Jack Gates

"Not to be missed indeed! What a premiere! I will be playing more of this one!"

Tony Dillon-Davis
CKUA
Calgary, Alberta
Canada
2005 - CKUA Radio

"I love his playing and his Brazilian touch is brilliant."

Saul Zavarce
Producer
106.7 PBS FM
Melbourne, Australia
2007 - PBS FM Radio, Melbourne

Compositore e chitarrista, Jack Gates pubblica un cd per sola chitarra: 5 sono le composizioni originali, una sesta scritta con la moglie Sharyl (pittrice di sensibilità raffinata) e 8 riproposizioni di brani fra i più significativi nel panorama musicale contemporaneo.

Senza ricorrere ad effetti d’alcun tipo, invita l’ascoltatore nelle sue atmosfere quasi live, ampie ed armoniose, segnate da percorsi melodici che, con coerenza, trascorrono dal brasiliano al Latin, dall’ispanico al jazz e perfino al pop (intensa, in tal senso, l’esecuzione di “Yesterday”), secondo una sapienza stilistica che con agilità passa dal melodico all’elegiaco, attraversando pentagrammi straordinari (“Naima” di Coltrane, “Nardis”di Miles Davis, “Night and Day” di Cole Porter), sorprendendo per la perizia con la quale rivela una non comune padronanza dello strumento, creando istanti emotivamente intensi ed originali, spaziando con intelligenza e disinvoltura nelle coloriture e nelle timbriche.

Il suo è un passo virtuosistico e fortemente espressivo – forse talora stilisticamente patinato – ma sempre elegante e affabile, sereno ed amabile. Jack è un artista di indubbia sensibilità concettuale, di notevole talento, coraggioso nell’affrontare brani come “Naima” (davvero interessante la rilettura filologica del capolavoro di Coltrane!) o “Berimbau” (magnifico evergreen di Baden Powell) in modo lieve ed esemplare, tanto più se si tiene conto che lo fa con una chitarra acustica con corde di nylon e basta….

Le esecuzioni più strettamente jazzistiche conducono con morbido savoir faire attraverso paesaggi sonori dai colori pastello, potremmo dire, atmosfere vellutate e di saggio equilibrio stilistico, perché Jack è un profondo conoscitore della tradizione della jazz guitar e, allo stesso tempo, un innamorato cantore del Samba e della Bossa Nova, in virtù del suo eclettico e nitido linguaggio musicale, distinto da una naturale inclinazione verso la “conoscenza del mondo.


Fabrizio Ciccarelli egozero@alice.it
- Fabrizio Ciccarelli

"Boulevard is such a wonderful sounding recording!
I am confirming adding tracks #11, 4, 6, &1 to airplay of my channel at Galaxie CBC- Instrumental/ New Age."

Renee Gelpi
Galaxie CBC's Continuous Music Network
May, 2007
- Galaxie CBC's Continuous Music Network

" The Northern California guitarist/composer showcases his mastery of classical, Brazilian, Latin, flamenco and pop guitar on his latest recording, Earth Messenger."

Matt Blackett
Frets Magazine
2005
- Matt Blackett - Frets Magazine

There are some guitarists who do one thing, and do it well. Then there are the ones who dabble in a bunch of styles, but seem to know just enough about each one to get themselves in trouble. Then there are players like Jack Gates who play a ton of different styles and own every single one. The Northern California guitarist/composer showcases his mastery of classical, jazz, Brazilian, Latin, flamenco, and pop guitar on his latest recording, Earth Messenger[Whitegates]. “It’s part of my musical nature,” he says. “I heard Segovia when I was a kid, and then I heard the Beatles—I was amazed at each new album they came out with. The next thing was Jimi Hendrix and that was overwhelming—I still feel that he was one of the most important guitarists, acoustic or electric.” Hendrix was a role model for Gates from a technical standpoint and also as a stylistically diverse songwriter. “I’m still floored by how he could bring so many different elements to his music. He had blues, jazz, funk, and classical and he brought all that to his writing.” Gates’ rock influences led to steady gigs and sessions, but all the while he was drawn to the classical world. Studying with virtuoso David Tannenbaum gave Gates the guidance to hone and refine his nylonstring technique. “It was a huge learning curve to go from playing with a pick to getting the right-hand technique you need to play classical,” says Gates. “He repositioned my hand and gotmy alignment correct so I could play with a relaxed technique and really get a lot of sound out of the instrument naturally. I did a lot of practicing over the years to get my sound.” The sound that Gates refers to is actually hundreds of tones and colors that jump out of what might strike some a one-tone instrument—a nylon-string guitar. “One thing that’s true on any guitar,” he explains, “is that as you move your picking hand from the bridge to the fretboard, it’s almost like an EQ. The tone is very bright by the bridge and gets progressively darker as you move toward the neck. You can use that to get the timbre you want for any musical situation.” Those tonal shadings can be heard in the tune “Ocean Samba” and the Latin jazz of “Tigris and Euphrates.” Gates’ main instrument on Earth Messenger is a classical guitar built by Antonio Marin from Granada, Spain. “This Marin guitar intonates really well. It lets me play complex jazz voicings high up on the fretboard, and I can count on them being in tune. That’s sort of unusual with a lot of acoustic guitars.” Gates will often play those voicings against open lower strings, for chords that might sound more at home on a piano. “I’m influenced by Baden Powell and South American guitarists who use the whole instrument. I’ll stretch chords out that way. I love the coloristic differences between open strings and fretted notes, but the guitar has to really play in tune to make those chords sound right.” All the hard work on tone and chops certainly seems to have paid off, with Earth Messengerbeing the culmination. “This record really reflects my background and my tastes,” he says. “I like a lot of different kinds of music. It’s exciting for me because I’m using a classical guitar to play Latin-influenced music with a jazz rhythm section and throwing in pop and fusion elements too. It all came together. It’s a sound I always imagined but never though I could achieve.”• JACK GATES COMES TOGETHER
BY MATT BLACKETT• PHOTOGRAPH BY SHARYL GATES SPOTLIGHT STYLE SHEET - Matt Blackett - Frets Magazine

Jack Gates Earth Messenger
"Jack Gates returns on Earth Messenger. Soothing wordless vocals by Sharyl Gates combine with the leader's acoustic guitar for a mixture of lyrical refrains that do, indeed, prove sensual and totally at ease.
Vibes and bass flute add an exotic flavor to several of Gates' original pieces, creating impressions designed for leisurely strolls on far-away tropical isles.
He captures the essence of various world scenes, and employs both acoustic and electric guitar to do so. Gates' three-part "Iberia Suite" captures a classical Spanish mood, while "Prairie Song" explores the wide open spaces of Middle America, and "Farewell" travels to South Africa for the guitarist's inspiration.
While the album has plenty of variety, the session remains smooth and languid enough to serve its purpose: enjoy a time-out from your daily dose of intriguing world affairs and let the natural breezes fly by casually."

Jim Santella
Cadence Magazine, 2005


Tim White and Jack Gates Morning Song Evening Song

"The hair styles and apparel that White and Gates wear in their liner booklet photos belie a different time, when instrumental music was used to search for answers. Their timeless message is as useful today, of course, as we continue to explore the world for solutions to our problems.
The duo and trio reach out with natural acoustic means and are able to touch their audience through a universal language. In White's hands the sitar is quite expressive, and gives us a lasting impression. Timeless in its interpretation, the performance wins our spirit over with its universal appeal."

Jim Santella
Cadence Magazine
August, 2005





- Cadence Magazine

"Their musical telepathy comes through loud and clear on this meditative musical masterpiece. Their mix of sitar and acoustc guitar sounds amazing and the improvisational nature of the recording is a tribute to the duo's musical mastery."

Robert Silverstein
20th Century Guitar Magazine
2005 - Robert Silverstein - 20th Century Guitar Magazine

"Jack Gates simply gets the best sound out of a guitar. It is outstanding and he is consistently musical in his approach and execution."

Marc Silber, blues artist and guitar historian - Marc Silber

"an excellent CD titled "New Geography" of often lilting original music that draws on folk and jazz influences.'

Lee Hildebrand, East Bay Express, November 7th, 1997 - East Bay Express