A fine bop trombonist, Matthew Gee appeared on many sessions in the 1950s but was fairly obscure during the latter part of his life. Gee started out playing trumpet, switched to baritone horn, and settled on trombone when he was 11. He studied at Alabama State, worked with Coleman Hawkins, served in the Army, and then played with Dizzy Gillespie on and off during 1946-1949. Gee had stints with Joe Morris, the Gene Ammons-Sonny Stitt band, Count Basie (eight months in 1951), Illinois Jacquet, Sarah Vaughan, and Dizzy Gillespie (for a brief time in his 1957 big band). He was a member of the Duke Ellington Orchestra (intermittently during 1959-1963), and in later years played with small combos including those of Paul Quinichette and Brooks Kerr. Matthew Gee just led one record date (Jazz by Gee, a Riverside set that has been reissued on CD), and he co-led a 1963 Atlantic session (Soul Groove) with Johnny Griffin. Gee also recorded with Lou Donaldson, Illinois Jacquet, and Ellington, among others. His main influence was J.J. Johnson. ~ Scott Yanow