“All of my songs are my babies.  Those are my pearls.  Those are my gems. [It’s] just something that I’m trying to express, and to get out, and make it a concrete something that can affect somebody.  That’s always the goal.  I’m just hoping that I touched somebody’s heart.”

In the male dominated world of smooth jazz musicians, Gail Jhonson not only stands out because she’s a woman, but because of her incredible talent.  Sure, we have great female vocalists, but the instrumentalists are a little harder to find.  She calls herself the kitten amongst all the cats.  It is with great pleasure that Smoothviews presents our first OTS woman; keyboardist, pianist, organist, vocalist, composer, and Musical Director for Norman Brown – Gail Jhonson.

Philadelphia native Gail Jhonson began tinkering with the keys when she was around two years old. Her grandmother bought her and her sister an organ, and she played it whenever she visited her.  Gail began taking lessons at age 10.  Her family did their best to support her efforts to learn.  “I can’t thank her (Mom) enough for that.  That’s kind of my motto now – Mom, the piano lessons will pay off, and Dad, its okay to let your daughter play jazz.”

Gail is a part of a long Philadelphia music tradition.  Philly has given us such musical talents as John Coltrane, Patti Labelle, Frankie Beverly & Maze, Boys II Men, Thom Bell, TSOP, George Howard, Dexter Wansel, and the great Grover Washington, Jr.  Growing up in Philadelphia afforded Gail the opportunity to hear all kinds of music, and she was influenced by many great players: James Williams, Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, Ahmad Jamal, McCoy Tyner, John Novello, and the one she calls the master, George Duke. When she began her career, she backed such groups as The Stylistics and Blue Magic.  Her first tour was with Brandi Wells.  It wasn’t long before Gail left Philly and headed west to L.A., where the smooth jazz music scene was just beginning to take shape.  “We come here to really make it all happen, and come together, and network, and really set the standard for musicianship.”   Her big break came with Morris Day & the Time.  From there, she went on to play with Jermaine Jackson, Milli Vanilli, Bobby Womack, Howard Hewitt, Phil Perry, Bobby Lyle, Guy, Pink, O.C. Smith, Ray Parker, Jr., Paul Jackson, Jr., Vanessa Williams, and others.  “I’ve really had a very wide, diverse playing experience behind vocalists, bands, and instrumentalists.”  She’s played on several TV shows, including Soul Train, BET on Jazz, MTV, The Tonight Show, and Lou Rawl’s Parade of Stars.  She’s also produced several rap groups and started her own studio.  “Once I got into the R&B scene, it was just so crazy with the women, and the drugs, and on and on and on.  I said this scene is not for me.  Let’s go back to jazz.”  She has played with so many people, but there are still a few musicians on her short list of who she would love to play with: Al Jarreau, Bob James, Horace Silver, and the late Joe Williams are very high on that list.

Even though she plays piano and keyboard, the organ is her first love.”  She also played the flute and the piccolo for a time. “I played for about six years with the All City Band & Orchestra.”  In addition, she tinkers with other instruments like drums, bass, and guitar, just enough so she can mentor her youth group, The Praise & Glory Youth Band.  “I know how to get on the drums.  I know how to put the two and the four.  I know how to get on the bass and find the frets, and find tempo bass lines.  I know a couple of guitar chords. I make them play all the instruments.  I try to encourage them, even if they don’t want to do it.  [I want to] just give them something to do, especially when they get angry, or they feel alone or sad.  They can just go to their instrument, whatever that is, instead of holding that inside, because it’s going to come out.  If we can find a creative way that that they can do it, that’s good.”

Gail is best known for being the keyboardist for Norman Brown’s band.  She began as a keyboard sub that did a very good job, so much so that 17 years later, she is still in the band as his keyboardist and Musical Director.  Gail is very protective of Norman, and feels its part of her job to be so.  “I’m there for him for whatever he needs.  I try to find the best people to be around him that will be team players, that won’t try to hurt him or undermine his career.  In this business, you have to wear a lot of hats.  I feel like this is part of my job.”  

Gail has released several solo CD’s; It’s About Time (1996), Keep the Music Playing (2004), and Pearls, which just released at the end of April.She worked with such talented artists as Norman Brown, Nelson Braxton, Marion Meadows, and Paul Brown on this latest project.  “I had already had the vision of what I wanted.  It turned out to be a really, really nice project.  I really could listen to song after song.  I’m really proud of it.” 

In addition to her playing and producing, Gail is an avid song writer as well.  She received a B.A. in Music Composition from the prestigious Berklee College of Music.  Gail has written music for other artists, as well as songs for her CD’s.

This year marks the fourth year of Norman Brown’s Summer Storm. While Norman is at the helm, Gail will be the one keeping the band on track.   They are already into the tour.  “I like to say that I had a hand in encouraging Norman to get his own thing going because for years, the band is unemployed while he was off with Dave Koz. (Laugh)  Once the opportunity came, he grabbed it and had to come up with a concept.  It’s very organic.  It’s moving along.”      

Gail is a proud working mother whose 14 year old daughter will be attending a specialized music school for performing arts.  “I’m telling you, she’s fantastic.  She’s 14 and already playing ‘Giant Steps,’ ‘Cantaloupe Island,’ ‘Killer Joe,’ and ‘Satin Doll.’  I’m teaching her all the classics and trying to give her that independence.  I want her to know music.”  She offers advice not only to her daughter, and her youth group, but to all young aspiring musicians,”Concentrate on hearing, and get a strong foundation with rhythm.  Just listen to some of the styles.  Be open to various styles, but don’t be too versatile.  I think you can explore but once you find something, really just tick it.  What really did tick me was straight ahead jazz.  That’s really my heart.  That’s really what I love playing the most.”  She has also worked with her son, an aspiring rap artist, and produced a CD called Saving Grace, which features the talents of both her son and her daughter. 

Gail would love to see more women in the instrumental smooth jazz world. “It’s way too male dominated.”  She would love to play more festivals.  “That’s the kind of attention I need to have, in front of some of these audiences where people really enjoy smooth jazz, and see a really diverse range of people that are involved in it.”  (Not a bad idea, if you ask me.  It could be the smooth jazz version of Lilith Fair, perhaps?) 

In the meantime, Gail will be promoting Pearls.  She will stay as busy as ever as Norman Brown and his band immerse themselves in the fourth year of the Summer Storm tour, as well as continue to write, produce, and mentor her children and the Praise & Glory Youth Band.