NAJEE

The Billboard #1 Artist’s New CD is a Pan-American Journey Traversing The US & Brazil Featuring An All-Star Line-Up with Alyson Williams, Frank McComb, Chris “Big Dog” Davis, Barry Eastmond, Robert Herbert & Adam Hawley among others.

“My life has been a series of pivotal events and circumstances that have gotten me to where I am,” reflects the fearless chart-topping Contemporary Jazz pioneer Najee. In a business where trends and artists come and go, the genre-bending saxophonist’s staying power is a rare blessing. The Grammy and NAACP award-winning musician’s genuine love for connecting with people, coupled with his consummate musicianship and sheer passion for music, has made him one of the brightest stars in Contemporary Jazz for close to four decades. “I heard this beautiful saying once,” explains the Zen saxophonist who has collaborated with Prince, Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan, and Herbie Hancock, among others. “It said that some people meet their destiny while traveling on a road trying to avoid it. I recall as a young man contemplating the idea of changing directions and going into banking. Here I am still doing what I am doing because it’s what I am meant to do!  Every day I wake up and I am grateful for my life and career.”  Najee’s gratitude permeates every note on Savoir Faire, his newest recording out on Shanachie Entertainment on May 13, 2022. Recorded during the pandemic, Savoir Faire, a Pan-American excursion, found Najee enlisting friends from New York, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Connecticut, Florida, Sao Paulo, and Rio, to honor a melting pot of influences. “I gave up worrying about disputes between genres a long time ago,” states Najee. “Duke Ellington said there are only two kinds of music:  good music and bad music. So based on that I do not worry. People seem to forget that in the early days of jazz, the music was designed to make people dance. All of your experiences live inside you and they come out in your music. I just want to make good music and make it accessible for people to enjoy.” Fait Accompli on Savoir Faire!

Armed with a surplus of technical agility and firepower, Najee commandeers a magnificent 10-track journey that is a testament to his keen ability to assemble the right musicians in order to orchestrate unforgettable musical moments. Joining Najee on his 19th recording as a leader are Alyson Williams, Frank McComb, Chris “Big Dog” Davis, Barry Eastmond, Adam Hawley, and Robert Herbert, among others. Savoir Faire opens with the album’s first single, the funk-drenched and mystical “Dr. Dolittle,” penned by pianist Frank Wilkins. Najee’s spunky soprano juxtaposed with Rohan Reid’s slaphappy bass and guitar and the gritty swinging horn section ceremoniously open the album.  “Luna” is the perfect showcase for Najee’s sublime, flawless, and dancing flute. The track’s smooth rock-steady groove makes it hard to sit still.

Pianist Mark Harris II wrote “Luna” and appears on the song. A welcome gem on Savoir Faire is Michael Henderson’s timeless R&B hit “Valentine Love,” featuring Alyson Williams and Chris “Big Dog” Davis. “The first time I heard ‘Valentine Love,’ it was covered by Norman Connors and Michael Henderson, who is a great bassist and songwriter. I have always loved the story and the chord changes,” admits Najee who was convinced that Williams and Davis would both put their own stamp on his version. “I knew they could make it special,” states the two-time Platinum-selling and four-time Gold-selling multi-instrumentalist.  “Alyson Williams is like a modern-day, Ella Fitzgerald or Sarah Vaughan. She’s a living legend, she’s brilliant and she is one of the most underutilized vocalists in the industry. I can’t say enough about Chris Davis who has this natural ability to take a song and re-harmonize and take it somewhere completely different.”