Legendary Najee Announces ‘Savoir Faire’ Album | Stream New Single ‘Dr. Dolittle’
Grammy nominated Najee is preparing to release his new upcoming album “Savoir Faire,” being released on May 13th, 2022.
Recorded during the pandemic, “Savoir Faire,” a Pan American excursion, found Najee enlisting friends from New York, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Connecticut, Florida, Sao Paulo and Rio, to honor a melting pot of influences.
“I gave up worrying about disputes between genres a long time ago,” states Najee. “Duke Ellington said there are only two kinds of music: good music and bad music. So based on that I do not worry. People seem to forget that in the early days of jazz, the music was designed to make people dance. All of your experiences live inside you and they come out in your music. I just want to make good music and make it accessible for people to enjoy.”
Joining Najee on his 19th recording as a leader are Alyson Williams, Frank McComb, Chris “Big Dog” Davis, Barry Eastmond, Adam Hawley and Robert Herbert, among others. “Savoir Faire” opens with the album’s first single, the funk-drenched and mystical “Dr. Dolittle,” penned by pianist Frank Wilkins.
A welcome gem on the release is Michael Henderson’s timeless R&B hit “Valentine Love,” featuring Alyson Williams and Chris “Big Dog” Davis. “Alyson Williams is like a modern day Ella Fitzgerald or Sarah Vaughan, Najee shares; “She’s a living legend, she’s brilliant and she is one of the most underutilized vocalists in the industry. I can’t say enough about Chris Davis who has this natural ability to take a song and re-harmonize and take it somewhere completely different.”
UB spoke to Najee in 2013 and asked him what’s been the biggest lesson he’s learned in the music business? “To be prepared for the changes. Always expect the unexpected! You have to live by that when you’re in the music business you know.”
The Grammy and NAACP award-winning musician’s genuine love for connecting with people, coupled with his consummate musicianship and sheer passion for music, have made him one of the brightest stars in Contemporary Jazz for close to four decades. The Zen saxophonist who has collaborated with Prince, Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan and Herbie Hancock, among others.
It’s been 35 years since the release of Najee’s debut classic “Najee’s Theme.” UB spoke to Najee in 2013 and he took us back to that time; “You know what, I honestly didn’t come out with a plan. When I started as a kid, I didn’t have a clue to what I was doing (laughs).” He went on to say; “My first album went gold immediately within three months. That was my first gold album and for a jazz artist that was phenomenal sells. But honestly if you were to ask me back then how did I do it? Honestly I had no idea.”
