Jeff Redd

Although Jeff Redd never attained the mainstream breakthroughs enjoyed by acts like Guy or fellow Mount Vernon native Al B. Sure!, he left a lasting imprint on the new jack swing era and later emerged as an influential behind-the-scenes presence. During his teenage years, Redd performed with the Sophisticated Gents. In 1988 André Harrell signed him as a solo artist to Uptown, the label that also housed another Mount Vernon act, Heavy D & the Boyz. Until the contract fully activated, Redd stayed on the General Motors assembly line in nearby Tarrytown and was given a cassette of a teenage singer covering Anita Baker’s “Caught Up in the Rapture.” He passed the tape to Harrell, who promptly added that vocalist, Mary J. Blige, to the Uptown roster. Blige appeared alongside Redd in support of his debut, A Quiet Storm, a strong first album that yielded two Top 20 R&B hits: a cover of Fatback’s boogie classic “I Found Lovin’” and the Timmy Allen-written ballad “Love High.” The set peaked at number 40 on the R&B chart. The following year Uptown issued the soundtrack to the romantic comedy Strictly Business, spotlighting Redd’s “You Called and Told Me”—one of the period’s standout songs, productions, and performances—though it reached only number 63 on the R&B chart.

Dissatisfied with Uptown’s promotional efforts, Redd moved to EMI America. Not until 1994 did he release his second album, Down Low, which was recalled the week it came out, leaving it virtually unknown. The few copies that reached stores quickly became collector’s items. Redd stepped away from the spotlight and into artist management, A&R work, and an executive role at MCA, Uptown’s parent label. He proved instrumental to the success of K-Ci & JoJo and executive produced Regina Belle’s Grammy-nominated Believe in Me. Later he launched the Sol Real label and resumed performing and recording. In 2015 the Japanese imprint P-Vine reissued Down Low.