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| PRESS |
| NORTHERN STAR PEOPLE: |
"Myllari is a terrific trumpeter who responds to Gee's busy lines with equally virtuosic improvisations... The tunes make up a potted history of electro-jazz: the squidgy 1980s tones of Blue; the sneaky groove of Red Ball; 147's tunefully modified drum and bass. Nice." John L. Walters, The Guardian "...astonishing... This is Jazz Fusion for the 21st century with staggeringly complex drum and sound programming featuring very Eddie Henderson ‘Kudu’-period style trumpet and very angular analogue-sounding keyboards. The fact that there is so much going on in the production doesn’t detract, infact it adds to the ‘wow factor’." Snowboy, Blues and Soul "...breathtaking risks, improvisational genius, all channelled through technical assurance, provide edge-of-the-seat excitement." Chris Parker, Vortex Jazz Club "Gee and Myllari, who have worked regularly together in Finland for about ten years, launched this latest collaboration at the London Jazz Festival in 2008. The tunes—half written by Gee, half by Myllari—reference a wide variety of electric and electronic genres, from trumpeter Miles Davis' early 1970s albums, through electro, jazz funk, 1980s synth pop, musique concrete and on to modern electronica. They do this, in the main, with a relish bordering on the manic, affectionately singling out and magnifying trademark mannerisms and anachronisms, and using them as the departure points for passionate and engaged improvising." Chris May, All About Jazz |
Jonathan
Gee Trio, Future
Inns Jazz Club, Bristol, April 2010: "And
the leader, an unfailingly interesting player who eschews blinding
technique for its own sake, and breaking new ground when older ground
is so fertile. He has a splendid, probing style which turns on exact
placement of the note, and makes you want to know what the next
one is going to be because you are caught up in the expectation,
tension and release which underpins musical pleasure. No wonder
he likes Monk so much." |
New
York Trio, Chapel Arts Centre, Bath, November 2009:
"an
evening of world class piano trio music with the ceaseless flow
of lyrical ideas from Jonathan Gee at the piano to the fore."
Mike Collins, jazz
& music blog |
| Click here for reviews of Jonathan's Italian Trio album, Cream of Mandarins. |
| "Jonathan Gee isn't usually discussed in the same breath as Django Bates or Julian Joseph among the younger generation of powerful British improvising pianists, but judging by recent performances, notably on the David Murray tour last year, he has blossomed into a performer of flexibility, resourcefulness and technical command to rival any of his generation" - The Guardian "Reflective, beautifully poised pianist, with the stunning drummer Winston Clifford and bassist Steve Rose " - The Independent "Depth and maturity...sparky and sensitive... Gee is a compelling pianist, and his debut album is outstanding..(his) incisive improvisatory style is capable of packing a wealth of rhythmic and harmonic ideas into a single phrase. Gee and Rose are two of the most continually inspiring musicians in town." - Time Out "Gee's band works like the best piano trios, with conversational exchanges between the instruments - he can swing hard with drive, he can be reflective like Bill Evans, and his originals are strong. " - The Guardian "Meticulously crafted themes contain much thought and originality ..inventive original pianist." - The Evening Standard "An absorbing programme of originals by Jonathan, this displaying well the remarkable clarity of his own lines and the ability of these particular players to explore the various facets of the tried and tested trio format. As ever, Winston Clifford is quite outstanding." - Jazz UK "What was particularly striking was the trio's avoidance of the routine. Straight No Chaser and Autumn Leaves were ruthlessly deconstructed, the latter especially, and although far less radical, My One and Only Love had the kind of delicate freshness that a ballad singer might envy." - The Glasgow Herald "He is one of European jazz's most celebrated musicians… His music is precise, lucid and original, and at times breathtakingly lyrical." - Visions of Britain "Passionate yet unflashy, Gee hasn't yet achieved their (Herbie Hancock and Keith Jarrett) technical bravado, but for rhythmic sophistication he's right up there… Listen to their momentum on 'Rathbone Place ', the delicacy of 'Raiders of the Lost Legato', the ingenuity of 'Because' and the lyricism of 'When I Fall In Love'." - London Evening Standard
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