JACK GATES - radio vinilemania web-radio Latin - Jazz

many thanks to Sharyl Gates

My first exposure to live guitar music was hearing the flamenco shows at the Spaghetti Factory in San Francisco when I was a child. Early guitar influences were Andres Segovia, Christopher Parkening, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and Jorman Kaukonen/Jefferson Airplane. The Beatles made a huge impression in terms of their songwriting, vocal harmonies and arrangements.

Out of curiosity I attended a concert by the great North Indian sitarist Nikhil Banerjee. I continued to investigate and became increasingly fascinated, which led to studies at the Ali Akbar College of Music in the 1970’s with George Ruckert, a fine classical musician, as well as Ashish Khan. Ashish was a fairly strict teacher who really showed us the value of repeated physical practice.The effect of hearing Ali Akbar Khan’s music was like being immersed in an ocean of sound. I learned that creating music is a craft that requires discipline, memory, intuition, technique and inspiration.

I listened to John Coltrane, McCoy Tyner, Ralph Towner, Julian Bream, Baden Powell, Miles Davis, Robben Ford , John McClaughlin and performed with many experimental, theatrical and commercial music projects.

The main guitaristic developement of my playing occurred during the private studies with classical guitar virtuoso David Tanenbaum. David showed me how to get the most sound out of a nylon string with fluid and relaxed motion.

My aesthetic has been shaped by the fact that my mother is a visual artist. Being part of a constant process of perception and appreciation, I often think of chords and melodies in terms of colour which generate moods and emotions.

I continue to develop my compositional skills in solo and ensemble settings and have performed and recorded with many different artists in jazz, pop, Brasilian and South American styles including: Marcos Silva with Sueldo Soares, Juanita and Nayo Ulloa, Lisa Silva and Voz do Brasil, Silvia Nakkach, Claudia Gomez, Chalo Eduardo’s Brasilian Beat, Jon English, Tim White, Celso Alberti, David Belove, Klezmania,The Blake Street Hawkeyes, Chuck Metcalf, Kit Walker and Jeff Narell.

JACK GATES - BOULEVARD (2006)

Afro Brazilian Jazz solo acoustic nylon string guitar

Boulevard is the solo acoustic guitar CD by Jack Gates. Featuring the original compositions Boulevard, Echo Choro, The Sound of Rain, The Bright Flower, and The Butterfly by composer/guitarist Jack Gates. This Cd was recorded and produced using no effects and only minimal editing and dynamics processing in the mastering phase. The end result is a remarkable realism and authentic live quality, which is also quite lush and satisfying. No overdubs were used for this CD. Solo nylon string acoustic guitar is heard throughout the recording. The music spans many musical territories including Brazilian choro, straight ahead jazz, Latin jazz, classical Spanish and popular idioms. The music is at times meditative, melodic, assertive, intense, sensual and evocative. Performance and recording by Jack Gates, edit and mastering by Albert Benichou, artwork by Sharyl Gates

Review by Fabrizio Ciccarelli: JACK GATES - BOULEVARD (2006)

1-Boulevard
2. Berimbau
3. Echo Choro
4. Nardis
5. Triste
6. Night & Day
7. Cafe
8. The Viceroy
9. Corcovado
10. Naima
11. The Sound of Rain
12. The Butterfly
13. The Bright Flower
14. Yesterday

more tracks can be heard on Vinilemania's Radio Channels

JACK GATES - EARTH MESSENGER (2003)

Spicy and melodic original guitar compositions with percussion, bass, voice flute and vibes. Fresh and zesty Brazilian/Latin jazz guitar

Jack Gates - nylon string acoustic guitar/ electric guitar
Kevin Mummey - cajon, pandeiro and drums
David Motto - electric fretless bass
Sharyl Gates - voice
Rob Lautz - vibes
Ernie Mansfield - bass flute
Steve Bennett - electric bass

Jack Gates and his ensemble perform exciting acoustic and electric music. Jack Gates - nylon string acoustic guitar/ electric guitar Kevin Mummey - cajon, pandeiro and drums David Motto - electric fretless bass Sharyl Gates - voice Rob Lautz - vibes Ernie Mansfield - bass flute Steve Bennett - electric bass Top 100 CDs of 2005 - NAR Radio Chart "Jack Gates returns on Earth Messenger. Soothing wordless vocals by Sharyl Gates combine with the leader's acoustic guiitar for a mixture of lyrical refrains that do, indeed, prove sensual and totally at ease." Jim Santella , Cadence Magazine "Its a great music ! " Francisco M. Lopez Herrero Radio Despi, Barcelona, Spain "Being a longtime fan of Jack Gates' playing, I expected Earth Messenger to be good, but I was floored by how good it is. With its amazing blend of so many styles, this CD will appeal to a huge cross section of music fans." Matt Blackett, Guitar Player Magazine/Frets Magazine "Earth Messenger is a beautiful compilation of mostly original tunes ranging from Brazilian choros and sambas to soft jazz with hints of flamenco, Native American and country music. The combination of Jack Gates' solid acoustic and electric guitar playing , Kevin Mummey's soft percussion, Rob Lautz's vibes and Sharyl Gates' lovely voice is breathtaking. Everytime I listen to this CD I envision birds flying across the sky, or ocean waves rolling gently to the shore and onto my bare feet." Raquel Pinderhughes "Sharyl Gates has a lovely voice" Roger Lifeset - independent radio promoter