Gene Ess is a Japanese-American jazz guitarist. He was a member of the Rashied Ali Quintet, working with
Ravi Coltrane,
Archie Shepp
Archie Shepp (born May 24, 1937) is an American jazz saxophonist, educator and playwright who since the 1960s has played a central part in the development of avant-garde jazz.
Biography Early life
Shepp was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but ...
,
Lonnie Plaxico
Lonnie Plaxico (born September 4, 1960) is an American jazz double bassist.
Biography
Plaxico was born in Chicago, Illinois, into a musical family, and started playing the bass at the age of twelve, turning professional at fourteen (playing bot ...
, and
Reggie Workman
Reginald "Reggie" Workman (born June 26, 1937 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American avant-garde jazz and hard bop double bassist, recognized for his work with both John Coltrane and Art Blakey.
Career
Early in his career, Workman wo ...
.
Career
Ess was born Gene Shimosato in
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...
, Japan, and raised in
Okinawa
is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi).
Naha is the capital and largest city ...
on an American military base. In his early teens, he was a performing musician in Okinawa. He studied classical music at
George Mason University, then attended
Berklee College of Music,
where he became interested in jazz, particularly the music of
John Coltrane
John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music.
Born and raise ...
.
Ess moved to
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
and became a member of a band led by
Rashied Ali
Rashied Ali, born Robert Patterson (July 1, 1933 – August 12, 2009) was an American free jazz and avant-garde drummer best known for playing with John Coltrane in the last years of Coltrane's life.
Biography Early life
Patterson was born and ...
.
He toured with Ali and recorded on his album ''No One in Particular''. While in this group, he played with Ravi Coltrane,
Eddie Henderson,
Carlos Santana, Archie Shepp, and Reggie Workman
Ess's album ''Modes of Limited Transcendence'' (2009) received the 2010
SESAC Outstanding Jazz Performance Award.
The album includes compositions by Ess and pianist
Tigran Hamasyan
Tigran Hamasyan ( hy, Տիգրան Համասյան; born July 17, 1987) is an Armenian jazz pianist and composer. He plays mostly original compositions, which are strongly influenced by the Armenian folk tradition, often using its scales and mod ...
. In 2012, he released ''A Thousand Summers'', which contains vocals by
Nicki Parrott.
Following this, Ess released ''Fractal Attraction'' (2013), which continues his exploration of voice in a chamber group setting. The album was recorded with
Thana Alexa
Thana Alexa (born Thana Alexa Pavelić; born March 19, 1987) is an American jazz vocalist, composer, arranger and producer.
Biography Early life
Alexa's interest in music began at age three when she disappeared from a birthday party and was dis ...
on vocals,
David Berkman on piano, Thomas Kneeland on drums, and Gene Jackson on drums. Ess has also worked with
Al Foster
Aloysius Tyrone Foster (born January 18, 1943) is an American jazz drummer. Foster's professional career began in the mid-60s, when he played and recorded with hard bop and swing musicians including Blue Mitchell and Illinois Jacquet. Foster ...
,
Slide Hampton,
Dave Liebman
David Liebman (born September 4, 1946) is an American saxophonist, flautist and jazz educator. He is known for his innovative lines and use of atonality. He was a frequent collaborator with pianist Richie Beirach.
In June 2010, he received ...
, and
Clark Terry.
Discography
As leader
* ''Sunrise Falling'' (Amp, 2003)
* ''Sandbox and Sanctum'' (Simp, 2005)
* ''Modes of Limited Transcendence'' (Simp, 2008)
* ''A Thousand Summers'' (Simp, 2012)
* ''Fractal Attraction'' (Simp, 2013)
* ''Eternal Monomyth'' (Simp, 2015)
* ''Absurdist Theater'' (Simp, 2016)
* ''Apotheosis'' (Simp, 2018)
* ''Ah-Bop'' (Simp, 2022)
As sideman
* One World Tribe, ''Prayer for September'' (Paddle Wheel, 1995)
* Rashied Ali Quintet, ''No One in Particular'' (Survival, 2001)
References
External links
Official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ess, Gene
Year of birth missing (living people)
Living people
American musicians of Japanese descent
American jazz guitarists