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James and his pianist collaborator, Ronald Woodley, have recorded numerous commercial CDs that highlight their particular interest in documenting unusual or undiscovered songs from the British 20th century repertory, many of which have not been recorded before. These recordings have garnered much praise from reviewers; Façades was a Recommended CD of the Year 2020 for MusicWeb International.
In April 2023 their most recent disc, Songs of Elizabeth Maconchy & Ralph Vaughan Williams vol. 2 was released on Resonus Classics.
SONGS OF ELIZABETH MACONCHY & RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS VOL. 2
"The forthright and sympathetic approach of tenor James Geer and pianist Ronald Woodley always make listening a pleasure." ****
- Geoff Brown, BBC Music.
"Three cheers for this valuable second volume of songs by Elizabeth Maconchy courtesy of those adventurous folk at Resonus Classics...Lovely Sound, admirable presentation. Make no mistake, this is a very good disc indeed." - Andrew Achenbach, Gramophone.
SONGS OF ELIZABETH MACONCHY & RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS VOL. 1
"Tenor James Geer and pianist Ronald Woodley prove splendidly alert and sympathetic exponents of all this material and are just as successful in their deft advocacy of the two masterworks by Vaughan Williams. The early Songs of Travel (1901-04) come up with delectable freshness, Geer’s ingratiatingly mellifluous timbre exhibiting a disarming grace and scrupulous sensitivity to the text that are matched by Woodley’s watchful pianism." - Andrew Achenbach, Gramophone.
"Geer's higher register is a dream, and just listen to Woodley's harmonic awareness...A superb disc, beautifully sung and recorded.' - Colin Clarke, Classical Explorer.
DREAMS MELTING
"This fascinating collection of British songs is quite an ear-opener."
"James Geer’s voice is distinctive, with a cut-through brightness of sound and superb intonation; add to this his intelligent phrasing and sensitivity to nuance and, in the Clarke songs, you can almost imagine you are listening to a top-notch violist, as the composer was herself." **** Jessica Duchen, BBC Music.
"Even for those familiar with this repertoire, the sequence of the album is one aspect of the special insights offered here...tenor Geer [and] pianist Woodley are clear, engaging conduits of a heady, dense collection of music that requires and rewards repeated listening." David Patrick Stearns, Gramophone.
FAÇADES
Recommended Recording of the Year 2020 - MusicWeb International
“This is another top-notch release from SOMM with excellence in every department- a typically imaginative programme, immaculately performed and produced. This is an absolute gem of a disc in every regard. Without a doubt, Walton was the finer composer of the two with a catalogue of enduring masterpieces. However, the particular delight of this excellent collection is to remind the listener that at his considerable best Constant Lambert was a composer of real stature and one whose star still deserves to shine today.” Nick Barnard, MusicWeb International
"Geer's misty-eyed delivery is on the money." **** Michael Been, BBC Music.
COME, LET US MAKE LOVE DEATHLESS
"There’s little doubt that these studio premiere recordings get to the heart of these songs. James Geer’s clear, direct, lyric-conscious tenor is splendidly balanced with Ronald Woodley’s piano. Geer proves a thoughtful and clever exponent." - Jonathan Woolf, MusicWeb International
'By avoiding fussy rhetoric and allowing Holst’s setting to speak serenely on its own terms, they find the music’s effortless nobility. The rest of the cycle, though, is beautifully and straight-forwardly present – and scrupulously prepared." **** BBC Music Magazine
BRITTEN SONGS VOLUME 1
"Another attraction here is the opportunity to sample some of Britain’s best young singers....James Geer turns a nicely expressive line in the infrequently performed Sechs Hölderlin-Fragmente."
"As always, Malcolm Martineau’s accompaniments are a constant source of inspiration on the journey – one more reason why this series promises to be a major addition to the Britten discography." **** - Richard Fairman, Gramophone.