Najee

Najee is a Grammy-nominated saxophonist and flautist known for his decades-long career in jazz, R&B, and contemporary music. He has collaborated with numerous notable artists and received multiple awards for his contributions to music. After earning a Grammy Award Nomination for Best Jazz Album with his debut release Najee’s Theme in 1986, Najee established a Grammy-nominated career as a saxophonist and flautist, achieving six #1 albums and five Billboard chart-topping singles. His professional journey began at age 18 with a world tour for USO military bases across Europe, Central America, and the Caribbean with the band ‘Area Code,’ followed by touring with Ben E.

Najee continued to demonstrate his versatility, opening for Freddie Jackson on his ‘Tasty Love’ tour in 1987 and making guest appearances with Quincy Jones at the Montreaux Jazz Festival in 1994. His 1998 album, Morning Tenderness, reached number one on the contemporary jazz charts. That same year, he performed at Nelson Mandela’s birthday celebration alongside Stevie Wonder and Chaka Khan and was a special guest of President Bill Clinton to perform at the White House. From 2000 to 2003, Najee toured extensively with Prince and contributed to his albums Rainbow Children and One Night Alone.

His recent albums include You, Me, and Forever (2015), Poetry in Motion (2017), and Center of the Heart (2019). Most recently, Najee released his album Savoir Faire in 2022. He has been honored with the United States Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award and an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters, recognizing his profound and lasting impact on the music industry.