artists
Gee, Jonathan
Artists Website : http://www.jonathangeetrio.co.uk/
In the summer of 2003, leading UK pianist Jonathan Gee was invited to perform at the Appenine Jazz Festival in Italy, accompanied by two of the young turks of Italian jazz: Danilo Gallo on bass and Allesandro Minetto on drums. It worked! The gig was a great success; a band was born. Immediately, a ten date autumn tour and a five date spring tour, both around Italy, were secured; a recording session was booked for the end of each tour at the Artesuono studio of Stefano Amerio. The trio all write for the band and have different writing conceptions which complement each other. Jonathan Gee has said that the composing concepts of Danilo and Allesandro bring out strengths in his playing that are different to those from his own pieces. Danilo has a slightly darker Venetian quality to his harmony and Allesandro has a fine melodic almost 'thoughtful Brazilian' feel to his tunes. This is a trio who can touch base with Monk, Herbie Hancock and Paul Bley, but in their own music create their own world. The album 'Cream of Mandarins' on Artesuono was launched in the UK at the London Jazz Festival in november 2004 and the trio have since played two more Italian tours, two UK tours and a week at Ronnie Scotts club in London. The trio played at Duc des Lombards in Paris in jan 2005, a concert that was broadcast last march by Radio France. It was album of the week in UK newspaper The Guardian , and editors choice in Jazz Review. Also it was well received in the Italian press. Danilo Gallo, from Venice, has played with Benny Golson, Steve Grossman and leading contemporary Italian band Palo Alto, amongst others. This year alone he has toured Peru, Mexico and Indonesia with the cream of Italian jazz. Check his new album Todo Chueco by Gallo and the Roosters. Allesandro Minetto, from Torino, has worked with Grossman, Peter King, Gilad Atzmon, Antonio Farao and Maria Pia de Vito. He recently worked with Jonathan Gee and Tony Kofi's Monk Liberation Front at the Rome Jazz Festival. Jonathan Gee has appeared on 30 albums, including five of his own, and performed in 18 countries, including British Council tours of Singapore, Azerbijian, Cameroon and Cyprus. He tours the UK annually with his trio, plays regularly at Ronnie Scott's, and has worked with Joe Lovano, David Murray, Mark Murphy, Sonny Fortune and Benny Golson. The Monk project he is part of with Tony Kofi won Best Album 2005 at the BBC UK jazz awards and recently wowed both Shanghai and Porto Jazz Festivals. He is seen annually at April Jazz Fest in Helsinki and is currently the pianist in Parisian guitarist Didier Conchon's new international quintet. Artesuono is the recording studio and label of Stefano Amerio, based near Udine in the far north eastern corner of Italy. The studio has a European-wide reputation for excellence, and recently both John Taylor and Kenny Wheeler have recorded there. Manfred Eicher of ECM also uses it, as well as leading Italians such as Enrico Rava. The label similarly has a reputation for excellence. ' Gee is one of European jazz's most celebrated musicians. His music is precise, lucid and original, and at times breathtakingly lyrical ' Visions of Britain 'A remarkably assured trio album that lavishly rewards repeated listenings' Jazz Review
