Joe Bagale
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Joe Bagale

Oakland, California, United States | INDIE

Oakland, California, United States | INDIE
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"Singer Joe Bagale draws on eclectic influences"

A quick glance around Joe Bagale's bedroom tells you something about the rich range of artists who have shaped his fertile musical world.

The Michael Jackson single "Another Part of Me" lays on the bed alongside the LP of Miles Davis' "Live Evil." A little picture of Frank Zappa, from the cover of his orchestral CD "The Yellow Shark," hangs on one wall, a framed image of the Beatles' "Abbey Road" on another. Stravinsky's "Firebird" shares shelf space with CDs by Tower of Power and King Crimson. A rack of guitars and basses, including a couple he built, sits near the keyboard and Mac laptop on which he often composes and arranges.

For Bagale, the gritty-voiced young singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose performances with various Jazz Mafia bands have been lighting up local audiences, musical boundaries are meaningless. He subscribes to Duke Ellington's dictum - passed along to Bagale from his father, a high school music teacher in Rochester, N.Y., who turned him on to Miles, Stockhausen and progressive rock - that there are only two types of music: good and bad. If he has to label it, Bagale calls his sound eclectic soul. - San Francisco Chronicle


"LIVE REVIEW: Joe Bagale, Oona & The Thrill of it All @ the Independent"

I’ll be honest, going out to shows in the Bay Area, I’m a snob. I pick and choose and usually won’t ever go to a show that’s sold out. I hate crowds, I hate popular music, so I was pretty enthusiastic when San Francisco indie-darling Oona invited me out to check out her show with Joe Bagale at the Independent. Truth be told, I had no idea what to expect as I don’t go to my-shit-space to listen to music, and I’d never been handed any of the following bands music. So, to make it easier on you for next time, I’ve summed it up with what you need to know.

Joe Bagale. He’s Prince reborn in the Golden Gate. He’s got soul and he’s one hell of an entertainer. If there’s one local act you go see on a whim cause some San Francisco music blog recommended something, it’s him. I don’t even like soul music, but when this guy busted out that panty dropping voice, even I had to take a minute outside to cool off. His band is incredibly tight, but you won’t even notice cause you’ll be too busy dancing with whomever is next to you.

Oona. (let me preface this actually w/ a story.) A couple of weeks ago I walked out of ‘Little Boots’ at the Fillmore because she was all glitz and no talent. Look, I don’t care if you like her music, the Boots sucked it live – plain and simple. But OOOOOOOOONA. (pronounced exactly the way you think it should be.)
This petite dirty red-blonde-curl head is the real deal. She can sing. She can really fucking sing. You wouldn’t think that someone so little could belt out so much, but it’s true. And she ENTERTAINS. Like, how performers actually used to do? You know how they hyped the crowd, got you all into it and then left you a hot sweaty mess? Yeah, surprisingly this happens locally and you don’t have to be some arrogant pop star for people to go nuts over you.
Oona has worked her ass off for the past few years playing all over town, and this first time appearance at the Independent was well received by the nearly sold out show. Check out her next one one, whenever that may be.

The Thrill of it All. These guys opened up the show in a totally fun manner and I do suggest checking them out if they are on a bill of a band you dig. They’re out of Oakland and play quiet a bit around town, so give it a shot. They weren’t at all bad, it’s just hard to compete when you’re opening up for Bagale and Oona. - The Owl Mag.com


"Joe Bagale beats trail back to BG"

After the 2011 Black Swamp Arts Festival Joe Bagale can probably consider himself a veteran festival performance artist. Fans of Lenka Dusilova’s 2007 BSAF performances may remember Bagale as the energetic drummer providing the pulse for the Czech singer’s edgy folk rock music. This year Bagale returns to the Main Stage twice, once behind the drums for rhythmn 'n' blues vocalist Crystal Monee Hall’s set on Saturday and again as band leader for his own set on Sunday morning. The California-based multi-instrumentalist is eager to return to a festival and a town that showed so much hospitality during his past visits.
“I have only been to Bowling Green twice, both on gigs, but both times it was a blast,” he said in a recent telephone interview. “Everyone was so great and so hospitable.”
With an extensive background studying drums and percussion, including time at the Eastman School of Music, Bagale’s solo music incorporates a diverse palette of instrumentation, technological tools and vocal effects.
His 2008 self titled debut album was a pure solo effort, with Bagale dubbing multiple instruments and vocal parts in a recording that runs the gamut of pop, indie rock and R&B. Although he will be joined by Hall on vocals during his set at BSAF, those musical skills will be showcased Sunday morning.
“I do a lot of one-man shows where I am looping things,” he said. “I might loop some drums or vocals and add in some guitar or keyboards. You will see me moving around the drum set and doing all kinds of things.”
Bagale has been hard at work on his sophomore album, due out this fall, which will showcase his evolution as a songwriter, performer and producer. The new recording uses multiple vintage synthesizers to capture a vibe Bagale calls “eclectic soul” music.
“My songwriter has grown a lot, both as a lyricist and as a melodic writer, so there is less emphasis on the jamming aspect and more emphasis on the songs,” he said.
In addition to performing with multiple groups and recording diverse music, Bagale also lends his talents to other artists as a producer.
He has produced three full-length albums over the past three years and has supported additional projects ranging from indie rock, to bluegrass to mainstream pop.
- Sentinel Tribune


Discography

Joe Bagale (self titled)

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Bio


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 Disappear Incompletely, is a featured vocalist for Brass, Bows, and Beats 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, the San Francisco Jazz Festival 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.