Najee

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Najee Rasheed (born November 4, 1957) is one of the few smooth jazz artists capable of playing multiple instruments.

In addition to the saxophone (although the soprano sax is his main instrument, he has also played alto and tenor), Najee can also play flute, keyboards and bass synthesizer. He was one of the first innovators of urban jazz, which grew in popularity throughout the 1990s.

Najee has performed with other artists, including singers Freddie Jackson, Will Downing and Jeffrey Osborne, and instrumentalists Marcus Miller, Paul Jackson Jr. and George Duke. He also recorded a tribute album in honor of Stevie Wonder, featuring covers of songs from Wonder's 1976 album, Songs in the Key of Life. He also played and toured with Prince around 2001.

His greatest-hits album, The Best of Najee, was released in 1998.

Now, he belongs ARTizen Music Group which trumpetter Rick Braun and saxophonist Richard Elliot co-founded.

Contents

[edit] Discography

  • Najee's Theme (1986)
  • Day by Day (1988)
  • Tokyo Blue (1990)
  • Just an Illusion (1992)
  • Share My World (1994)
  • Najee Plays Songs from the Key of Life (1995)
  • The Best of Najee (1998)
  • Morning Tenderness (1998)
  • Embrace (2003)
  • My Point of View(2005)
  • Rising Sun [2007]

[edit] Awards

1988 Soul Train Music Award for Best Jazz Album - Solo: Najee's Theme

1990 Soul Train Music Award - Best Jazz Album : Tokyo Blue

[edit] Billboard Charts

Najee's Theme

Top Contemporary Jazz Albums No. 1
Top Jazz Albums No. 8
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums No. 12
The Billboard 200 No. 56

Day by Day

Top Contemporary Jazz Albums No. 6
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums No. 23
The Billboard 200 No. 76

Tokyo Blue

Top Contemporary Jazz Albums No. 1
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums No. 17
The Billboard 200 No. 63

Just an Illusion

Top Contemporary Jazz Albums No. 5
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums No. 25
The Billboard 200 No. 107

Share My World

Top Contemporary Jazz Albums No. 2
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums No. 23
The Billboard 200 No. 163

Songs from the Key of Life

Top Contemporary Jazz Albums No. 6
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums No. 67

Morning Tenderness

Top Contemporary Jazz Albums No. 2
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums No. 65

The Best of Najee

Top Contemporary Jazz Albums No. 15

Love Songs

Top Contemporary Jazz Albums No. 23

Embrace

Top Contemporary Jazz Albums No. 7
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums No. 82

My Point of View

Top Contemporary Jazz Album No. 1

[edit] External links


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