Najee

2026 Winter Park Jazz Festival (Day 1) - Patti LaBelle, Damien Escobar, Najee, Purple Magic featuring Marcus Anderson, BK Jackson, Adrian Crutchfield

Najee Rasheed (November 4, 1957 - ) is one of the few smooth jazz artists capable of playing multiple instruments. Although the soprano sax is his main instrument, he has also played alto and tenor. In addition to the saxophone, Najee can also play flute, keyboards and bass synthesizer. He was one of the first innovators of urban jazz, which grew in popularity throughout the 1990s. Najee has performed with other artists, including singers Freddie Jackson, Will Downing and Jeffrey Osborne, and instrumentalists Marcus Miller, Paul Jackson Jr. and George Duke. He also recorded a tribute album in honor of Stevie Wonder, featuring covers of songs from Wonder's 1976 album, Songs in the Key of Life. He also played and toured with Prince around 2001. His greatest-hits album, The Best of Najee, was released in 1998. Now, he belongs to ARTizen Music Group which trumpetter Rick Braun and saxophonist Richard Elliot co-founded.