“The First Lady of Smooth Jazz is a distinction that Gail Denise Jhonson has worked a lifetime to achieve.”
Gail Jhonson…piano, vocals, music director, composer, educator and author…
What an extensive journey this lady has traversed thus far in her career in the music industry!
Hailing from Philadelphia, PA, Gail is a Berklee College of Music alumni and in 2020, she received a master's degree from Southern New Hampshire University in conjunction with Berklee College of Music, in Music Business.
Her national break in the industry stemmed from her landing her first major gig with Morris Day of The Time. She relocated to Los Angeles, where she also taught for many years at Hollywood’s famed Musicians Institute.
As a musician she has worked with some of the top artists in the business, like Brenda Russell, Jermaine Jackson, Pink, Norman Brown, Patti Austin, Jeff Lorber, Bobby Womack and Jonathan Butler. And this is just the short list!
Gail is a versatile musician who plays several genres and loves the theatre. She is the resident music director of The Common Ground Theatre in San Diego. Gail has 6 CD’s penned and received a nod in the 51st Grammys. She has earned several additional awards including Best Composer/Piano from Black Women in Jazz. Her all-female jazz ensemble, Jazz in Pink celebrated their 10-year milestone in October 2019 and continues to wow jazz fans every time they take the stage! Gail is a member of NARAS and volunteers at Hands4Hope, a free after school program. Ms. Gail Jhonson is also nationally recognized as musical director for guitarist, Norman Brown, a position she has held solidly for many years.
In 2019, Gail formed Jazz in Pink.org, a 501c3 non-profit organization; “Women Making Music a Choice” the theme that Jazz in Pink has adopted to empower, enrich, inform and inspire women and girls.
As a recording artist, Gail/Jazz in Pink signed with Shanachie Entertainment in 2019. The current singles, Joy Joy and Keystroke did well on the charts! The complete CD Joy was released Oct. 2020. Gail is presently music contributor for 2 magazines, Indie Incognito and WIJSF Music Woman.
Gail has also authored method books published by Hal Leonard, including: Funk Keyboards, Dictionary of Keyboard Grooves; and later Jazzy Keyboards & Write on Manuscript Papers, all of which can be found on her website: www.gailjhonson.com.
Gail received her master’s degree Dec 2020 in Music Business from SNHU and Berklee College of Music. She has numerous videos, interviews, blog spots and social media sites.