Najee finds background inspired his success

New York City is known for a lot of things: The statue of liberty, the
Yankee, Central Park. One of its most famous landmarks is the Apollo
theater, a notable symbol of the city’s musical heritage and dedication.
It certainly was a key element in the life of saxman Najee, who will perform
Saturday at Wilson Creek Winery as part of the 2006 Sunset Jazz in the Vines
concert series.
“When I was a youngster in New York City, the music community was an outlet
for a lot of kids,” he said. “For me, it was an escape to play music in
school and then local bands.”
Najee is a long way from his days as a kid in New York, with 2 platinum and
4 gold records to his credit. His latest, “My Point of View,” debuted at the
top spot on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz charts.
His musical career started as a kid with the recorder, then the clarinet
before moving onto the instrument that would bring him fame, the saxophone.
“I decided to experiment with the saxophone and it stuck,” he said.
That’s not to say his first dream was of being a musician.
“I went to high school to be a pilot, which is what my school really was
about,” he said. “I also tried out the music program and found that I
actually enjoyed doing it. Frankly, it was also the way I made money as a
kid, playing in a band at parks, hotels, clubs, all over.”
The important thing was not only were Najee and his band mates good at what
they did, but flexible.
“For us, we could play all the popular tunes of the day, so it got us a lot
of gigs,” he said. “We played a lot of R&B.”
It also led to a degree of fame.
“In high school I became a celebrity,” he said. “We played wherever we
could, and in the summer the city had a music program to employ kids, so we
wound up playing a lot of parks.”
And the money?
“I don’t really know if I thought about the money then,” he said. “We made
money and toured Europe with Miss Black America, but I really don’t know if
I was thinking then that it was a way to make a good living.”
He became noted enough that his band, Area Code, got a deal with CBS, and
continued to perform at various locals, but it didn’t pan out.
“We thought we were headed for fame but it didn’t happen,” he said.
Najee kept polishing his skills, sitting in with bands until one night he
was “discovered.”
“The musical director for Chaka Khan wandered in and heard me,” he said. “He
came up to me later and asked if I wanted to come to rehearsal. I went and
was hired.”
Not too long after, it was the big time for Najee, even though it was
somewhat of a surprise.
“Charles Huggins [of HUSH Productions] came and saw me and thought I was a
keyboard player because I’d been doing some of that,” he said. “See,
flexibility is a good thing. He was looking for a jazz artist and wanted to
hear some demos.”
Soon after, his first album, “Najee’s Scene,” was released and quickly went
gold.
“It took me by surprise,” he said. “I think I’m a qualified musician and I
knew what success was but not that degree of success. I think the album cost
about $60,000 to make, so it was really a success.”
It wasn’t a one time thing either, which he credits to his ability to carve
out a niche for himself.
“What sells is finding that thing that sets you apart,” he said. “When that
first record took off, I had no idea there was a format called Smooth Jazz.”
Fortunately, the marketing was a little different than the way it is now.
“Back then we were marketed for the big market, with videos on BET and
VH-1,” he said. “I was able to get a lot of exposure. I think Kenny G might
have been the only jazz musician marketed the way I was.”
And now, with a new album atop the charts Najee is finding success once
again.
“It’s not really a challenge record for me, just simple ballads and love
songs,” he said. “After being absent for a few years I just wanted to make
sure I reconnected to my own audience. I’ve been fortunate to have that
audience and they are the key.”