Guymon Ensley ~ GEQ Jazz: Blog

It's pretty cool to share something that you and your brother have shared as little people. My little brother Kermit played clarinet through high school. But at the age of six, Mother started him with piano lessons. Those really paid off because early in his career he performed with numerous R&B bands, including a band with Grammy Award winner Anita Baker (before she started with Chapter Eight).  He has also served as church organist in several Music Ministries throughout the years. 
 
Kermit and I worked together as kids in a trumpet solo act, with me on trumpet and him on piano. Our Mother booked us frequently at church events and community functions, performing Baroque pieces such as Fur Elise, by Beethoven. More recently in 2006, we recorded tracks together during the recording of my second release "Meet Guymon Ensley" at the noted Harmony Park Studio in Detroit Michigan.
Now, my little brother and I are together again in the studio, [...]

It's been almost ten years since I started my band GEQ. There were several personnel changes during this span and I am happy to have worked with some of the finest musicians in Michigan. GEQ has performed on cruise ships touring the Caribbean and the Hawaiian Islands, and has performed at some of the most prestigious venues and jazz festivals in Michigan. Our first CD, "Here Put This On" was released in 2003 and the EP, "Meet Guymon Ensley" in 2006. We were proud to receive nominations from the 2006 Detroit Music Awards for "Outstanding Jazz Group/Artist" and "Best Jazz Composer." So far it's been a BLAST!
2011 was a time to re-tool, shift gears and re-direct. It was the time that I used to focus on my musicianship and to discover the many facets of this diamond that shine the brightest, and to polish those facets to make them shine even brighter.  I've surrounded myself with talented, [...]

Those GEQ Jazz artists are spending a lot of time in the studio these days, working on the next product from the GEQ Jazz camp. The CD that's scheduled for release later this year will have more of an adult contemporary jazz flavor. "Writing for this album is a bit different than writing for my jazz quintet, 'GEQ'  .  .  . it takes me back to some of my R&B experiences that I've missed." Stay tuned for more updates on how the project is going.The "Getjazzed Trio" has stayed fairly busy, bringing its unique sounds of classic jazz arrangements to functions sponsored by such organizations  as  AARP, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the Detroit Medical Center. "GEQ" has yet to schedule any public appearances due to the ongoing recording project, but look for the performance schedule coming soon  .  .  .  still swinging with  the best in classic jazz and  bebop, and those hot originals.   Visit [...]

I think all of us can recall experiences we’ve had in grade school as children that we remember as if it were yesterday.  One of my favorites was the start of my study of instrumental music.  I wrote briefly, of that experience in the liner notes of my first CD that I released in 2003.  The notes mentioned two persons, one of whom was Mr. Raymond C. Schultz, my first band teacher.  Last week, I was contacted by a high school friend whom I renewed a friendship with through facebook recently.  Jerry, who is now a music teacher in Kansas, informed me that Mr. Schultz had passed away.  Mr. Schultz was everyone’s favorite teacher, partly because band was a class many of us looked forward to starting when we were in the fourth grade.  Many of us were influenced by upper classmen that were already playing their instruments, and subsequently, we developed a passion for music.  Mr. Schultz seemed to make it easy.  I remember him as being very [...]

Grade school and junior high band classes were a breeze. They were something I looked forward to because I excelled with instrumental music studies, mainly because I had a serious passion for playing the trumpet, like someone I greatly admired, Marvin Turner "Poncho."  He was two years ahead of me and was the most talented person I knew. He played the trumpet beautifully and I wanted to be just like him.When my teachers advanced me to the high school band while I was still in grade school, I hit a brick wall when it came to reading the music. I found out that my ability to read music was well below what it should have been. As a result, I was determined to strengthen my weakness in this area.Entering Western Michigan University as an applied music major after graduating from River Rouge High School proved to be even more difficult. I struggled in my private lessons as well as other performance classes like the symphonic orchestra [...]