Upon its founding by Gero in 2012, Yamaha Entertainment Group is the succession of Yamaha Corporate Artist Affairs, which Gero also founded in 2001.[6]
History
Chris Gero's career at Yamaha began in the early 1990s as a sponsored artist. When that agreement ended, he began working with them in a consulting role which led to a permanent position, focused on artist services. Gero then developed a revived artist services platform that found ways to support artists through materials and services, e.g., equipment and marketing, and to strengthen Yamaha's brand in the world of music. This direction ultimately led to the production of films, records, promo videos and large format concerts.[7]
In 2000, Gero launched Yamaha's "All Access" Magazine, publishing its premiere issue in the summer of that year.[8] In January 2009, the magazine expanded to include online behind-the-scenes content.[9] Gero's efforts have facilitated the use of Yamaha pianos at several NFLSuper Bowl performances - Paul McCartney in 2005,[10]Alicia Keys in 2013[11] and John Legend in 2015.[12]
In September 2012, Yamaha created a new division, Yamaha Entertainment Group of America, under Gero's direction.[13] With the establishment of Yamaha Entertainment Group, the company now offers recording and video production studios to help artists record, produce, and market their original content, as a means to expand the collaboration efforts and enhance the global brand messaging.[4] Gero states that the Yamaha Entertainment Group is a unique entity within Yamaha, not just because of its focus, but because of its small size and personal nature. Being able to maintain such a working environment in a conservative corporation resulted from years of successful results from Gero's (and his staff's) artist and industry relationships.[14] Yamaha Entertainment Group of America has partnered with ADA (Alternative Distribution Alliance) for the marketing, promotion and distribution of the label's releases. The record label's artist roster includes Nathan East, Bob James, Jason Webb, Frederic Chiu, LEOGUN and Pull Start Rockets. Yamaha Entertainment Group has also produced and directed several film projects, including Elton John's The Million Dollar Piano[15] and "The Making of Elton John's The Million Dollar Piano,"[16] "Nathan East: For The Record," [17] "The Making of Leogun By The Reins,"[18] the Emmy Award-winning short film "The Gift", and behind-the-scenes exclusives for Yamaha's All Access magazine.
In 2003, Gero produced the NAMM Foundation Concert Honoring Sir Elton John, presented by Yamaha, which raised $330,000 to benefit music education and research. Beneficiaries of the funds raised by the event include The American Music Conference (AMC), The International Foundation for Music Research (IFMR) and The Museum of Making Music. The star-studded benefit was held January 17, 2003 [20] at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim. Hosted by Emmy Award winning actor Eric McCormack, some of the world's most popular artists participated in the concert, each performing an Elton John classic. The concert rundown featured Nikka Costa ("Levon"), Rufus Wainwright ("Goodbye Yellow Brick Road"), Eric McCormack ("Captain Fantastic"), Bruce Hornsby ("Burn Down The Mission"), Jewel ("Your Song"), Brian McKnight ("Rocket Man"), Norah Jones ("Tiny Dancer"), Brian Wilson ("Someone Saved My Life Tonight"), Randy Newman ("Benny And The Jets"), Diana Krall ("Border Song"), Take 6 ("Philadelphia Freedom"), Vanessa Carlton ("Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me"), Ray Charles ("Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word"), Michael McDonald ("Take Me To the Pilot"), Carmen Twillie and the Circle of Life Choir (tribute to "The Lion King") and John Mayer (a duet with Elton John on "Sacrifice"). Elton John then hit the stage, entertaining the audience for more than an hour with a selection of songs, after which all the performers returned to the stage for the grand finale, "Crocodile Rock."[21]
On January 14, 2010, Gero produced Yamaha's 50th Anniversary Dealer Concert - held in conjunction with the Winter NAMM event - at Disney California Adventure Park's Hyperion Theater. The show's lineup of performers included Natalie Cole, Jason Mraz, Michael McDonald, Vince Gill, John Ondrasik of Five for Fighting, Jon McLaughlin and the band Pull Start Rockets, including a special surprise appearance by comedian Damon Wayans.[22]
In 2013, Gero produced a concert for Yamaha's 125th anniversary featuring Elton John, which earned the reputation as the "concert heard around the world". Using Yamaha's patented Disklavier technology, which allows live performances to be measured by a computer and instantly reproduced on remote acoustic pianos in participating cities, audiences from around the world (including Moscow, Vancouver, Seoul and 56 other cities throughout the globe) were able to see, hear, and be a part of this live interactive and fully immersive concert experience.[23] This was the first instance where Disklaviers were used to play live performances, not recorded ones.[24] Gero has stated, "the hope is that live communication between instruments will go beyond spectacles like this concert, and that, for instance, a master class can be taught in Tokyo, taught to 500 kids around the world, and it be completely tactile. This technology is changing the way music is made and performed."[25][26] Other artists who performed that night include Amy Grant, Chaka Khan, Dave Grusin, David Foster, Earth, Wind & Fire, Jackson Browne, James Newton Howard, LEOGUN, Lucy Schwartz, Michael McDonald, Sarah McLachlan, Sinbad and Toto. Elton John was accompanied by with a 60-piece orchestra, under the musical direction of Yamaha artist and award-winning bassist Nathan East.[27]
Gero is GRAMMY nominated for Nathan East and an Emmy award winner for "The Gift."[32] Gero has produced several albums, including LEOGUN's album, By The Reins, which was released in June 2013,[33] LEOGUN's self-titled EP released in 2012, as well as an album from Pull Start Rockets released in July 2013.
Gero co-produced the solo debut album for bassist Nathan East, which was released on March 25, 2014[34][35]Nathan East features collaborations with Eric Clapton ("Can't Find My Way Home"), Stevie Wonder ("Overjoyed"), Michael McDonald ("Moondance"), Sara Bareilles ("I Can Let Go Now"), Ray Parker Jr. ("Daft Funk"), Bob James and Chuck Loeb of Fourplay, David Paich of Toto, Michael Thompson, Tom Scott, Jeff Babko and more. The album debuted at the top of Billboard's jazz charts and spent an unprecedented 36 weeks at the top of the SmoothJazz.com Top 50 chart, features the No. 1 jazz single and video "Daft Funk," and the single "101 Eastbound." It was nominated for a GRAMMY for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album.[36] Gero and East teamed up again to produce East's second solo album Reverence, which was released in January 2017. The album received wide critical acclaim upon its release, and has since landed the number one spot on both the iTunes and Billboard jazz charts.
Gero produced the 2015 release The New Cool alongside GRAMMY honored jazz luminaries, keyboardist Bob James and bassist Nathan East, on Yamaha Entertainment Group. Recorded entirely in Nashville, Tennessee, the album was released on September 18, 2015. The New Cool initially debuted at No. 2 on Billboard's Current Contemporary Jazz Chart and jumped to the No.10 spot on JazzWeek's Top 50 Jazz Chart.[37] The album is centered around piano and bass duets by James and East with a few handpicked classics, such as a new rendition of Willie Nelson's hit, "Crazy" which includes vocals from Vince Gill.[38] The track "Ghost of a Chance" received a GRAMMY Award nomination under the Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella category.[39]
Film Direction
In 2000, Gero produced "Michael McDonald: A Gathering of Friends," a concert hosted by Jeff Bridges. The show consisted of McDonald performing duets with a variety of well known artists, including Patti LaBelle, Christopher Cross, James Ingram, Kenny Loggins, The Doobie Brothers and Jeff Bridges himself. A DVD of the concert was released on Image Entertainment a year later in 2001 and went on to become a PBS Special.[40]
On September 29, 2012, Gero oversaw the filming of Sarah McLachlan's special encore performance for a Disklavier TV broadcast from her house in Canada. The performance footage was hosted on Disklavier TV so people who own Yamaha Disklavier pianos can have the piano reproduce her performance in their own homes.[41]
Gero produced and directed the full length concert film of Elton John's "The Million Dollar Piano", which was released through Cinema Live on March 18 and March 26, 2014 in 1,200 movie theaters throughout the world.[42] Gero also produced and directed the 2014 DVD "Making The Million Dollar Piano," an hour-long documentary on the making of the custom-designed Yamaha piano featured in Elton John's Las Vegas show, "Million Dollar Piano." A short form of the DVD is part of a bundle package with John's album "The Diving Board," released by Best Buy.[43] Yamaha Entertainment Group also produced a DVD release of the live show. The DVD was released July 1, 2014 and distributed by Eagle Rock Entertainment.[44]
Gero received the 2015 Noble Globe Award at the 4th Annual Heifer International Beyond Hunger: A Place At The Table gala event; an award honoring supporters of Heifer International who embody the charity's core values. The annual event focuses on raising awareness and resources for marginalized women and their families around the world. Heifer recognizes the integral role women have in feeding the world and believe there is no development strategy more beneficial to society than one that includes women as central players.
Awards and recognition
Year
Award
Project
Category
Result
2015
Accolade Global Film Competition
The Gift
Award of Excellence, Best Original Score (Composer)
Won
Aurora Awards
Platinum Award, Best Original Score (Composer)
Won
Platinum Award, Best of Show (Composer)
Won
DAVEY Awards
Best Music, Commercial Film (Composer)
Won
Best Music, Online Video (Composer)
Won
Emmy Awards
Music Composer/Arranger
Won
Hermes Creative Awards
Platinum Award - Best Original Score (Composer)
Won
IndieFest Film Awards
Award of Excellence (Director)
Won
MarCom Awards
Best Original Music (Composer)
Won
Videographer Awards
Platinum Award, Best Original Score (Composer)
Won
2016
Albuquerque Film & Music Experience
Chris Gero
Visionary Award
Won
Emmy Awards
Caroline Campbell - Yamaha Electric Violin
Director, Short Form
Won
Arts
Won
Facing Addiction - It's Time
Community/Public Service Spot
Nominated
The Company We Keep
Promo Spot/Image
Nominated
Music Composer/Arranger
Nominated
Flagler Film Festival
Nathan East: For The Record
Best Director
Nominated
Nice International Film Festival
Nathan East: For The Record
Best Director
Nominated
2017
Emmy Awards
Heart of Inspiration
Music Composer/Arranger
Won
Entertainment
Nominated
Audio
Nominated
Three Masters
Arts
Nominated
The Right Note
Arts
Nominated
2018
Emmy Awards
The Passion for Music
Audio
Won
Director/Short Form
Won
Music Composer/Arranger
Won
Entertainment
Nominated
The Alchemy of Larry Mullen Jr.
Arts
Nominated
Hermes Creative Awards
The Passion for Music
Platinum Award, Audio (Original Music)
Won
Communicator Awards
Audio, Original Music
Won
Online Video, Use of Music
Won
Online Video, Branded Music
Won
Telly Awards
Silver Award, Non Broadcast (Use of Music)
Won
Bronze Award, Branded Content (Use of Music)
Won
Golden Award of Montreux
Gold Medal, Corporate Films (Music)
Won
Aurora Awards
Platinum Best of Show. Original Music/Use of Music
Won
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