At this point, Gerald Albright’s career is somewhat of a family affair.
When the saxophonist and Los Angeles native returns to the Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild’s Jazz Hall on Saturday for the Guild’s annual holiday show, his vocalist daughter Selina will be in tow.
Where: Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild’s Jazz Concert Hall.
When: 6 (sold out) and 8:30 p.m. Saturday,
Tickets: $59.50, 412-322-0800, www.mcgjazz.org.
“Very few people have the blessing of performing with one of their offspring,” Mr. Albright says. “Every time I talk to her, I hear the excitement in her voice.”
Working with her was a function of her being around her father whenever he was involved in a project.
“Because there was so much music, she would come into the studio,” he says. “She was singing the songs and singing them well, so I decided to bring her in the studio at a young age.”
On his “Live to Love” album, she did all the background vocals.
“Not too long after that, she said, ‘Dad, I want to be a solo artist.”
That’s happening, as her “Conversations,” released in 2017, is currently No. 1 on the independent charts; she doesn’t play an instrument but sings, writes and produces.
Mr. Albright’s son Brandon, a videographer who started out playing drums, trumpet and bass, shot the videos for his 2016 album, “G.”
“I’m bringing him in on the video side of things to do our shows — he’ll be around the music doing his passion. It’s nice to see the legacy continue.”
In recognition of his 30 years of recording under his own name — not to mention working with the likes of Patrice Rushen and Quincy Jones — Mr. Albright recently released “30,” which includes the single “4 on the Floor.”
“We try to have our own sound, have our own brand, keep it fresh,” he says about his R&B-flavored style. “There’s a lot of saxophone players out there — we’ve been working on that a long time.”
Although Mr. Albright wouldn’t be more specific as to what’s being played on Saturday, “We have some special tunes in conjunction with our original material.
“I think we are messengers of the music, and as long as we see the smiling faces, that keeps us coming back to these cities.”
His group also comprises keyboardist Chris Davis, bassist Cory Baker and drummer Jason Grant.
Rick Nowlin: rnowlin@post-gazette.com or 412-263-3871.
First Published: December 13, 2018, 12:00 p.m.