The Man Behind the Rhythm Interview by Lissha Sadler for The Heat Seekers
Intro: I was given the opportunity to interview 9x Grammy-nominated musical legend Gerald Albright, one of the best sessions and touring musicians of the 80s. He launched his solo career with his song “Just Between Us” in 1987 at the peak of the Smooth Jazz era, becoming one of the top chart-topping artists with albums, countless radio hits, and all-star tours. Because Albright’s musical muse has taken him to many fascinating places along the contemporary R&B/urban jazz spectrum, he continues to top the charts. “Top to bottom,” Albright says, “Whether in concert, listening to my music over the radio or CD player, I always want my listeners to be taken on a musical journey with different textures, rhythms, chord progressions, and moods. I want people to know where I’ve been and where I’m going and to let them hear that I’m in a perfect place in life.”
Lissha Sadler: Now, you were already an accomplished saxophonist by the time you went to college, what made you want to add Bass instruments to your skills? Gerald Albright: I’ve always loved the instrument. But it wasn’t until I went to a Brothers Johnson Concert and experienced Lewis Johnson come front and center to do this incredible bass solo. I was floored, and all I could think about was bass guitar after that. I contacted a friend John Jorgenson who was on campus, and the son of the head of the music department there, Jim Jorgenson. John was a collector of instruments. I called him to see if he had an old bass sitting that he was not using that I could kind of fiddle with. The next day we connected, he gave me a bass, and I sat in my dorm room and taught myself. Fast forward, I started playing with little groups around the area for different parties to make extra money for books and things for college. The bass guitar worked out to be a massive part of my arsenal. I went on the road with Patrice Rushen as a bass shortly after graduating from the University of Redlands. I then went on to play bass with Anita Baker for two to three years. Philip Bailey from Earth, Wind, and Fire on his gospel tour. It’s still fun. To this day, I play bass on all of my records. And it’s just a fun option, as part of my arsenal, to have in terms of creating music and being able to play both in the studio and live settings. I love it. I love it.
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THE HEAT SEEKERS MAGAZINE
LS: I always enjoy asking about a person’s go-moment. That is when thought and execution come together. What was that moment like in your career when you decided to change and release your first album? GA: I think I have to go back even farther. As a kid, I dreamed of having a band and playing music on stage in front of a big audience. And I think it stemmed from listening to these live records that my brother had back in the day of James Brown. I was so awed by the audience’s reaction when James Brown would scream, do the split, or play one of his hit songs. At eight, I started playing saxophone, and as we talked about earlier in college, I started playing the bass and, in between, the flute, clarinet, and all the reed instruments pretty much. So early in my 20s, I started building this makeshift mini studio in my little apartment with me and my wife. I still have the little four-track reel-to-reel machine in my storage I used for my initial demo tapes back in the day. I’m doing everything on the demos, from singing to playing all the instruments. And ironically, these were the demo tapes that
