Album Notes

2008 has been a fantastic year for Gail, and is just gets better with time!

PEARLS...the new CD by Gail Jhonson is now signed by NuGroove Records, based in Moorestown NJ. This CD follows her well-received musical tracks from her 2004 release KEEP THE MUSIC PLAYING.

It’s About Time...was originally written and produced in 1994 and later released in 1996. Here is a little history of how this record developed. Prior to this, I had several groups that had label potential-"2X2" a contemporary jazz quartet, "One on One" a keyboard & guitar R&B duo & all-female jazz qunitet "Beau". None of those projects panned out, then I had the opportunity to work with guitarist Norman Brown in 1991. I soon became music director and I was very excited about us going on tour and opening up for superstar Patti LaBelle. After we finished the west coast “leg” of the tour (no pun intended), we traveled on the long awaited tour bus back east. Well, I didn’t make it to the first gig, I broke my leg...and had to be sent back home. I was devasted! I had a new baby to support and was unable to gig. So with a little help and my savings, I stayed home and decided to write “jazz” songs & submit them to various new “smooth jazz” artists. Like most musicians, we all invested in home studios; and mine paid off. As a novice studio engineer, I compiled tracks I already recorded, wrote new ones, got some of my talented friends to play or sing, then pitched them to everyone I could. Well, at the time, no one was interested.
However, before the tour, I did a photo shoot for Mackie Corp. The pictures were professionally done, so I used them to help me launch my solo project after so many years of being in original bands, duos, quartets, playing R&B, Funk, Disco and Jazz. I also wrote tracks for vocalists, producers, rappers & budding hip-hop artists. So, my mindset is was to treat this project as a demo and somebody would be interested & sign me up. Well that didn’t happen either. I guess I was waiting for a big-time producer to come along & realize he needed a female, piano player comodity like me! So I turned to Gospel music & Theatre and found un-speakable joy!
I contined to play jazz with many artists and have written many songs over the years. When I decided to do this, my family said IT’S ABOUT TIME you concentrate on you & your music. So with my “demo” and newly found freedom of expression and indie label Philly the Kid Records, I made less than 100 copies. It’s late 2007, and I decided to master these tracks & make them available in my catalog. I was unable to re-mix te original music, so the sound quality isn’t great; but the feeling & attitude of the music speaks for itself. I hope you find joy and feel like toe-tappin’ while you listen!