Introducing Pacific East Artists

Hiromu  Aoki

Based in Tokyo, Hiromu lists Ahmad Jamal as the pianist who most influenced him. Hiromu is one of the Japanese musicians that Stanley Gilbert has chosen to record. For more information about Hiromu (in Japanese) see his site at main.aokihiromu.com.

Carl  Burnett

Carl's crisp, elegant and swinging drum work has graced countless live performances and recordings. Carl's drums have backed artists ranging from Sarah Vaughn, Freddie Hubbard and Eddie Harris to Marvin Gaye and O.C. Smith, and they can be heard on albums by Horace Silver, Art Pepper, the Three Sounds, Freddie Hubbard and Kenny Burrell, among others.

Carl was among the last to study with Sam Browne (whose students had already included Dexter Gordon and Chico Hamilton) at Los Angeles' Jefferson High School. From there, Carl went on to become one of leading musicians on the west coast, in the '60s, in the '70s, and up to today.

Carl's musical collaboration with Stanley Gilbert began in the Cal Tjader Quintet and Gene Harris Trio of the late '60s, Freddie Hubbard's band and the Friends of Distinction in the '70s, and continues today in the recordings they have made together for the Japanese market, which will be appearing on Pacific East Music.

Stanley  Gilbert

An exceptional bass player who has worked at the highest levels of jazz, classical and rhythm and blues, Stanley has worked with some of the all-time greats (Benny Carter, Thelonius Monk, Andrew Hill), with creators of the west coast style of playing (Buddy Collette, Chico Hamilton), and the outstanding musicians of his own generation (Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson, Oliver Nelson). A mainstay of the west coast scene in the '60s and '70s, you can find Stan's work on albums by Gerald Wilson, Kenny Burrell, Blue Mitchell, Mose Allison, Les McCann and more. At the same time, Stan was working as a classical musician, with the Long Beach and San Diego symphonies, and eventually, after auditioning for Maestro Zubin Mehta in 1972, with the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Stanley relocated to Japan in the early '80s, when resident foreigners were much rarer than they are today. In Japan, he has worked with American musicians, including his old friend from Los Angeles, when they tour Japan, and with Japanese musicians. Stanley's years in Japan have certainly influence and enlarged his sensibility, developing what we might call a pacific rim cosmopolitanism. This adds something a little different to Stanley's music, hopefully something that you will hear and enjoy.

Harvey  Mason

Perhaps best known for his work with Herbie Hancock's Headhunters, which launched a whole school of funk and fusion drumming, and for his role in Fourplay, Harvey is an extraordinarily versatile musician. For Harvey's long list of credits and his biography, check out his own website at www.harveymason.com.

Harvey and Stanley Gilbert first worked together in the early '70s. At that time, Stanley was musical director for the Friends of Distinction and he brought Harvey on board for a stint as the Friends' drummer. Although their collaboration began in the realm of '70s soul, in recent years they have worked together on the west coast-style recordings that will be released on Pacific East Music.

Llew  Matthews

A musician's musician, always in demand by his peers for his composing, arranging and piano work, Llew is most visible to the public directing Nancy Wilson's orchestra from the piano bench.

Llew's articulate, exquisite touch on the keyboard allows him to phrase any material melodically, even the most musically complex. At the same time, Llew's improvisations are full of ideas, and his phrases can take you to many surprising and interesting places, even after repeated listening.

Llew is a native New Yorker who studied at the New York College of Music and worked the New York scene with, among others, Kenny Dorham, Jackie MacLean and the Latin Jazz Sextet + 2, before finding himself at home in Los Angeles and the West Coast scene. For more about Llew, see his mySpace page at www.myspace.com/llewmatthews.