Sax for Stax

Gerald Albright

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 24, 2008)
• Original Release Date: June 24, 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Peak Records
• ASIN: B0017V8PI0
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #31,553 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Gerald Albright has been serving up "sweet pain" on his soulful saxophone for an ever-growing audience that spans across R&B, "Quiet Storm," traditional jazz and smooth jazz lines. On his latest release Albright once again demonstrates his unique soulful sound while paying homage to one of the greatest eras of American music history.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A stirring amalgam of jazz and R&B roots., July 1, 2008

By	smoothjazz_views (Beverly Hills, CA) - See all my reviews

The smooth jazz saxophone Maestro Gerald Albright is no one-dimensional purveyor of musical wallpaper.
He has recorded seven successful solo albums for Atlantic when he wasn't busy, assisting an impressive roster of popular R&B artists. Some of the more well-known artists Albright assisted during his career include Anita Baker, Regina Belle, Quincy Jones, the Temptations, Phil Collins, Whitney Houston, and many, many more.
His new release, his eleventh solo offering, "Sax For Stax" (Peak Records)) is a refreshing, well balanced authentic and innovative work which sets out to unashamedly do what it says on the packet!
Always a consistent upholder of authenticity and purity, he turns the soul music of Stax Records, the legendary Memphis-based recording company that defined southern soul from the late `50s to the mid '70s, into a soul stirring stew of down home rhythm and blues chased with a mason jar of jazz.
It is an amalgam of eight passionately rendered covers of Stax classics and some lesser known compositions, plus three originals written with Memphis in mind. It 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, it features 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 the R&B ubiquitous vocalist Ledisi, who duets with Albright on the Staple Singers classic "Respect Yourself".
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", Albright says.
"But the sax guru does more than simply toot out contemporary Muzak facsimiles of such classics as "Knock on Wood" and "Cheaper to Keep Her." Rhythmically intertwining his jazz and R&B roots within fresh, creative arrangements, Albright brings a welcome snap, crackle and pop to the proceedings.
Rounding out the album are three Memphis-vibed Albright compositions. As he navigates the project, Albright never loses sight of his mission: giving listeners real music they can also feel". --Gail Mitchell/Billboard
Every track highlights the true talent that Gerald Albright was blessed with.
It's rare you come across a disc that jams on every track, but I have to give it up, this jams from start to finish.
Well worth a listen.
New Beginnings

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Might be the best Gerald Albright CD I have, June 20, 2009

By	Phil Kasiecki - See all my reviews

This is probably the best CD of Gerald Albright's that I have, with the possible exception of his excellent compilation CD from a few years back. It's certainly the best non-compilation of his I own, as it's terrific from start to finish, with a lot of good energy put into some classic hits along with three originals.

It starts out with the very up-tempo them from "The Men", then slows it down slightly with "Knock On Wood", which has a nice beat to it. He slows it down all the way with a nice cover of the Isaac Hayes ballad "Never Can Say Goodbye", which features Will Downing, and keeps it right about there with the beautiful "Memphis Passion", one of the three originals. He comes back to it later with "I Stand Accused", after Ledisi helps out on "Respect Yourself". "Cheaper to Keep Her" and "Walkin' Down Beale Street" bring the tempo back up, the latter being the second original. "What You See Is What You Get" is well-done, with a nice helping hand from Philip Bailey, and he closes nicely with more of the same energy he started with on "Who's Making Love" and "W.C. Handy Hop", the latter being the last original recording on the CD.

All in all, it's an excellent effort from a guy who's gone down the R&B route before, and with similar success. The covers are excellent, and he hits home runs with all three original recordings.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars So so, November 28, 2008

By	D. Ramseur "el pato" (Gastonia, NC USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Knock on wood was cool, as was Never Can Say Goodbye, I wish Will could have sung the song instead of just doing vocals. I also would have liked to have heard him cover Johnnie Taylor's I Believe In You, You Believe In Me and the Dramatics In The Rain. Enough covers, Gerald, except for the usual one or two you do on your studio albums. Speaking of covers, since you and Will seem to be pretty tight, how about getting him and Maysa Leak to cover the song Ain't Understanding Mellow by Jerry Butler and Brenda Lee Eager? Just a thought.