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GJazz Records Reviews
CD Review: All About Jazz.com Settin' The Pace
The full-bodied big band arrangements of Frank Foster make this session swing with a lush tonality and a finger-snappin' groove. The New York ensemble that George Gee has put together tackles each standard piece with a passionate love for the art. And the timing is right. Settin' The Pace also serves as a fine tribute to what Count Basie developed and nurtured for us several decades past. Outstanding soloists on Gee's big band session include Howard Johnson, Robert Trowers, Joe Cohn, Lance Bryant, Walt Szymanski, and Carla Cook. The three vocal numbers that feature Cook offer a particularly affable impression. She fits this band quite well. While a student at Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Gee had
an opportunity to interview Count Basie for the school's radio program.
This turning point in his career gave birth to his 17-piece big band and
an eventual musical return to his native New York. “Mambo Inn”
offers an in-depth look at the joyous celebration New York provides every
day of the year. Gee is in his element here, and his studio session proves
noteworthy. He's provided the means, the tools, and the right attitude
for this band to take off. And they do.
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