Jonathan Gee is one of the most imaginative composer-pianists operating today, with a succession of ever-enticing bands and projects, with world-class line-ups from Europe and the US. Aside from his own bands, which have produced 11 albums, he has also worked closely with Pharoah Sanders, Mark Murphy and Art Farmer, David Murray, Joe Lovano and Benny Golson, Bobby Wellins, Claire Martin, Tim Whitehead, Ed Jones, Cleveland Watkiss, Benet Mclean and many others.
With Tony Kofi, he co-founded the Monk Liberation Front, whose legendary performances of the complete Thelonious Monk catalogue have led to award-winning recordings. He has performed in groups comprised of leading musicians from France, Finland and Italy, such as Mika Myllari, Gaetano Partipilo and Danilo Gallo, and a fantastic trio emerging from the hothouse of the New York jazz scene featuring Joseph Lepore and Nasheet Waits, which has already packed out Dizzy's at Lincoln Centre. His latest album, released on ASC, is The Lions Revisited and is his first full singing recording.
For his 11th album Jonathan Gee has released on ASC his first fully vocal album. It is called The Lions Revisted. It has eleven tracks. It features Jonathan on vocals and piano, with Andy Hamill on bass on five, and Tommy Remon guitar on one.
Two of the songs feature music and lyrics by Jonathan, and there are collaborations with both Kate Westbrook, and Alan Franks. There is a complete reworking of Miles Davis' Boplicity from Birth of the Cool, first arranged for Peter Ind's 90th birthday gig at The Verdict in Brighton, and also of the standards You Go To My Head, and But Not For Me. The Waters of March features Andy on Ukelele bass and Jonathan singing in both English and Portuguese. Finally there is a remelodisation of You Must Believe in Spring, and Jonathan's takes on Moody's Mood for Love and McCartney's Blackbird.
The song Cognac began as an electronic instrumental, which Jonathan sent to Kate Westbrook asking for a lyric inspired by Cognac. She sent back a tour de force of a lyric, Jonathan created a melody connecting the lyric to the track that had inspired it, and then sent an accapella version to Andy who proceeded to create a bowed accompaniment which sounded a lot like the original electro track he hadn't heard. Thus the creative process unfolds.
ASC's Steve Plews was at both sessions and after agreeing with Jonathan how the album should sound proceeded to deftly advise our excellent Eastcote Studios engineer Clem Cherry how he wanted the sound to be shaped. UK musician JG is known for his award winning trios, and work with Pharoah Sanders, Joe Lovano, Mark Murphy, Tony Kofi, Gaetano Partipilo, and many others.
