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This 25-year-old Oaklander's distillation of vintage soul, funk, and R&B has a patently modern sensibility: it refuses to settle in one sound and can feel as gritty as it does slick. Bagale wrote, produced, played all the instruments, programmed samples, and sang both lead and backup vocals. - East Bay Express
Joe Bagale is a one-man band. Not only did he write and produce his own self-titled album, he also played keyboards, drums, aux. percussion, guitars, bass, synths, samples and sang lead and backup vocals. Bagale’s vocals are a powerful combination of Lenny Kravitz’s soulful rock, Stevie Wonder’s nuanced funk and Nikka Costa’s attitude, which he layers over polyrhythm and warm instrumentals. One might not expect to hear contemplative avant-garde electronic songs tucked into an album packed with hearty, funked-out old school R&B and extroverted jazz — but Bagale has done it and it works
The intro track crackles with retro synths warping in and out like a Black Moth Super Rainbow song played in reverse on a record player. This gentle entrance gives way to a few hits of the drum stick in the following track, “I Need You,� before breaking into a funkier rhythm with horns reminiscent of UB4O. “Call On Me� begins like something straight out of the 1970s, with bluesy bass and gospel-style singers as accompaniment. Eventually, a dirty brass section comes roaring in over the sliding harmonies of the back-up vocals. The song seems to play around with conventions of funk and jazz as Andre 3000 has been known to do.
“Getting Over� shimmers into being with some Pat Metheny-esque synths that give way to a spongy trip-hop beat. Bagale chants faintly behind the ornately layered instrumentals. The song finally fades out with a single sustained piano note. “Astronomical Unit� follows along the same line, floating into space on horns and rolling ambient sound like a Zero 7 synth jam.
Whether dabbling with electronica or diving headlong into traditional funk, Joe Bagale creates a satisfying, rich blend of music to get lost in. (1beatProductions)
www.joebagale.com
-Lulu McAllister - Performer Magazine
Discography
Self titled debut: Joe Bagale released on April 4th 2008
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Bio
Born Joseph Brent Bagale on March 22nd 1983 in Rochester, NY. Joe Bagale is one of the most original and creative artists of his generation. A 24-year-old singersongwriter/composer, multi-instrumentalist, and producer, who is pushing the envelope of what we know as "POP" music. His compositions are a blend of old-school funk/R&B mixed with the sounds of late 60's/70's rock and topped off with a jazz/avant-garde
influence, coming together to create a style entirely all his own.
Born and raised in Rochester, NY, Joe attended the Eastman School of Music as a jazz-performance major in drumset. His musical experiences in Rochester included lessons from Rich Thompson, Steve Gadd, Jack DeJohnette, Ron Carter (bass), Clay Jenkins (trumpet) and his father, John Bagale. When Joe was 17 years old he received the "Outstanding Rhythm Section Award" in the "Essentially Ellington Competition" presented by Wynton Marsalis. While focusing on drumset, Joe was also developing outstanding skills on the piano, guitar, and bass, while developing his vocal and compositional ability. Leaving Eastman early, Joe moved to San Francisco in search of his calling, where he now plays drums with the Matt Berkeley Trio, plays Bass and sings for Disapear Incompletely, and leads the Joe Bagale Band.
Joe has a diverse fan base, having appeared for thousands at festivals and venues along both coasts including Lincoln Center's Avery Fischer Hall in NYC, Promise For Peace in Navato, CA and the San Francisco North Beach Jazz Festival. He has shared the stage with the likes of Antibalas, Benevento-Russo Duo, Will Bernard's Motherbug, A.L.O., and has performed with Terrill Stafford, Christian McBride, Eric Reed, and Fred Wesley. His long-awaited solo release, combines Joe's diverse influences into a soulful expression of sound. Not only has Joe written and produced the album, he also played keyboards, drumset, aux. percussion, guitars, bass, synths, samples and sang lead and backup vocals. Tracks such as "Georgia Peach" and "I Need You" reveal true inspiration and are speaking to a growing legion of fans. By connecting with his audience, and displaying phenomenal talent, Joe is creating a revolution. Mass-market appeal hasn't been blended with soul like this since the heydays of Stevie Wonder and Steely Dan.
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