Diva Zone ™ Magazine DZ_NovDec2017_Mag_Final_Printer_Version | Page 11

November/December 2017
11
FEATURE
WISE MEN
STILL SEEK HIM
An Intimate Chat with Lord Yancyy
by Najiyyah Brooks
G
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
Hoard, 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, Phil
Davis, similar to his previous hit CD entitled FOR YOUR LOVE
and his holiday CD entitled REJOICE.