Jerome Najee Rasheed (born November 4, 1957,

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

), known professionally as Najee, is an American jazz saxophonist and flautist.

Early life

Najee was born in the lower west side of Manhattan in New York City and lived his teenage years in Queens, New York. His father died at a young age, and Najee and siblings were raised by his mother Mary Richards. His mother was an important figure and supporter throughout his life and musical career. Najee's musical pursuits began in grade school at age eight, where he began playing the clarinet, but he had a deep desire to play saxophone. He was influenced at this age by listening to his mother's recordings of Miles Davis and other American jazz artists. A pivotal moment in his life came when he made the decision to become a professional jazz musician. In high school, Najee began to study jazz as a student at the Jazzmobile program (co-founded by Dr. Billy Taylor) where he honed his skills on tenor saxophone and flute under the direction of

Jimmy Heath James Edward Heath (October 25, 1926 – January 19, 2020), nicknamed Little Bird, was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, arranger, and big band leader. He was the brother of bassist Percy Heath and drummer Albert Heath. Biography Heath w ...

, Frank Foster and Ernie Wilkins. At age 16, Najee studied flute at the Manhattan School of Music Preparatory Division, where he took lessons with Harold Jones, flautist from the

New York Philharmonic Orchestra The New York Philharmonic is an American symphony orchestra based in New York City. Known officially as the ''Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York, Inc.'', and globally known as the ''New York Philharmonic Orchestra'' (NYPO) or the ''New Yo ...

. Najee draws his inspiration from saxophonists

John Coltrane John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the Jazz#Post-war jazz, history of jazz and 20th-century musi ...

Charlie Parker Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), nicknamed "Bird" or "Yardbird", was an American jazz Saxophone, saxophonist, bandleader, and composer. Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of beb ...

Yusef Lateef Yusef Abdul Lateef (born William Emanuel Huddleston; October 9, 1920 – December 23, 2013) was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist, composer, and prominent figure among the Ahmadiyya Community in the United States. Although Lateef's main i ...

Joe Henderson Joe Henderson (April 24, 1937 – June 30, 2001) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and very occasional flute player. In a career spanning more than four decades, Henderson played with many of the leading American players of his day an ...

, Grover Washington Jr., Ronnie Laws as well as flautists Hubert Laws and James Galway. Najee began his career as a teenager performing in local bands in the New York City area. After high school, Najee's first world tour was with a band from New York City called "Area Code". The band spent two years performing on military bases in Europe, Iceland, Greenland, Central America, Caribbean, and the United States on behalf of the USO. Upon his return from the USO World Tour, Najee went on the road in the summer of 1978 with Ben E. King. After touring with Ben E. King, Najee and his brother Fareed attended New York City's Bronx Community College for two semesters. Both were music majors under the tutelage of Valerie Capers. The following year both brothers auditioned and were admitted to the

New England Conservatory The New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) is a Private college, private music school in Boston, Massachusetts. The conservatory is located on Huntington Avenue along Avenue of the Arts (Boston), the Avenue of the Arts near Boston Symphony Ha ...

of Music in

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

. Najee was a performance and composition major. He also studied with Joe Allard (1st clarinetist for Toscanini). At the Conservatory Najee studied and performed with George Russell and Jaki Byard big bands.

Career

After his studies at the New England Conservatory, Najee returned to New York City in the early 1980s. In 1983, he and his brother Fareed toured with

Chaka Khan Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953), better known by her stage name Chaka Khan ( ), is an American singer. Known as the " Queen of Funk", her career has spanned more than five decades beginning in the early 1970s as the lead vocalist of ...

for the Ain't Nobody Tour. In 1986, he released his debut album, entitled ''Najee's Theme'' (EMI/Capitol). The album earned Najee a Grammy Award Nomination for Best Jazz Album. In 1987, Najee accepted an opportunity to open on the " Tasty Love" tour with R&B singer Freddie Jackson. In 1988, Najee's second album ''Day by Day'' was released and certified gold. ''Day by Day'' was produced by several producers including producer Barry Eastmond (Freddie Jackson,

Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Honored as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Soul", she was twice named by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine as the Roll ...

, Anita Baker and Billy Ocean). In 1990, ''Tokyo Blue'' was released. This album was produced by Najee's brother Fareed, and is one of his most successful recordings to date. ''Tokyo Blue'' and ''Day by Day'' led to Najee winning two Soul Train Awards for Best Jazz Artist in 1991 and 1993. In 1992, Najee's next album ''Just an Illusion'' (EMI/Capitol). This album was produced by several producers, including

Arif Mardin Arif Mardin (March 15, 1932 – June 25, 2006) was a Turkish-American music producer, who worked with hundreds of artists across many different styles of music, including jazz, rock, soul, disco and country. He worked at Atlantic Records for ov ...

George Duke George Martin Duke (January 12, 1946 – August 5, 2013) was an American keyboardist, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer. He worked with numerous artists as arranger, music director, writer and co-writer, record producer and as ...

, Fareed,

Marcus Miller William Henry Marcus Miller Jr. (born June 14, 1959) is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. He has worked with trumpeter Miles Davis, pianist Herbie Hancock, singer Luther Vandross, and saxophonists Wayne Shorter and David Sa ...

and Wayne Brathwaite. In 1994, Najee toured and was featured on the live recording ''Live at the Greek'' (

Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at Sony City in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The Sony Group encompasses various businesses, including Sony Corporation (electronics), Sony Semiconductor Solutions (i ...

). The album featured Najee,

Stanley Clarke Stanley Clarke (born June 30, 1951) is an American bassist, composer and founding member of Return to Forever, one of the first jazz fusion bands. Clarke gave the bass guitar a prominence it lacked in jazz-related music. He is the first jazz-fus ...

Billy Cobham William Emanuel Cobham Jr. (born May 16, 1944) is a Panamanian–American jazz drummer who came to prominence in the late 1960s and early 1970s with trumpeter Miles Davis and then with the Mahavishnu Orchestra. He was inducted into the '' Mode ...

and

Larry Carlton Larry Eugene Carlton (born March 2, 1948) is an American guitarist who built his career as a studio musician in the 1970s and 1980s for acts including Steely Dan and Joni Mitchell. One of the most sought after guitarists of his era, Carlton has ...

. It was during this time that he made guest appearances with

Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (March 14, 1933 – November 3, 2024) was an American record producer, composer, arranger, conductor, trumpeter, and bandleader. Over the course of his seven-decade career, he received List of awards and nominations re ...

at the Montreaux Jazz Festival. Following this collaboration, his next album "Share My World" was released in 1994 and was followed by his tribute to Stevie Wonder's 1976 classic, Songs in the Key of Life in 1995. The CD was produced by

and features

Herbie Hancock Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz musician, bandleader, and composer. He started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. Hancock soon joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he helped to redefine the role of ...

, Stanley Clarke, Paul Jackson Jr., Sheila E. and

Patrice Rushen Patrice Louise Rushen (born September 30, 1954) is an American jazz pianist, R&B singer, record producer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and music director. At the 25th Annual Grammy Awards, her 1982 single, "Forget Me Nots", received a no ...

among others. His CD ''Morning Tenderness'' was released in 1998, and went to number 1 on the contemporary jazz charts. Also within the same year ''The Best of Najee'' was released, (Blue Note Records/Capitol) and he once again toured on behalf of the USO for the troops in the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

and

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

. In 1998, Najee performed at Nelson Mandela's birthday celebration in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

, along with Stevie Wonder and Chaka Khan. Najee was also a special guest of President

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...

to perform at the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...

. This event was hosted by President

Jerry Rawlings Jerry John Rawlings (born Jerry Rawlings John; 22 June 194712 November 2020) was a Ghanaian military officer, aviator, and politician who led the country briefly in 1979 and then from 1981 to 2001. He led a military junta until 1993 and then se ...

of the Republic of

Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...

. Najee spent three years touring (2000–2003) with

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

and appeared on Prince's albums ''Rainbow Children'' and ''One Night Alone''. In 2003, Najee released ''Embrace'' which was produced by his brother Fareed, featuring guest artists

Roy Ayers Roy Edward Ayers Jr. (September 10, 1940 – March 4, 2025) was an American vibraphonist, record producer, and composer. Ayers began his career as a post-bop jazz artist, releasing several studio albums with Atlantic Records, before his tenure ...

and BeBe Winans. ''My Point of View'' was his follow-up in 2005 featuring vocalist

Will Downing Wilfred "Will" Downing (born November 29, 1963) is an American R&B, soul, neo soul, and jazz singer and songwriter. He has released 22 studio albums. Biography Early life Downing was born and raised to a working-class family in Bedford-Stuy ...

. In 2006, Najee won an NAACP Image Award for "Best Jazz Artist". His 2007 album ''Rising Sun'', featured singer

Phil Perry Philip Eugene Perry (born January 12, 1952) is an American Contemporary R&B, R&B singer, songwriter, musician and a former member of the soul group, The Montclairs, from 1971 to 1975. He was also known for performing the opening song to Disney� ...

. In 2009, he released ''Mind Over Matter'', with a collaboration that featured vocalist

Eric Benét Eric Benét Jordan (born October 15, 1966) is an American R&B singer-songwriter and musician. He has been nominated for four Grammy Awards. Early life and education Benét was born on October 15, 1966, in Mobile, Alabama. He was raised in Mi ...

and producer Jeff Lorber. In 2012, his album ''The Smooth Side of Soul'' was his first release with

Shanachie Records Shanachie Records is an American, New Jersey–based record label, founded in 1975 by Richard Nevins and Dan Collins. The label is named for the Gaelic word '' seanchaí'' (anglicised as shanachie), an Irish storyteller. It was previously distr ...

which featured production from keyboardist and producer Jeff Lorber and saxophonist and producer Darren Rahn. This album featured vocalist

on the lead single, "Just to Fall in Love", which was produced by Chris "Big Dog" Davis. The video for "Just to Fall in Love" also features actress Vanessa Bell Calloway and songstress N'dambi. Najee's second release with Shanachie in 2013, ''The Morning After, A Musical Love Journey''. ''The Morning After'' earned him an NAACP Image Award Nomination for "Outstanding Jazz Album" (2014) and a Soul Train Awards Nomination for "Best Contemporary Jazz Performance" (2014). The album produced by Demonte Posey, features R&B singer Meli'sa Morgan and bassist Brian Bromberg, with musicians Bill Sharpe on bass, Ray Fuller on guitar, Daniel Powell on drums, Nick Smith on piano and drummer Joel Taylor. Najee released his third album with Shanachie, entitled: ''You, Me, and Forever'', on June 23, 2015. The album features singer and songwriter Frank McComb, keyboardist James Lloyd from

Pieces of a Dream Piece or Pieces (not to be confused with peace) may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Games * Piece (chess), pieces deployed on a chessboard for playing the game of chess * ''Pieces'' (video game), a 1994 puzzle game for the Super NES * ...

, and pianist Robert Damper. ''You, Me, and Forever'' also features musicians from Najee's touring band including Rod Bonner on keys, Daniel Powell on drums, RaShawn Northington on electric bass, and Chuck Johnson on guitar who is also the lead vocalist on the popular

Ambrosia In the ancient Greek mythology, Greek myths, ambrosia (, ) is the food or drink of the Greek gods, and is often depicted as conferring longevity or immortality upon whoever consumed it. It was brought to the gods in Mount Olympus, Olympus by do ...

song "

Biggest Part of Me "Biggest Part of Me" is a song by American band Ambrosia (band), Ambrosia, from the album ''One Eighty (album), One Eighty''. Released as a single in 1980, the song reached number one on the ''Radio & Records'' chart and number 3 on both the US B ...

". "You, Me and Forever" was produced by Najee, Chris "Big Dog" Davis, and British-born bassist Dean Mark. Najee has performed and recorded with vocalists including:

, Freddie Jackson, Will Downing,

Patti LaBelle Patricia Louise Holte (born May 24, 1944), known professionally as Patti LaBelle, is an American Rhythm and blues, R&B singer and actress. She has been referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Godmother of Soul". LaBelle began ...

Toni Braxton Toni Michele Braxton (born October 7, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and television personality. She has sold over 70 million records worldwide and is one of the best-selling female artists in history. Braxton has won seven ...

, Vesta Williams, Alyson Williams and

Jeffrey Osborne Jeffrey Linton Osborne (born March 9, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter, musician and lyricist. He is the former drummer and lead singer of the American R&B/soul group L.T.D. (band), L.T.D., with whom he began his musical career in 1970. B ...

. He has also recorded and performed with instrumentalists:

, Charles Earland, Paul Jackson Jr. and

Discography

Studio albums

Live albums

* 1994: ''Live at the Greek'' – with Stanley Clarke, Larry Carlton, Billy Cobham (July 1994,

) * 2002: '' One Nite Alone... Live!'' – with Prince

Compilation albums

Singles

Other appearances

– "Rainbow Children" from the album '' The Rainbow Children'' (2002) *

– "Street Life" from the album ''Black Pearls'' (2016) * Will Downing – "Christmas Time Is Here" from the album ''Christmas, Love, and You'' (2004) *

Ruben Studdard Ruben Studdard (born September 12, 1978) is an American singer and actor. He rose to fame as the winner of the second season of ''American Idol'' and received a Grammy Award nomination in 2003 for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for his recordi ...

– " Close the Door" from the album ''Unconditional Love'' (2014) * Brian Simpson – "Out of a Dream" from the album ''Out of a Dream'' (2015) * Paul Brown – "Casablanca" from the album ''Truth B Told'' (2014) * Charles Earland – "If Only for One Night" from the album ''If Only for One Night'' (2002) *

– ''The Best of Pieces of a Dream, Vol. 2'' (2014) * '' The Weather Channel Presents: The Best of Smooth Jazz'' (2007) "Sidewayz" * Key-Matic – "Breakin' in Space" (1984, Radar Records (US)) * Incognito – "Village Life" from the compilation album ''The Best (2004–2017)'' (2017) * Roberto Tola – "With You All the Clouds Go Away" from the album ''Bein' Green'' (2017) * Nick Colionne – "Buckle Up" from the album ''The Journey'' (2016) * Bob Baldwin – "My Cherie Amour" from the album ''Newurbanjazz.com'' (2008) * Robert Damper – "Wave" and "You, Me and Forever" from the album ''"D" Tales'' (2017)

References

External links

Official site
* {{Authority control 1957 births Living people American jazz soprano saxophonists American jazz alto saxophonists American jazz tenor saxophonists American male saxophonists American jazz flautists Smooth jazz saxophonists Smooth jazz flautists New Power Generation members Heads Up International artists Jazz musicians from New York City 21st-century American saxophonists American male jazz musicians 21st-century American flautists