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
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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".
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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.
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