Gay Pearson--Jazz and Classical Composer-Improviser
I have had the honor and artistic fulfillment of concertizing and recording with Gay Pearson on several occasions, and I have found her to be an outstanding pianist, composer and arranger.
Each track on the recording(s) I recently reviewed reflect her rare creativity in each area of her artistic gifts.
-Tyrone Brown - bassist, composer, arranger, educator, Philadelphia
Each track on the recording(s) I recently reviewed reflect her rare creativity in each area of her artistic gifts.
-Tyrone Brown - bassist, composer, arranger, educator, Philadelphia
"Gay's music is good & juicy, with a cool harmonic sense, swing, fun, romance, and drive. Check it out!"
—Kile Smith, "classical choral and instrumental " composer, Philadelphia
—Kile Smith, "classical choral and instrumental " composer, Philadelphia
"Gay's work occupies a unique position between jazz and classical music. Her improvisations and original works have a definite classical feel-avoiding some of the common pitfalls of jazz composition and improv-yet still partake of the swing and thrill of jazz."
-Gregory Hall, classical composer/improviser, Maine
-Gregory Hall, classical composer/improviser, Maine
"Pearson gives her audience a double barrel of swinging excitement that's married to a love of the lyrical melody".
-Jim Santella, Cadence 1998
-Jim Santella, Cadence 1998
Bassist Steve Swallow after his performance with "Dimensions in Jazz " series at Woodfords Church, Portland ME, April 14 2017, giving him copies of my arrangements of his tunes "Falling Grace" and Ladies and Mercedes".
My compositions do not always begin with a simple idea of a single chord, but it is important to note that I always hear harmony first, out of which melodies may or may not evolve. My favorite and easiest approach is to change one note of a chord at a time and see where that takes me, or to start with a harmonic sequence, then decide how long it should be, at what intervals it will repeat.
|
|
