Gene Ess
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Gene Ess is a Japanese American award winning guitarist who has a diverse background which contributes to his unique style. After Graduating from the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston in 1990, Ess moved to New York in 1991 where his musical career soon took off. He has worked with many wonderful musicians, some of which are Harvie S, Dave Liebman, Donny McCaslin, Al Foster, Santana, Rashied Ali, Danilo Perez, Gene Jackson, and Slide Hampton.[1] Ess was a member of the Rashied Ali Quintet working with Ravi Coltrane, Archie Shepp, Lonnie Plaxico, and Reggie Workman.[2]
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[edit] Biography
Award winning guitarist, Gene Ess, draws upon a diverse background to form his unique style. Studying classical piano, Ess’s early years were filled with sounds of Beethoven and Chopin. Originally from Tokyo, Japan and growing up on a US Air Force Base on Okinawa, Ess was simultaneously receiving a mix of influences: he was exposed to the indigenous music of Okinawa and - to the pop and jazz music coming out of the clubs for the American soldiers. All this amounted for an early obsession with music. Considered a child prodigy by fellow musicians and instructors, Ess performed in clubs and festivals all around Okinawa at the early age of 14. After graduating high school, not satisfied, Ess left for George Mason University. There, Ess pursued classical music studies with Larry Snitzler, a prominent concert guitarist who was once Andres Segovia's disciple and orchestral composition under Dr. Glenn Smith.
Downbeat magazine presented Ess’s performance of Lennox Berkeley's 'Theme and Variations' with the 'Outstanding Performance Award' in 1983. Consequently, Ess received a scholarship to attend the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston. There he continued his musical quest and was heavily influenced by the music of John Coltrane. After studies with Jerry Bergonzi and Charlie Banacos, Ess graduated from Berklee with honors in 1990 and moved to New York in 1991.
During the 90s he worked with the great drummer and member of the John Coltrane group of the mid-60's, Rashied Ali, touring globally and recording a well received album “No One in Particular”. Through this group, Gene met and played with Carlos Santana, Ravi Coltrane, Eddie Henderson, Archie Shepp, and Reggie Workman among many others.
Gene's last album, "Modes of Limited Transcendence," has received great reviews globally. This album received the prestigious 2010 SESAC Outstanding Jazz Performance Award. This album features original compositions by Gene and piano wunderkind Tigran Hamasyan.
In 2012, Gene released a new album featuring vocals for the first time. The album titled “A Thousand Summers” will be available February 1, 2012. The music features Nicki Parrott on vocals and beautiful songs from the jazz canon carefully arranged by Gene and Thomson Kneeland. The album features Gene Ess on gtr, Nicki Parrott on vocals, James Weidman on piano, Thomson Kneeland on bass, and Gene Jackson on drums.
Over his career, Gene has performed and recorded with many wonderful musicians. Some are Dave Liebman, Al Foster, Rashied Ali, Clark Terry, Slide Hampton, Carlos Santana, Archie Shepp, Reggie Workman, Tigran Hamasyan, and Ravi Coltrane. [3]
[edit] Discography
One World Tribe, Prayer for September (Paddle Wheel King Records, 1995)[4]
Rashied Ali Quintet, No One in Particular (Survival Records, 2001)[4]
Gene Ess, Sunrise Falling (Amp Records, 2003)[4]
Gene Ess, Sandbox and Sanctum (SIMP Records, 2005)[4]
Gene Ess, Modes of Limited Transcendence (SIMP Records, 2008)[4]
Gene Ess, A Thousand Summers (SIMP Records, 2012)[4]
