24
Diva Zone Magazine
January/February 2018
27
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
AN INTIMATE CHAT
WITH LORD YANCYY
G
by Najiyyah Brooks
od is brilliant at orchestrating our steps and making
integral connections in work and in life. Such was
my experience in meeting one of my newest ‘Earth
Angels’ in the person of my friend and my brother, acclaimed
Saxophonist, Lord Yancyy. Social media was the catalyst
for the formal introduction; and with the initial exchange of
correspondence in the form of encouragement and mutual
appreciation for our life’s work I knew that this was one of life’s
rare encounters when you are blessed to meet a new bestie
almost instantaneously.
In our discussions about faith, life, the arts, humanity, passion,
purpose and leaving this world better than we found it, I knew
that Yancyy was the perfect choice to grace the cover of The
DIVA Zone Magazine’s relaunch holiday issue.
Lord Yancyy has opened for scores of contemporary music
giants, including Stevie Wonder, Average White Band,
Temptations, Neville Brothers, Jean Luc Ponty, George
Benson, Four Tops, Yellow Jackets, Pieces of a Dream, Earl
Klugh, Gerald Levert, Jeffrey Osborne, Atlantic Star, Ohio
Players, Kem, Miki Howard, Regina Bell, Oleta Adams, as well
as peers, Kirk Whalum, Gerald Albright, and George Howard.
He has also worked with violinist, Karen Briggs. This is by no
means an exhaustive list.
His gift has allowed him to grace the stage of some of the
most sought-after jazz festivals in the United states and
abroad. In September 2010, Yancyy was the headline artist for
the Smooth Grooves European throughout Germany and Italy.
In June of 2011 he was the headline artist for the Alaska Jazz
Festival and in September 2011 his music was selected for The
Weather Channels’ playlist.
A native of Detroit, Lord Yancyy earned his Bachelor of Arts
in performance from the University of Michigan’s acclaimed
School of Music. While an accomplished saxophonist, Yancyy
will sometimes dazzle audiences with his skills on clarinet,
fl ute and piano. He is also a gifted composer and arranger;
contributing keyboards and vocals on his fi rst solo release. His
jazz release, ‘Sax Chronicles, Volume 1’ incorporates several
talented composers and Grammy Award winning producer,