Smooth (Gerald Albright album)

Smooth
Studio album by Gerald Albright
Released	1994
Studio	Aire L.A. (Glendale, California) Bright Music (Moorpark, California)
Genre	R&B, jazz
Label	Atlantic[1]
Producer	Gerald Albright Arvel McClinton Chuckii Booker Travon Potts
Gerald Albright chronology
Dream Come True (1991) Smooth (1994) Giving Myself to You (1995)

Smooth is the fourth studio album by the American musician Gerald Albright, released in 1994 on Atlantic Records.^[2][3] The album peaked at No. 25 on the Billboard Top R&B Albums chart and No. 2 on both the Billboard Jazz Albums and Contemporary Jazz Albums charts.^[4]

Production

Albright strove to create an R&B album; in addition to saxophone, he also played flute and keyboards.^[5][6] Vesta Williams, Lalah Hathaway, and Will Downing are among the many vocalists on the album.^[7][8][9] Howard Hewett sang on the cover of "This Is for the Lover in You".^[10] Stanley Clarke played bass on "Sedona".^[11] The liner notes were written by Magic Johnson.^[12]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[13]
The Charlotte Observer	[14]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[15]
Los Angeles Times	[9]
MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide	[11]

The Los Angeles Times wrote that "Albright offers predictably melodic, safe solos that, for the most part, fail to engage the listener."^[9] The Daily Breeze determined that Albright "turns in softly percussive, overly slick readings of soul-jazz mood pieces... He ignores chances to improvise or offer inventive ideas."^[16] The Charlotte Observer deemed the album "Albright's breakthrough work," writing that "it's obvious Albright has put a lot of energy into this effort."^[14] The Buffalo News considered the music "full of slinky rhythms, gossamer textures and sensuous, lazy melodies."^[12]

AllMusic called the album "a tasty if somewhat typical journey through the land of quiet storm and light funk."^[13]

Accolades

Smooth was nominated for a Soul Train Music Award for "Best Jazz Album".^[17]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Don't Worry About It"	Gerald Albright	4:33
2.	"I Surrender"	Albright	5:.50
3.	"Sweet Baby"	Albright, Arvel McClinton	5:11
4.	"This Is for the Lover in You"	Howard Hewett, Dana Meyers	4:44
5.	"G & Lee"	Albright	6:31
6.	"Just 2 B with You"	Albright, Chuckii Booker	5:08
7.	"Anniversary"	Raphael Saadiq, Carl Wheeler	4:33
8.	"Passion"	Albright, Travon Potts	6:21
9.	"Sedona"	Albright, Potts	5:36
10.	"Say It with Feeling"	Albright	5:36

Personnel

• Gerald Albright – tenor saxophone (1, 2, 10), keyboards (1, 2, 10), bass guitar (1, 2, 6), drum programming (2), EWI (2, 10), alto saxophone (3-5, 7-9), flute (4), soprano saxophone (5, 6)
• Chuckii Booker – keyboards (1-4, 6, 7), drum programming (1, 4, 6, 7), backing vocals (7)
• Arvel McClinton – keyboards (3), drum programming (3), backing vocals (3)
• Patrick Moten – keyboards (5, 10)
• Derek Nakamoto – strings (5, 9, 10)
• Travon Potts – keyboards (8, 9), drum programming (8, 9)
• Greg Phillinganes – keyboards (9)
• Paul Jackson Jr. – guitars (1, 2, 10), rhythm guitar (5)
• Lee Ritenour – lead guitar (5)
• Melvin Lee Davis – bass guitar (5)
• Stanley Clarke – piccolo bass solo (9)
• Freddie Washington – bass (10)
• Land Richards – drums (9, 10)
• Vesta Williams – vocals (1), backing vocals (1)
• Pattie Howard – backing vocals (1)
• Olivia McClurkin – backing vocals (1)
• Alfie Silas – backing vocals (1)
• Lalah Hathaway – vocals (2), backing vocals (2)
• Howard Hewett – backing vocals (4)
• Will Downing – vocals (6), backing vocals (6)

Production

• Raymond A. Shields – executive producer, management
• Gerald Albright – producer, recording (1, 3, 6, 7), assistant engineer (1-3, 5, 6, 8-10)
• Arvel McClinton – producer (3)
• Chuckii Booker – producer (7)
• Travon Potts – producer (8, 9)
• Kevin Kadel – recording (1, 2, 4-6, 8-10, mixing (6)
• Anthony Jefferies – mixing (1-5, 7), recording (5, 9, 10)
• Dave Pensado – mixing (8)
• Craig Burbidge – mixing (9, 10)
• Ray Silva – assistant engineer
• Kevin D. Lewis – production coordinator
• Elizabeth Barrett – art direction
• Louise O'Brien – photography
• Daniel Schridde – photography
• Magic Johnson – liner notes

References

1. Norment, Lynn (May 1994). "Sounding Off". Ebony. Vol. 49, no. 7. p. 23.
2. "Gerald Albright Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
3. Bacon, Tony; Gelly, Dave (August 29, 2000). Masters of Jazz Saxophone. Hal Leonard Corporation.
4. "Gerald Albright Chart History". Billboard.
5. Pilato, Bruce (September 23, 1994). "Gerald Albright Keeps It Nice and Smooth". USA Today.
6. "Five touring performers joining forces...". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. November 13, 1994. p. 1E.
7. Hasson, Bill (August–September 1994). "Earworthy". American Visions. Vol. 9, no. 4. p. 49.
8. Bourne, Kay (12 Jan 1995). "Orpheum to host jazzman Albright". Bay State Banner. No. 17. p. 14.
9. Stewart, Zan (8 May 1994). "Gerald Albright, 'Smooth'". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 51.
10. Joyce, Mike (3 June 1994). "Festival Artists Keep the Beat". The Washington Post. p. N19.
11. MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1998. p. 9.
12. Kunz, Mary (August 5, 1994). "Silky". The Buffalo News. p. G10.
13. "Gerald Albright Smooth". AllMusic.
14. "Jazz". The Charlotte Observer. July 1, 1994. p. 7F.
15. Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 1. MUZE. p. 101.
16. Tranfa, Anthony D. (April 22, 1994). "Gerald Albright, 'Smooth'". Daily Breeze. p. K11.
17. Maples, Tina (12 Mar 1995). "Soul Train Awards hurtles toward a switch". The Milwaukee Journal. p. E3.