Urban Knights

Featuring Ramsey Lewis, Gerald Albright, Jonathan Butler, Najee and Sonny Emory

Forget the shining armor and horse imagery‹Urban Knights is all about capturing the kindred spirits of jazz and soul, and the playful energy which results when some of the greatest musicians in the rhythm and jazz kingdom come together to jam for a few days. Storied resumés and mile long discographies of each member aside, the true essence of the star-studded ensemble Urban Knights is what legendary pianist Ramsey Lewis calls, "playing the kind of music that appeals to the urban contemporary crowd, but with performers whose roots go back to the great jazz traditions."

The first Urban Knights project in 1995 was the brainchild of Executive Producer Carl Griffin, who felt that an all-star band would be a great new vehicle for Lewis, who has released three popular albums (1992's Ivory Pyramid, 1993's Sky Islands and, in 1996, Between The Keys) on the label. Lewis' choice of producer was Earth, Wind & Fire maestro Maurice White, who began his career as a jazz drummer with Lewis' trio in the mid-60's and who had produced Lewis' hit "Sun Goddess" two decades earlier. "Maurice knew how to perfectly balance the jazz tradition with an awareness of commercial music," Lewis says.

Once this lineup was finalized Lewis, Grover Washington, Jr., Victor Bailey and Omar Hakim got together for an action-packed week of rehearsing and recording. The album's success led to numerous road dates, the most notable of which was a special Oklahoma City concert in July of 1995 which benefitted the Governor's Victims and Families Relief fund in the wake of the tragic Federal Building bombing that spring.

To realize their vision of continuing the growth of Urban Knights to the next musical level, Lewis and White have chosen a new group of super-talented musicians: acoustic guitarist Jonathan Butler, saxmen Najee and Gerald Albright, and longtime Earth, Wind & Fire drummer Sonny Emory. In addition, Urban Knights II features appearances by Verdine White (bass), Paulinho Da Costa (percussion) and Bill Meyers (Fender Rhodes and synths).

"When this idea first came to life, I thought it'd be a permanent group which would feature the same musicians over the years," says Lewis. "But I realized that the best way to keep the music fresh and growing was to introduce new talent.

"So Maurice and I decided to change the concept just a little," he adds, "letting Urban Knights be the coming together of great musicians of high visibility, guys who would like to perform together. Already well-known performers would keep the all-star idea going, but the only musical prerequisite was that each member bring their unique flavor and spirit to the new project."

Each of the current Knights more than fulfills that order. Chicago native Lewis' tenure as a best selling recording artist reaches back four decades, beginning with the Gentlemen of Swing in the mid-50's and continuing beyond his pop-chart heyday in the mid-60's, when his instrumental hits "The In Crowd," "Hang on Sloopy," "A Hard Day's Night" and "Wade In The Water" hit the Top 40 in Billboard.

Combining equal facilities for the melodic pop ballad, cool jazz instrumentals and polyrhythmic explosions borne from his native South Africa, singer-songwriter-guitarist Jonathan Butler has been a mainstay of both the contemporary jazz and R&B genres since his self-titled debut album in 1987. His most recent project is Head to Head, on Mercury Records.

Best known as a soprano saxman extraordinaire, Najee's many albums since the late 80's on EMI Records also feature his proficiency on alto, tenor and as a flutist. After numerous chart-topping releases featuring original compositions, his latest, 1995's Najee Plays Songs From the Key of Life pays tribute to the songs of Stevie Wonder.

Gerald Albright is likewise a jack of all saxes, his style best summed up by the title of his 1994 Atlantic album, Smooth. Several years earlier, his collection, Live at Birdland West, showed the traditional jazz side of his immense artistry.

"Because the performances and personalities on II are so different, the album comes across as a totally fresh approach, even if the thread of bringing jazz to NAC and urban radio stays the same," Lewis explains.

Like any album featuring artists who have never recorded together before, there is a certain level of excitement and challenge, a sense of experimentation, and a loose feeling of overall fun as the principals bounce their musical ideas off one another. "It's a totally democratic process," Lewis adds. "You give, you take, you bring everyone together and watch how we interplay. When I play with my own band, I have a sense of what everyone is going to do next. Here, like the improvisational elements of jazz itself, more was left to chance within the overall melodic framework."

High levels of mutual respect and professionalism also drive the grooves on Urban Knights II into a musical stratosphere where chemistry between the musicians was key. Lewis: "Most musicians react to their environment. I was as influenced by Gerald, Sonny, Najee and Jonathan as much as they were by me, reaching new places we have never been before. We were able to bring out creative ideas into an environment which basically thrived on the input of the individuals."

Butler in particular brought a new twist to the Urban Knights soul sensibilities‹an explosive world music vibe, which the guitarist plays up on his festive, perfectly titled original piece "South African Jam" as well as on the hypnotic, jungle-soundscaped rain forest adventure of "Brazilian Rain," written by Morris Pleasure and Sonny Emory.

"That world beat sound was a completely intentional idea," says Lewis. "When Jonathan came on board, we encouraged him to add his own personal touch, writing and performing in that very percussive style, which adds a lot of feeling and color to the album. It's like a special seasoning."

The other tracks on the very diverse Urban Knights II include the funky, bass and piano driven "Scirroco," the gospel tinged "Get Up" (co-written by Lewis and his son, album co-producer Frayne, and featuring Najee doubling on sax and flute) and the moody, romantic "Come Dance With Me," featuring Butler and Maggie Brown on lead vocals. Butler's sweet voice also leads the way on the passionate "Tell Me Why" and the silky, churchgoing singalong, "Drama."

"Summer Nights" features a tradeoff between Lewis' elegant ivory touch, a groove intensive rhythmic bass and the soprano sax musings of Albright, while a 70's soul groove featuring both Lewises hitting the electric keyboards drives "Urban Paradise" into smooth funk territory. Ramsey Lewis takes the lead melodic voice on the closing tracks, the seductive "Step By Step" and the synth-orchestral flavored "The Promise." Lewis also performs two brief but intriguing interludes, including the final piece, "Interlude #2," which playfully incorporates the melody of "Someday My Prince Will Come."

"You see we all trade off leads and solos from track to track," Lewis observes, "and that was the whole idea. The first Knights project was pretty much a single take operation, but this time, we took more time to texture the sound. It's a different approach, and was quite effective. The question we had to answer was, how do we embellish on and enhance everyone else's work without competing with it? It came off successfully. Comparing the two albums would be like comparing a great apple to a great orange."

Once again keeping the atmosphere in the studio on an even keel was White, who says, "In many ways, working with my former boss Ramsey is a full circle effect for me. It's always been about the mutual respect he and I share as musicians and artists, for surviving in the music industry for as long as we have.

"The basic approach in producing these records versus doing Earth, Wind & Fire is the same‹individualizing to deal with the specific strengths of the musicians involved," White adds. "I like to mix a lot of live playing with some effective synthesized sounds, for a full-bodied effect. I always focus on the interaction between the players, the magic that results from the camaraderie."

The magic White speaks of is the kind of spirit that only comes around when the best come committed to giving their all and playing their hearts out. On Urban Knights II, Ramsey Lewis, Najee, Jonathan Butler, Gerald Albright and Sonny Emory achieve their mission to bring the best of rhythm and jazz to both longtime fans and new listeners who will keep grooving along until it's time for Urban Knights III.