As a composer, arranger, producer and performer Gerald Albright has made his mark on some of greatest hits of the latter half of the twentieth century. One need look no further than Patrice Rushen’s ‘Forget Me Nots’ or the Quincy Jones classic ‘Setembro’ to realize Albright is one of the most ‘recorded’ saxophonists of the era while as a solo artist he has fourteen albums to his name. The most recent of these is ‘Slam Dunk’ that is out now on the Heads Up label, a division of Concord Music Group, and which finds him at his sublimely edgy best.
A case in point is the hard driving title cut that has already enjoyed success at smooth jazz radio. It showcases Albright’s prowess, not only on sax, but also bass guitar and another slice of vintage Albright comes in the form of ‘Where Did We Go Wrong?’ for which vocalist Peabo Bryson lends his distinctively sultry tones. Complete with backing vocals from Dawn Tallman it is the perfect vehicle for Albright’s moody playing and much the same can be said of ‘The Gospel’, which arrives via an interlude of considerable beauty.
In fact Albright employs the device of an interlude more than once and it is particularly effective with ‘Sparkle in Your Eyes’ where an intro of some magnitude lays a reflective path to what otherwise is an extremely zesty number. Another song that shimmers with unbridled energy is the Latin infused ‘Fiesta Interlude’ which is brought to life by Albright’s impeccable flute solo and later ‘The Duke’ serves as his own jazzy tribute to the late great George Duke, who passed away last year.
‘Slam Dunk’ is, by and large, a writing tour de force by Albright and co-producer Chris ‘Big Dog’ Davis yet that said there is still space for a couple of well crafted covers in the form of the epically soulful ‘It’s A Man’s Man’s World’ and ‘True Colors’ which includes fine backing vocals from daughter (and rising star in her own right) Selina Albright.
Truth to tell great tracks abound, but given no one does lusciously smooth R & B like Gerald Albright, the wonderful ‘Because Of You’ has to be right up there with the best that ‘Slam Dunk’ has to offer. However, in terms of personal favorites, the groove-drenched splendor of ‘Split Decision’ is another tune that is very hard to beat.
Recorded in Denver, Colorado and Wallingford, Connecticut, ‘Slam Dunk’ is a project that can be commended on many levels, not least of which being the caliber of supporting musicians such as Davis on keys, drummer Jerohn Garnett and guitarist Rick Watford. All things considered it is a good addition to this year’s crop of new music.