Full Throttle: Gerald Albright at Yoshi’s

The first thing you notice about Gerald Albright is his sense of propulsion: a musician who perceives the band from both the engine room and the front line simultaneously. The veteran saxophonist also thinks like a bassist, and that dual perspective shapes a sound built for momentum and lift. (Click play to listen to the interview.)

When he brings his group to Yoshi’s in Oakland for two nights of both early and late shows, he aims to emphasize that kinetic identity—groove-focused, melody-rich, and crafted for a room where people truly listen.

“I immediately fell in love with the saxophone,” Albright says, reminiscing about his journey back to South Central Los Angeles and a church choir director named George Turpeau, who transformed him from a hesitant piano student into an aspiring saxophonist with a beginner horn pulled from his garage. “He had a saxophone in his garage that he played in the army band years earlier. Unannounced, he brought it to the next lesson, and that’s where it all began… I owe that to him.”

Albright recalls, “Before long, the first artist I was influenced by was Maceo Parker because my older brother had nearly all of the James Brown records… I often heard James Brown call Maceo. The clarity, the percussive nature, and the authority of the sound—that’s who I tried to model myself after.” He still tells Parker, now retired, that the influence remains: “You are one of the main guys responsible for my sound and approach to the instrument.”

That instinct for attack and timing deepened when Albright picked up the bass guitar. “Now I’m in the rhythm section, where there’s the meat and potatoes of the groove,” he says. “Having played with a lot of great musicians over my 45 years of playing, it has expanded my approach to how I write songs, produce music, and how I hear. I combine the two to try to create the best music I can in the studio.”

Albright’s recent single “Living My Best Life” captures that perspective. “After being in the business professionally for 45 years, you kind of look back,” he says. “I’ve had great experiences as a musician, producer, and record company owner.” The track’s polished sound—layered horn sections riding a sleek rhythm—came from a pandemic apprenticeship in engineering. “It gave me time to really get in the studio and learn how to mix my own records,” he explains. “I purchased extra software and hardware, and I love stacking the horn parts,” he says. “For the mix, I like those horns right up front so the melody speaks.”

Courtesey photo provided

“The title track from my 2024 EP G-Stream 3 – Full Throttle, shows the other side of the method,” Albright says. “It was the first single to hit number one and stay there for several weeks. I wanted to write and produce a song where I had the freedom to really stretch out and play. When we perform this song live, we really get to go, no pun intended, full throttle on it. And it’s a fun tune to play.”

The studio version gives you the blueprint, and the stage version gives you the surge. Yoshi’s suits that approach. “It becomes increasingly difficult to decide which songs to play because, after 23 projects—almost 24—people have their favorites,” he says. “It is gonna be a medley of fun tunes and love songs. We like to get the audience participating. It’s not just a sit-down-and-listen-to-Gerald-Albright kind of night. It’s a festive situation.” He also wants listeners to know who is driving the engine room. “I’ve got Anthony Brown, Jr. on bass, Colin ‘CC’ Clawson on keyboards, and my musical director, James ‘JRob’ Roberson, on drums. It works out really well.” “Yoshi’s is one of my favorite venues,” he adds. “The sound, the staff, and the crowd energy are always on point.”

He presents his independent streak as part of his sound. “I release my music on Bright Music Records,” Albright notes. “Being independent lets me make records the way I hear them—from the horn stacks to the rhythm section feel. Top to bottom, I want my listeners to experience a musical journey with diverse textures, rhythms, chord progressions, and moods. That’s the mission regardless of the venue.”

The journey continues. “As we speak, I’m mixing my current EP, which is going to be released in late January,” Albright says. “We don’t even have a title yet, but the music is coming out phenomenal, and we have a few surprises on it.” He sees the road ahead as a continuation, not a conclusion. “We look forward to seeing everyone across the country and abroad throughout the year,” he adds. “We just can’t wait!”

Gerald Albright Show Details & tickets: Yoshi’s Oakland

Grammy-nominated jazz saxophonist Gerald Albright will perform two shows each night on November 14th and 15th at Yoshi's in Oakland. Showtimes are 7:30 PM and 9:30 PM, and tickets are available now at: https://yoshis.com/events/buy-tickets/gerald-albright-10/detail
Gerald Albright’s website: https://geraldalbright.com/