Najee

Jerome Najee Rasheed (born in New York City, New York), known professionally as Najee, is an American smooth jazz saxophonist and flautist.

He attended New England Conservatory of Music in Boston where he studied with George Russell and Jaki Byard.

He subsequently performed and recorded with singers including Chaka Khan, Freddie Jackson, Will Downing, Phil Perry, Prince, Patti Labelle, Phyllis Hyman, Vesta Williams and Jeffrey Osborne. He has recorded and performed with instrumentalists Marcus Miller, Herbie Hancock, Stanley Clarke, Larry Carlton, Billy Cobham, Charles Earland, Paul Jackson Jr. and George Duke.

As a solo artist he came to prominence with "Najee's Theme" in 1986. His greatest hits album, The Best of Najee, was released in 1998.

He released his first album with Shanachie Records entitled The Smooth Side Of Soul, on January 31, 2012. It features production from keyboardist and producer Jeff Lorber (Dave Koz, Michael Franks, Chris Botti, Rick Braun) and saxophonist and producer Darren Rahn (Wayman Tisdale, Eric Darius, Bob James, Jonathan Butler), as well as guest vocals from R&B singer Phil Perry on the lead single, "Just To Fall In Love". The video for "Just To Fall In Love" also features actress Vanessa Bell Calloway and songstress N'dambi.

Discography

 * Najee's Theme (1986, EMI/Capitol)
 * Day by Day (October 1988, Capitol)
 * Tokyo Blue (February 1990, Capitol)
 * Just an Illusion (June 1992, Capitol)
 * ''Live At The Greek" with Stanley Clarke, Larry Carlton and Billy Cobham (July 1994, Sony)
 * Share my World (October 1994, Capitol)
 * Najee Plays Songs from the Key of Life: A Tribute To Stevie Wonder (November 1995, Capitol)
 * Best of Najee (November 1998 Blue Note/Capitol)
 * Morning Tenderness (November 1998, Polygram)
 * Love Songs (2000)
 * Embrace October (2003, Encoded Music)
 * My Point of View (2005, Heads Up)
 * Rising Sun (2007, Heads Up)
 * Mind Over Matter (2009, Heads Up)
 * The Smooth Side Of Soul (2012, Shanachie Records)

Compilation appearances

 * The Weather Channel Presents: The Best of Smooth Jazz

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

"Rising Sun"
 * Top Contemporary Jazz Album No. 1

"Mind Over Matter"
 * Top Contemporary Jazz Album No. 2
 * Billboard Jazz Album No.4

"Sweet Summer Nights" Number 1 Smooth Jazz Song Billboard