Najee is one of contemporary jazz’s true pioneers. Creating a fresh and pulsating “rhythm and jazz” dynamic in the early days of the smooth jazz format, the versatile saxophonist—whose first two recordings, 1986’s Grammy nominated NAJEE’S THEME and 1988’s DAY BY DAY, went platinum—inspired the whole urban vibe that took over the instrumental world throughout the ’90s. Mixing up his trademark soulful soprano with dynamic touches of flute and alto, Najee made a dramatic return to the scene this August with his Heads Up debut, MY POINT OF VIEW.

A native of Jamaica, Queens, New York, Najee shared all of his musical dreams—and later, many professional gigs—with his brother Fareed, a guitarist who was a year younger. Their father passed away when they were very young, but their mother encouraged a deep exposure to jazz via recordings by artists as diverse as the Miles Davis Quintet, Junior Walker and Mongo Santamaria. Najee showed an early interest in the sax but a grammar school teacher steered him towards clarinet when there were no sax chairs available in the school band.

“My life and career have been shaped by what I like to call ‘life defining moments,’” he says, “and the first of these came when I took a tenor sax solo in my jazz band at August Martin High School and realized that suddenly, all the girls knew my name! Fareed and I started playing professional gigs together at 15, and had a mutual support system going.”

Najee began studying under the direction of Jimmy Heath, Frank Foster and Billy Taylor at Jazzmobile in Harlem, and he also studied flute with Harold Jones at the Manhattan School of Music. “Later,” he adds, “Fareed and I spent a year in the music department at Bronx Community College, then auditioned and got into the New England Conservatory of Music, with me majoring as a woodwind and composition major and Fareed focused on guitar and composition. Musically, I really loved everything, from Kool & The Gang to Grover to Sanborn to Maceo Parker. I also couldn’t get enough when one of my teachers played Charlie Parker for me.”

Needless to say, Najee’s POINT OF VIEW is the culmination of his studies, brilliant influences, and creative skills set to music. This stellar debut also offers the saxophonist/composer/arranger the promise of a future among the best of the best at Heads Up International. We caught up with Najee as he launched his concert tour in support of POINT OF VIEW. Here’s what he told us so, listen up!