Photography credit: Brandon Albright of Snow Desert Productions.
Born in Los Angeles, he began piano lessons at an early age. Albright’s love of music picked up considerably when he was given a saxophone that had belonged to his piano teacher. By the time he enrolled at the University of Redlands, he was already a polished saxophonist. Albright decided to switch to bass guitar after he saw Louis Johnson in concert. A few months after graduating from college, he joined jazz pianist/R&B singer Patrice Rushen, who was in the process of forming her own band. Later, when the bass player left in the middle of a tour, Albright replaced him and finished the tour on bass guitar. During the ’80s, Albright became a highly requested session musician, playing on albums by a wide variety of artists – including Anita Baker, Ray Parker, Lola Folana, Atlantic Starr, Olivia Newton-John, the Temptations and Maurice White. He also toured extensively with Les McCann, Jeff Lorber, Teena Marie, the Winans, Marlena Shaw, Quincy Jones, and Whitney Houston, among many others. Albright also went on to record numerous successful solo albums for Atlantic Records. Two albums hit the number one slot on Billboard’s Top Contemporary Jazz Chart and were nominated for GRAMMY® Awards in 1989 and 1990. Phil Collins asked him to front a Big Band in 1998, and they toured together. The two of them also recorded one of Albright’s tunes, “Chips N’ Salsa” on Collins’ Big Band Project, entitled A Hot Night In Paris. Later that year, Albright released Pleasures of the Night with Will Downing on Verve Forecast, which hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart as well. Albright moved to GRP in 2002 for the Groovology album and continued to maintain his busy schedule as a session man. His second GRP album, Kickin’ It Up, followed in 2004. Two years later, he signed with Peak Records, which released the 2008 GRAMMY® nominated New Beginnings, and the 2009 GRAMMY® nominated, Sax for Stax; both in the category of Best Pop Instrumental Album. Over the years, Albright has appeared on numerous TV shows such as A Different World, Melrose Place and BET Jazz segments, as well as piloting a show in Las Vegas with Designing Women star Meshach Taylor. Albright was selected to be one of 10 saxophonists to play at President Clinton’s inauguration ceremony.
The Man Behind The Music
Along the way, he has sold over a million albums in the U.S. alone and has appeared on nearly 200 albums by other artists. Albright released Pushing The Envelope in June 2010 on Heads Up International, a division of Concord MusicGroup. Pushing The Envelope is a showcase for Albright’s remarkably fine balance of songcraft and musicianship, and features special guest appearances by Fred Wesley on trombone, Earl Klugh on acoustic guitar and George Duke onacoustic piano. In December 2010, Pushing The Envelope received a GRAMMY® nomination for Best Pop Instrumental Album. On June 19, 2012, Albright teamed up with GRAMMY®-winning guitarist Norman Brown for 24/7, their first album together. Featuring ten killer soul-jazz tracks, 24/7 includes updated versions of “Tomorrow,” a Brothers Johnson classic from 1976, and “Champagne Life,” from singer Ne-Yo’s album Libra Scale. 24/7 was nominated for a GRAMMY® Award in the category of Best Pop Instrumental Album. On August 5, 2014, Albright releases Slam Dunk and continues his reign supreme as the genre’s most compelling and consistent artist. Fans will hear his searing and soulful sax lines on this twelve-track recording. And, they’ll be in for a surprise, as Albright shows off his chops as a bassist, along with his ebullient tenor, baritone and soprano saxophone arrangements on his own compositions, and his super covers of classics by Phil Collins (“True Colors”) and James Brown (“It’s a Man’s, Man’s Man’s World”), with special guest vocalist Peabo Bryson. In December 2014, Slam Dunk received a GRAMMY® nomination in the Best Contemporary Instrumental Album category.
In October of 2020, Albright released his first EP in his career history. “G-Stream” is a compilation of three songs: “Crazy”, “Hope”, and “Better Days Ahead.” All three songs went to number one on the Billboard chart.
In April of 2022. Albright released his second EP which served as a continuation to his first. “G-Stream 2 Turn It Up” also features three songs. “G-Wiggle”, a song created in honor of his first grandchild, went to number one on the Billboard a few short weeks after the release date. The other two songs, “By My Side’, and “Eddie’s Groove” are sure to do just as well.
Photography credit: Brandon Albright of Snow Desert Productions.
Jules: You are an 8-Time Grammy Nominated Musician. Who is the man behind the music?
Gerald: I’m proud to have 8 Grammy nominations. The man behind the music is one who is committed to promoting the most genuine side of his personality through the music. Though I would love to have a Grammy at some point, my greatest reward has been the way God has blessed me to help change people with my music in positive ways. And that has been my mission since the beginning.
Jules: You have played on albums by a wide variety of artists – including Anita Baker, Ray Parker, Lola Folana, Atlantic Starr, Olivia Newton-John to name a few. What do you enjoy the most about collaborating?
The best thing about collaborating is witnessing the element of surprise when you couple your energy with someone else’s energy. When you fulfill the mission, or go over and beyond what you expected, it’s the greatest feeling in the world!
Jules: Has success been easy for you?
Gerald: Success has not been easy for me, because the music business can be very disloyal and volatile. But I was blessed to fine people within the music industry that were trustworthy, who shared my vision within the music. My tenacity played a big part in seeing through a lot of the adversities growing up in the music business. It made me stronger and more knowledgeable about the music, so I could fulfill the missions at hand.
Jules: In October of 2020, you released your first EP in his career history. “G-Stream” which is a compilation of three songs: “Crazy”, “Hope”, and “Better Days Ahead.” All three songs went to number one on the Billboard chart. What was your inspiration?
Gerald: My inspiration for the G-Stream CD was the pandemic. It was a change in life that I had never witnessed before and composing music during that period was very therapeutic for me. At the same time, with all three songs, I wanted to send a message of positivity to help get my audience through the pandemic and beyond.
“The “G-Stream” EP is a composition of three action-packed songs that I’ve chosen specifically to enhance the listening experience of my audience that have witnessed a historical change-of-life, due to the current pandemic and multi-layered polarity of our globe. With the unique and daily challenges of our “new normal,” coupled with it being an election year reflecting, potentially, one of the most intense political battles in history, I feel that this EP release is very timely. The musicianship on this project is stellar, with the partnership of Chris “Big Dog” Davis on keyboards, James “JRob” Roberson on drums and keyboards, and Rick Watford on guitar, and Cory Baker on vocoder.”
Jules: Tell us about “G-Stream 2 Turn It Up.” What makes this so special?
Gerald: G-Stream 2 is the sequel to the G-Stream project, and I am equally as proud of it as the first EP. Though some of the music on the current EP has a different feel from the first EP, I tried to make it a continuance, and a positive departure to promote more feel-good music for my listeners. I’m very proud that the first single of G-Stream 2 went to number one on the charts as well!
Jules: Do you have a favorite song on your new album?
Gerald: My favorite song on the new EP is called “G-Wiggle!” My two-year-old grandson, Gavin, inspired the concept of this tune, and it reflects my quality time with him as a grandpa.
Jules: What is the proudest moment of your career?
Gerald: It’s truly hard to define the proudest moment of my career, as there have been many. But if I had to choose one, I would say that I am truly proud to still be able to produce, perform, and write new music that is still quite relevant, on several levels, after all these years of being in the music business.
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