*“I had a spiritual awakening…I became the Phoenix,” said Billboard Chart-topping saxophonist Eugene Groove when I asked where the title of his 14th new album, called “The Phoenix” (Shanachie Entertainment) came from. “It’s a Greek myth…I rolled with it.”
Eugene told me about his close encounter with death and his miraculous year-long recovery after open-heart surgery. Then after the surgery, connecting his experience with the legendary phoenix bird
“I had to pinch myself. He gifted me with this spiritual awaking,” he continued about his journey to this new album. “I put 14 tattoos (of the Phoenix) on me, to remind me. I knew the album would be called the phoenix, and I knew all the song titles.”
“I brought in Paul Brown. I had worked with him for 20 years, and it came out so easy … all the emotions…,” Groove said.
Scroll to continue reading
“The Phoenix” project is released on the Shanachie Entertainment imprint. Home of Grammy Award-winning Norman Brown, BET Award-winning KeKe Wyatt, and the late three-time Grammy-nominated Angie Stone. The 12-time Billboard #1 chart-topper then explained his ordeal that transformed him into The Phoenix.
“The last time I played live was in 2022. I had to leave the stage because I had no energy,” Eugene stated. “I struggled for a year with no energy. I went to the doctor…they said maybe you are anxious. Two years after that, I started recording in June 2024. By the end of June, I had written everything except the sax. I couldn’t play the horn; I had no energy. The doctors didn’t know what was wrong. Then I passed out (and they discovered) my cardio valve in the back was failing, which is why they couldn’t see it. I would have had a stroke or heart attack. I went through three weeks of open-heart surgery and a year-long recovery.”
Eugene Groove said that after his recovery, he was able to write his sax parts for the album, and the end product is the inspirational “The Phoenix.” The album, aside from two-time Grammy Award-winning Paul on guitar, has assistance from three-time Grammy Award-winning Corney Mims on bass and Grammy Award-nominated Tracy Carter on keyboard. In addition, he has the drummer Trevor Lawrence, Jr., the percussionist Lenny Castro, and the guitarist Juba Smith.
Aside from his solo career as a saxophonist, Eugene Groove has collaborated as a musician with Tina Turner, Tower of Power, Aaron Neville, The Eurythmics, Huey Lewis, and Joe Cocker. www.EugeneGroove.com www.Shanachie.com
SYNDICATED COLUMNIST: Dr. Eunice Moseley has an estimated weekly readership of over one million for her column The Pulse of Entertainment. She is the publisher of the digital magazine www.ThePulseofEntertainment.com, which has an estimated 160,000 visitors a month. An entrepreneur, Dr. Moseley’s company, Freelance Associates, is a business management/public relations strategic planning and consulting firm that is celebrating 32 years in 2025. Dr. Eunice also serves as professor for the School of Business at Stanton University in Anaheim, California and serves as promotions director (at-large), journalist and business consultant for The Baltimore Times. Dr. Moseley founded the Uplifting Minds II Foundation (www.UpliftingMinds.com) in 2023, a 501 C3 with a mission to empower the underserved through three major programs – One Stop Business Shop, the ULMII Professional Conference and the ULMII Academy (business management and public relations).EVENTS: “Uplifting Minds II” Entertainment Conference (ULMII), was launched by Dr. Eunice in 1999, to educate aspiring artists/musicians about the business of entertainment – www.UpliftingMinds2.com. Next ULMII Entertainment Conferences for Baltimore on Saturday April 18, 2026, presented by Security Square Mall and The Baltimore Times, and for Los Angeles on Saturday, November 7, 2026, presented by The Pulse of Entertainment and the ULMII Foundation. The ULMII conferences are free with virtual access via Zoom. ULMII entertainment conference offers a Professional Panel Q&A Session, a Professional Talent Showcase and International Talent Competition where the top three scored acts receive the ULMII Best Act Award and over $20,000 valued in prizes/product/services and cash!
(If You Like/Appreciate This EURweb Story, Please SHARE it!)
MORE NEWS ON EURWEB.COM: London Brown Unfiltered: Personal Loss, Purpose and Marvin’s Revenge | WATCH
We Publish Breaking News 24/7. Don’t Miss Out! Sign up for our Free daily newsletter HERE.
Leave a Reply