Interview continued from Page One
Another distinctive aspect of Najee’s Theme was the cover photo. Were you behind the fashion and theme of that?
I hated it. But the beautiful thing about Hush was having people who were gifted at what they do. Jacqueline Rhinehart came up with the idea of shooting with a dashiki on the beach. Then, she had me do a conventional suit on the back cover of the LP. We did the shoot at Fire Island in New York. It was a cloudy, rainy day, and we were about to cancel the shoot. Somebody said, “Let’s just go out there and get what we can in between the raindrops.” God as my witness, we went on the beach, and all of a sudden the rain went away and the sun came out. It was the craziest thing, like an omen. Jackie’s foresight, eye, and sense of fashion were amazing. I grabbed a lot of that young female audience at the time.
You released a music video for “Betcha Don’t Know.” Was that important at the time for an artist like you in terms of exposure?
I had no experience at videos. Back then, we had BET, VH1, and MTV in different countries. I wasn’t very theatrical, and knew nothing about acting. Being an instrumentalist, we don’t dance around and do all that. But I think it contributed to the visual exposure, which is what we miss in the jazz industry now.
Looking back at Najee’s Theme as a whole, was there a group of elements that you think made it strike a chord with people so much?
I think it was the rawness, the honesty. As a sax player, I’m certainly much more advanced than what I showed on the record. But I consciously held back a lot, because we were trying to appeal to an R&B audience. It was an intentional move and it worked. But if you listen to the soprano sax on that album, you can hear intonation problems. A professional horn player would know that I could’ve tuned up a bit. When we ran out of money, the album was over.
Three decades later, you’re on tour with You, Me and Forever—your third album for Shanachie. You produced this one yourself, and worked with guests such as James Lloyd, Frank McComb, and Andrea Wallace. Does the process of putting together an album change each time, or does it stay the same? How is it compared to 30 years ago?
Back then, we had the analog system of recording. Then, we saw the digital age come in during the mid-‘90s—whereas now, everything is totally digital. Back then, if I lived in New York and someone in L.A. wanted me to do a recording session, they’d have to fly me out. Now, someone comes up with a song, e-mails you the track, and you send it back to them. There’s no airline ticket involved. A lot of things have changed. There’s an up side and a down side to it.
Aside from differences in techniques of recording, how would you say your approach to recording has evolved? Are there aspects of your style in which you’ve grown or changed significantly?
I’ve transitioned through many different musical situations. Every time you go through something, you bring something with you. When I toured with Prince, how he did things was quite different from how George Duke would do things. In today’s times, you can record at home or anywhere. On tour, I’ll ask my guitar player to play a guitar track in my hotel room. We don’t have to spend money on studio time. Those things do change your perspective on how you perform and play on records.
Do you write most of your own material?
There was a time when I tried to do a lot on my own; but now I enjoy collaborations more than anything. When you do everything yourself, it tends to be a little one-sided and get a little boring. With other people, it brings other things out of you as an artist—and they get a lot out of the association also. The collaborations have been the most successful records for me.
You collaborated with Frank McComb on “Signature” for this record. What stands out to you about that one?
I’ve known Frank for many years. We met in Mexico. It took a good 12 years before we were finally able to collaborate. I’m a fan of his. Originally, this album was going to be called Signature, but the label wasn’t feeling that title. I did two-thirds of the album over in London. I was there when I got called to do it. I started there, and then did some in New York, L.A., and Dallas.
How about “Give It All You Got” with Andrea Wallace?
I was at the end of the record, and we had the basic rhythm track from London. I didn’t know what to do with it. I couldn’t find a suitable melody for it on sax or flute. Then, I was in Dallas performing and asked someone who was a great vocalist in the area. Andrea came and did a show with me, and the audience loved her. I told her, “I’ve got a song.” We had invested money and had to use it. She came up with the vocal ideas and we recorded her in Dallas.
The song, “You, Me and Forever,” reminds me a little bit of “Najee’s Theme.”
That song was written by Robert Damper, a friend of mine from college in Boston. He’s been with Kenny G for close to 40 years as keyboard player. He sent me the song, I wrote a melody over it, and it worked out very well. We had to change the title of the album, so that ended up being the sexiest.
How about the closing song, “Jannah”? That one has a more traditional arrangement and rhythm section. Can you tell me about it?
I recorded that one in 2009 for a straight-ahead project featuring James Lloyd on piano. There was a sax player in Kansas City, Ahmad Alaadeen, who had played with Byrd and Gillespie. He’s no longer with us. He’s a legend there. Two of the musicians on there are his students. I never released that album. At the end of You, Me and Forever, we needed one more slot. I went into the can and pulled that out.
You’re touring now in support of You, Me and Forever. Are there any plans for the thirtieth anniversary of Najee’s Theme?
We’ve been touring with the idea of doing one major concert to bring that all together, but we haven’t been able to get the sponsorship we need to make it come off correctly. But I have been touring and featuring special guests. At Miami Gardens, I had Regina Belle and Alex Bugnon as my special guests. Chante’ Moore also joined me recently, and Meli’sa Morgan will be on one date this summer.
by Justin Kantor
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