Gail Jhonson

house band, Euge Groove, Frederic Yonnet, Gerald Albright, Jazz in Pink, Jeanette Harris, the late Jeff Golub, Jeff Lorber, Jonathan Butler, Jonathan Fritzén, Kirk Whalum, the late Luciano Pavarotti, Marcus Johnson, Marion Meadows, Marc Antoine, Michael Ward, Mike Phillips, Najee, Paul Taylor, Phil Perry, Richard Elliot, Rick Braun, Warren Hill, the late Billy Preston, Sheila E., the late Vesta Williams, Karen Briggs and more, as well as work in television, radio and musical theater

Instruments: acoustic and electric guitar, piano, harmonica Performed and/or recorded with: Melissa Manchester, Greg Manning, Mindi Abair, Jeff Ryan, Kiki Ebsen, Melanie Taylor, Dick Van Dyke, Tony Bennett, Alan Bergman, Dave Grusin, Keb’ Mo’, Gerald Albright, Dave Koz, Eric Marienthal, Andy Snitzer, Gianni Vancini, Oli Silk, Grace Kelly, Najee, Keiko Matsui, Aubrey Logan Education: Bachelor of Arts in arranging from Berklee College of Music Solo discography: No Problem, Silver Collection, A Joyful Noise, Buddha’s Ear, Sleep Suite, Say Yes, Bimini Website: www.terrywollman.com

By Ken Capobianco

jobs in smooth jazz. The talented, versatile musician has been the longtime keyboardist and music director for guitarist Norman Brown. While that’s more than enough responsibility for any musician, her work with Brown is just one of the many hats Jhonson wears these days. She is also a record producer, a label owner, a thriving solo artist who is about to release her sixth album, and a founding member of the all-women jazz collective Jazz in Pink, which celebrated its 10th anniversary this year and is set to release a new album in 2019. In addition to her roster of musical activities, Jhonson, who has also taught music for many years, has returned to her alma mater, Boston’s prestigious Berklee School of Music, to work on an online degree in music business. Jhonson is also a proud mom of daughter Tamina, who is featured on the new album. It’s this kind of dedication to her craft and tireless work ethic that have made Jhonson an indispensable figure on the popular jazz scene for the past few decades. “I’m always trying to grow as a musician and a person,” said Jhonson via phone recently. “I am balancing a lot of things, but it’s always worth it, even if it can be exhausting. I love making music and working with other musicians, and I want to pass my knowledge on to others, so teaching is very important to me.” This year, Jhonson has tried to fit in some writing and recording time for her upcoming album between her time on the road with Brown, which she admitted is time-consuming, especially for a musician as exacting as Brown.

“It sure does take up a lot of time, but I enjoy it,” she said. “My job for Norman is to take his music and present it in the best possible light. That means to support his ideas and surround the music with really great arrangements that really let the music shine, so he can concentrate on focusing on the audience and doing his thing. I need to have a good vision of what he wants to say, and make sure the band really emphasizes that. Ultimately, it’s to take his music to the next level.”

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Before she heads out with Brown on his Christmas tour, Jhonson is going to be hard at work completing Stepping into the Keys. Advance music of songs she’s finished demonstrate a great artistic leap forward for the keyboardist. The music is both accessible and contemplative and reflects her growth after a tumultuous period in her personal life, the death of her son. “The music will reflect the development—my son has been gone six years now—I’m evolving, and the music is also,” she said. “When you stop growing, you don’t have anything to say. I wanted to get a little more commercial with these songs, but I’m sure I’ll also put some more standard Gail Jhonson stuff on there. Some of it is heavier than before. I’ve got a bunch of songs from songwriters I’m going to choose from, and I have some songs I’m working on, but I’m going to have time now, and I’m excited about how it’s going to turn out.” Jazz in Pink’s 10th anniversary was a milestone of which the Philadelphia native is very proud because the group has helped place talented women musicians front and center in the very male-dominated jazz world. “Over 50 women musicians have shared the stage with us over the years, and we’ve been very fortunate to brand Jazz in Pink and keep women at the forefront of jazz,” she said. “There’s a lot of great women doing terrific things in jazz, and it’s important to get that out there. We want to make sure radio knows and retail knows so we have more opportunities, and everyone realizes we are all doing really good music. Every one of these great artists has various solo projects going, and when we get together, we showcase that.” Jhonson, who is currently producing bassist Tony Saunders’ new album, also emphasized the significance of having more women follow her lead as a music educator, another aspect of the music business that is predominantly male. “It’s very important for me to have women involved in the teaching aspect, so people can see that, yeah, women can teach music, and they have an understanding of the concepts of jazzlike improvisation and polychords or polyrhythmic stuff. That’s crucial. Believe it or not, but that’s not a given still.” By going back to school for music business, Jhonson clearly recognizes the necessity of mastering all aspects of the music industry so she can remain in control of her destiny in the often fickle and unpredictable music world. “I want to grow my label, and the technology is moving by leaps and bounds every day. I need to stay current with the music business and what’s going on around us. There are so many business models and ways to raise money and sell music. You have to stay on top of it. No one is going to do it for you.” Jhonson, a 40-plus-year music industry veteran, is the music director for the upcoming Norman Brown’s Joyous Christmas tour. She currently lives in Los Angeles, and also serves as music director of the nonprofit Hands For Hope. For more information on Jhonson, visit www.gailjhonson.com.

Instrument: keyboards Performed and/or recorded with: Phil Perry, Kirk Whalum, Nick Colionne, Kevin Whalum, Bill Withers, Boney James, Peter White, Brian Culbertson, Steve Cole, the late Aretha Franklin, the late Art Porter, the late George Howard, Ramsey Lewis, Heather Headley, Will Downing, Rick Braun, Richard Elliot, Steve Oliver, Euge Groove, Gerald Albright, Norman Brown, Maysa, Ann Hampton Callaway

Performed and/or recorded with: Brian Culbertson, Dave Koz, Ray Parker Jr., Larry Graham, the late Maurice White, Eric Darius, Bob James, Lalah Hathaway, Kirk Whalum, Nick Colionne, Jeff Lorber, Mike Phillips, George Benson, Eric Marienthal, Bootsy Collins, George Clinton, James Ingram, Patti Austin, Brenda Russell, Jane Eugene, Jeff Kashiwa, Norman Brown, Paul Jackson Jr., Rick Braun, Steve Cole, Dean James, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Miles Long band, Justin Young, The Uptown Maestros, Tom Saviano, Gerald Albright, New Edition, Ray J, Chanté Moore, Michael Lington, Norman Connors, Peabo Bryson, Phil Perry, Rob Mullins, Ronnie Laws, The Miracles, Val Watson, Jerry Peters, Rodney Taylor, Ricky Jones, the late Ali Woodson, André Fischer, Bobby Lyle, Brandy, Brent Jones, Brian McKnight, Carl Anderson, 4 By Four, Davina, En Vogue, Everette Harp, For Real, the late Gerald Levert, Immature, L.A. Jazz Syndicate, Lebo M. (musical arranger for “The Lion King” movies and stage productions), Marva King, MC Skat Kat, Michael Cooper, Paula Abdul, the late Prince, Richard Marx, the late Rudy Ray Moore, Shalamar, Sheena Easton, Thelma Houston, Tyler Collins, Club Nouveau, Craig T. Cooper, the late Esther Phillips, Helen Baylor, Mona Lisa, the late Natalie Cole, Nicholas, Philip Bailey, the late Willie Bobo, Troop, the late Whitney Houston, Bobby Brown and more