6.24.08 - The new album from Gerald Albright 'Sax for Stax', is out now on Peak Records (Concord Music Group).
Released this week, Sax for Stax is the latest album from one of the most respected and sought after Jazz / R&B crossover saxophonists. Consisting of eight passionately rendered covers of Stax classics, plus three originals written with Memphis in mind, Sax for Stax pays tribute to the legendary Memphis-based record label that defined Southern soul from the 1950s to the mid 1970s, coinciding with Concord Music Group's re-launching of the Stax label, and also Stax's 50th anniversary.
Co-produced by Rex Rideout and featuring guest appearances from Earth Wind & Fire's Philip Bailey on 'Whatcha See is Whatcha Get' - a 1971 hit by vocal quintet The Dramatics, Will Downing on 'Never Can Say Goodbye' - a Top 5 hit for Isaac Hayes and R&B vocalist Ledisi, who duets with Albright on the Staple Singers classic 'Respect Yourself'.
Marking his eleventh solo project, authenticity and purity have always been crucial to Gerald Albright, especially on the soul music of Sax for Stax, which demands an all-natural approach. While paying homage to some of the most celebrated R&B classics in history, Albright manages to put his own signature twist on each song, only further solidifying his position as one of the most respected and sought after saxophonists to straddle the fence of jazz and R&B.
“Memphis is a great city from which many great musicians have made tremendous contributions to music." - Gerald Albright
JazzReview.com
