean, we thank you for that, you know?

Smitty: Hey, it’s my pleasure. Thank you very much. You’re very welcome. And I understand you’re gonna be on the All Star Smooth Jazz Cruise in early 2007, January 2007.

GA: Yeah, the Brian Culbertson tour [cruise]. We’re very excited about that. I haven’t done a cruise in a while. I think the last cruise that I did was the very first Tom Joyner cruise….which was several years ago, and so it’ll be nice as a change of pace and to get to be a little closer with the fans, we’ll be on the same boat together, and playing some music in January of next year, and Brian and I will be sharing the stage along with an array of wonderful guests, and I’m looking forward to that.

Smitty: Yeah, that’s gonna be cool, I tell ya. That’s a great environment for music and fan-musician interaction. I think it’s a wonderful environment. You’ll love that.

GA: Definitely.

Smitty: All right. Gerald, my friend, thank you so much for visiting with me and talking about this great new record and all the fantastic things you have going on right now in your career. This is just wonderful, I tell ya, wow.

GA: I’m a happy guy, Smitty.

Smitty: Yes, you are, my friend, and rightly so. You deserve it.

GA: Everything is wonderful and we’re just pushing the music, man. We’re keeping it coming and, you know, I just wanna thank my fans for all of their support over the years, man. They’ve been right there with me and it’s the greatest compliment for people to take the time to go buy the CD’s and dress up and come to my concerts and things like that, so, you know, I don’t take that with….I’m very humble to that and I don’t take it lightly, you know….

Smitty: Yes.

GA: ….it’s a great compliment.

Smitty: Yes indeed, my friend. Well, Gerald, listen, man, I look forward to seeing you out on the road and thanks for this great new CD and for all the wonderful things that’s happening in your life because I think it’s a wonderful vibe that carries over, not just for you and your family, but everybody’s happy for ya and it’s just one of those transcending kind of things.

GA: Well, thank you, man, thank you, and always a pleasure to talk to you and hope to see you soon.

Smitty: Yes indeed.

GA: Maybe here in Colorado.

Smitty: Yes, I must do that, must get up there. [Laughs.]

GA: Okay, you got it.

Smitty: All right. We’ve been talking with the fantastic and wonderful Peak recording artist Gerald Albright. He is about to release his great new CD, it’s called New Beginnings and, trust me, you must have this one in your CD changer. Gerald, thanks again, my friend, and let’s talk very soon.

GA: You got it, Smitty. All the best to you.

Baldwin “Smitty” Smith

For More Information Visit www.geraldalbright.com or www.peakrecords.com