Rubber City Jazz & Blues Festival: Gerald Albright

Date and Time

• Saturday, Sep 12, 2026  7pm

Location

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Details

Enjoy a performance by Gerald Albright with opening act Althea René during the Rubber City Jazz & Blues Festival. Purchase tickets at liveakron.com.

Gerald Albright

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Albright was already an accomplished saxophonist by the time he enrolled at the University of Redlands, but he switched to bass after he saw Louis Johnson in concert. A few months after graduating from college, he joined jazz pianist/R&B singer Patrice Rushen, who was in the process of forming her own band. Later, when the bassist left in the middle of a tour, Albright replaced him and finished the tour on bass guitar. Playing both sax and bass, he became the consummate session and touring musician in the 80s, working with everyone from Anita Baker, Ray Parker, Jr., Atlantic Starr, The Temptations and Maurice White to Les McCann, Teena Marie, the Winans and Whitney Houston.

He launched his solo career in the infancy of what became the smooth jazz format, with Just Between Us in 1987 and has been a core part of the genre with chart-topping albums, countless radio hits and as a member of many all star tours, including Guitars & Saxes and Groovin’ For Grover. In the late 90s, he fronted a big band for and toured with pop star Phil Collins and did a dual recording with vocal great Will Downing called Pleasures of the Night. Between his last two Grammy-nominated solo albums Pushing The Envelope (2010) and Slam Dunk (2014), he enjoyed hit collaborations with two huge hits – 24/7 with guitarist Norman Brown and Summer Horns by Dave Koz and Friends (including Mindi Abair and Richard Elliot), which were also Grammy-nominated for Best Pop Instrumental Albums. He toured with Brown and Summer Horns, and most recently has been on the road with South Africa gospel/jazz singer and guitarist Jonathan Butler. Albright’s other albums whose titles perfectly reflect their flow include Smooth (1994), Groovology (2002), Kickin’ It Up (2004) and Sax for Stax (2008).

Althea René

"The 1st Person To Record A Flute-Featured Single Ranked #1 on Billboard & Smooth Jazz Music Charts"

Althea built a reputation as one of the most dynamic and expressive flutists in contemporary jazz. Known for her fashionable style and energetic stage presence, she has often been playfully called the “Chocolate Barbie from the Motor City.” Her nickname was inspired by her funk-driven sound and commanding performances. She credits her father, Dezie McCullers, one of Motown’s original Funk Brothers, for instilling her love of rhythm and soul.

Her breakthrough moment came in 2013 with the Trippin n Rhythm release of In the Flow, produced by Grammy-winner Michael Broening. The title track, which she co-wrote, became the first flute-led single to reach number one on both the Billboard and Smooth Jazz charts. It stayed at the top for several weeks, earning her international recognition as a trailblazer in her genre. Then in February 2026, lightning struck twice as her single Synergy soared to number one on the Billboard, Smooth Jazz, and MediaBase charts, cementing her legacy as a genre-defining force.