Don Glori is an anagram for producer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist Gordon Li, originally from the creative crossroads of Naarm (Melbourne, Australia) and now based in London, traversing jazz, funk, soul, RnB, samba, house, and Brazilian music in a kaleidoscopic genre-surfing odyssey. Cutting his teeth touring with opera companies, cabarets, and sessioning for bands from a young age, Li stepped away from his role as a prolific Melbourne sideman to enter the limelight as bandleader in 2022 with his long-awaited debut album Welcome, which catapulted him forward as an artist to watch. The album was nominated for the Australian Music Prize as well as multiple Music Victoria awards and continues to be highly sought after by record collectors, showcasing Li's distinctive musical voice through carefully considered compositions that facilitate heavy doses of improvisation.
His first offering to the world, the Dawn Calling, was released in December 2020 on Nothin Personal, recorded live to tape over two days in February 2020 and capturing Don Glori and his band at their best. The record traverses between melancholic, textural landscapes with spiritual jazz overtones through to enchanting group vocals and synth-laden grooves built around the rhythm-centric marriage of bass and drums, touching on elements of jazz, house, and Brazilian music. Taking influence from artists including Azymuth, SAULT, Jordan Rakei, Lynda Dawn, and Donny Hathaway, as well as from London musical beacons such as NTS and Total Refreshment Centre, Li deconstructed the sounds and elements of the music he loves and recontextualised them into his own signature sound tied together by his inimitable spirit and dedication to making it groove.
His second album Don't Forget to Have Fun was released in June 2024 on UK label DeepMatter Records, channelling Mildlife, Azymuth, and Steely Dan on bopping psych-jazz-funk cuts, whilst his 2025 album Paper Can't Wrap Fire has been signed to the legendary Brighton-based label Mr Bongo. Now London-based, Li represents that DIY, can-do Naarm attitude on a global scale, ticking off bucket list venues and festivals including London Jazz Festival, Ronnie Scott's, Brick Lane Jazz Festival, Badehaus Berlin, The Jazz Cafe, Strawberry Fields, Panama Festival, and Dark MOFO. He has supported Azymuth, Marcos Valle, Emma-Jean Thackray, and Turnover, with his growing list of collaborators including Dizzy and Mount Liberation Unlimited testament to the warmth he brings in his approach to creating music.
