10 May 2006

Jonathan Gee's Italian trio on tour

Leading UK pianist Jonathan Gee with the Italian bass player Danilo Gallo and Italian drummer Allessandro Minetto are on tour in Britain during May of 2006. Regular readers will remember Gee as a member of the Ed Jones band which took part in the Polar Jazz project organised by the Finnish Institute in London. This is Jonathan's press release:

In the summer of 2003, 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 Scott's club in London. The trio played at Duc des Lombards in Paris in January 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, Azerbaijan, 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.

Some press comments about Jonathan Gee:

"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  

 

See also:

Jari Perkiömäki receives jazz award

25 November 2005

Pygmy Jazz breaks through

19 February 2001

Jazz life in Helsinki

12 February 2001

The art of falling in love by Ed Jones

Focus 2001

Polar Jazz: European jazz redefined by Chris Parker

Focus 2000

Kenny Wheeler hits it off with Jan Simons

27 November 2000

Britain's jazz veterans join forces with young Finns

7 August 2000

Mika Mylläri stars in Pori Jazz

17 July 2000

BURN: "Dynamic project"

30 May 2000

BURN at Vortex and Bath Jazz Festival

29 May 2000

Northern Lights over Stoke Newington

26 May 2000

Wheeler and Mikkonen open Polar Jazz at Vortex

25 May 2000

Polar Jazz 2000 at Vortex

Vortex Jazz Bar Programme, 2000

Kenny Wheeler featured in Polar Jazz

14 April 2000

Ed Jones Quintet's adventures in Finland

June 1998

"A taut front line": Jones and Mylläri tour Scotland and Finland

February 1998

Ed Jones adds Finnish flavour to his jazz band

January 1998

Finnish jazz benefits from more international contacts

January 1998



Go to Jonathan Gee's website

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