Giacomo Gates - You

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:22
Size: 126,7 MB
Art: Front

(2:33) 1. Exactly Like You
(2:30) 2. I Can't Give You Anything But Love
(1:46) 3. With Plenty of Money and You
(2:21) 4. I Didn't Know About You
(3:15) 5. The Nearness of You
(1:52) 6. It Had to Be You
(1:52) 7. I Thought About You
(2:37) 8. I Want to Talk About You
(2:12) 9. I Mean You
(3:11) 10. P.S. I Love You
(2:16) 11. Are You Havin' Fun Yet?
(3:25) 12. I Remember You
(4:40) 13. You're Blasé
(2:31) 14. Everything But You
(2:29) 15. You've Changed
(4:34) 16. Since I Fell for You
(3:40) 17. I've Got News for You
(2:28) 18. You Never Miss the Water 'Till the Well Runs Dry

It is an interesting linguistic and grammatical fact that the word "I," capitalized and without its lower case pal's head-dot, appears only in the English language. It is also the most frequently seen word residing in popular song titles. With You the high priest of hip, Giacomo Gates, turns the tables on that not-so-lonely letter and salutes I's near-runner up, "You" with a "book" of 18 genuinely swinging "Yous."

As a jazz singer, Gates has historically been in a sumptuous love affair with words. On over a dozen albums he's demonstrated that he's a "vocalese" vizier and scat-singing jongleur. On this album arguably his best effort to date he and a very involved rhythm section run through "You" tunes in an experience that brings to mind a time when lyrics had a more poetic aspect and pungency; when a vocalist fronting a rhythm trio was a most common format, and when track lengths were produced within strict time limits.

Gates launches the session with an up-tempo take on "Exactly Like You" with surprise contrafacts and scat. His rhythmic play with melody parlayed with his shrewdly toying with a lyric's presentation is at the forefront on "How Could I Know About You" and "It Had to Be You." His takes on "I Want to Talk About You," "P.S. I Love You" demo the vocalist's dynamic range and ability to wring emotional juice from a ballad's lyric. Thelonious Monk's jazz classic "I Mean You" offers a feisty piano solo by Tim Ray following Gates' pointing the finger. A verbal prologue prefaces a very soulful take on the Lenny Welch 60's hit, "Since I Fell for You."

While there are well-known GAS workhorses here, additional gems emanate from You that haven't been heard in ages, i.e., "Are You Havin' Any Fun?" and Ray Charles' "I've Got News for You," (both with scatted solos) and the Mills Brothers hit, "You Never Miss the Water 'Till the Well Runs Dry." All are performed with superior style, subtle humor, and soul. Those unique selections also point to brilliant production savvy.

The dynamic rhythm section is completely tied into Gates' energies and buys in whole hoagie. They're obviously having a ball. Pianist Tim Ray is outstanding, ghosting Gates and slyly answering and feeding the leader with great taste and flair. Bassist John Lockwood is rock- solidly swinging throughout. Drummer James Lattini is hands-down the perfect trio presence. When Gates, as he frequently does, toys with the time or throws in melody-altered triplets, the entire section embraces and joins the parade.

Rest assured this effort is no novelty. There's everything here that ultimately results in a most enjoyable experience. Simply put: You is an ideal way to cure your cabin fever, COVID Blues, or whatever ails you.~ Nicholas F. Mondello https://www.allaboutjazz.com/you-giacomo-gates-savant-records

Personnel: Giacomo Gates: voice / vocals; Tim Ray: piano; John Lockwood: bass; James Lattini: drums.

You

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Giacomo Gates - G8S EP

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 16:46
Size: 38,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:55)  1. A Different Thing
(5:12)  2. Why Try to Change Me Now
(3:36)  3. Come Along with Me
(4:02)  4. Hungry Man

2018 worldwide news reports have detailed all sorts of technologically-assisted archaeological finds. In the US, a previously unreleased John Coltrane album and other musical discoveries have popped up. And whaddya know? here is an unreleased and enhanced set of tracks from the Hipster to the Hip, Giacomo Gates. And it is a helluva find, you dig? G8S, originally laid down in 2005, is a short-form release of four tunes performed by Gates and a hip vibes and rhythm quartet. It is yet another in a series of fine recordings which affirms why Gates retains the vocalese Heavyweight Crown.  Jay Hoggard's vibes sets the hard bop ambiance on Gates' original, "A Different Thing," before His Hipness bops into things swing. The tune is a stone cooker. Tony Lombardozzi, long a Gates sidekick, and Hoggard offer neat solos over Rick Petrone's bass and Joe Corsello's drums. If you hear "Paper Moon" on Hoggard's intro on the swinging "Come Along with Me" (itself a take on 50s "space race" mania) you've got ears. Gates covers Eddie Jefferson's vocalese which itself parrots Lester Young's "Paper Moon" solo. On this session and on all of his performances, Gates demos a marvelous sense of rhythm and hard swing. Notes are placed precisely into swing-syllables with ultimate flair. The guy just never misses. His baritone is robust, but never a bust. He's a jazz Everyman and as genuine as it gets. Gates covers Bobby Troup's gastronomically tinged "Hungry Man" in a tasty, swing groove. (He later re-recorded the tune on his 2008 recording Luminosity on Double Dave Records). The dining here is cool and swinging. This type of tune is a Gates speciality he can make lyrics pop and swing his plates off the table. His sassy scat leads into Hoggard's fine vibe solo. Lend an ear to Petrone's drive here. "Why Try to Change Me Now" is the gorgeous ballad feature. It is another of those great tunes that seem to get unfairly neglected. Balladic and soulful, Giacomo's baritone adds such genuineness to the story. Catch Gates' rhythm interpretation here. His triplets are hiplets, for sure. Kudos to all Gates' rhythm mates here. They lay things out perfectly throughout. Also to Christian O'Dowd for the discovery of the tape and to engineer/producer Rob Fraboni, who used his technical wizardry to give us a nice vinylized feel here. One has to wonder what other gems are hidden in recording studio racks or folks' garages. Surely, there are going to be other finds down the line. G8S sets the quality bar high. ~ Nicholas F.Mondello https://www.allaboutjazz.com/g8s-giacomo-gates-9th-note-records-review-by-nicholas-f-mondello.php

Personnel: Giacomo Gates: vocals; Jay Hoggard: vibraphone; Tony Lombardozzi: guitar; Rick Petrone: bass; Joe Corsello: drums.

G8S

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Ted Howe - Love Song

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:52
Size: 141.6 MB
Styles: Piano jazz, Vocals
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[5:07] 1. Let's Do It
[4:42] 2. True Love
[6:09] 3. I'll Remember Your Smile
[7:09] 4. Come Rain Or Come Shine
[4:38] 5. If I Had Known
[7:34] 6. Let's Fall In Love
[6:23] 7. Moonlight Becomes You
[5:58] 8. Midnight On The Beach
[9:10] 9. All The Way
[4:58] 10. Love Song

In this third release for Summit, TED HOWE invites the listener into a jazz time capsule of love songs, showcasing his eclectic arrangements in the sassy, sophisticated style for which he is noted. HOWE pays tribute to three of our most beloved composers: HAROLD ARLEN, COLE PORTER and JAMES VAN HEUSEN. In addition, HOWE premieres four of his own compositions with lyrics by REBEKAH MILLER. The featured vocalists on HOWE’S tunes are star of stage, screen and television, LAINIE KAZAN, along with the great, popular jazz baritone, GIACOMO GATES–thus creating a continuum of love songs from then and now. So, buckle your seat belts for a high flight over memory lane and back again–where the golden age of standards is respectfully reinvented as HOWE zooms and caresses the eighty-eights and makes everything old new again. Whether it’s an old song or a new song, this Love Song’s for you. Because as always, the heart of a simple love song still beats strong.

Love Song

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Giacomo Gates - Everything Is Cool

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:23
Size: 115,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:14)  1. Everything Is Cool
(5:40)  2. If I Were You, Baby, I'd Love Me
(5:17)  3. When Lovers They Lose
(4:16)  4. Social Call
(3:16)  5. Hazel's Hips
(2:54)  6. Almost Blue
(4:33)  7. Take Five
(3:39)  8. Who Threw The Glue
(5:11)  9. Here Today Gone Tomorrow
(3:24) 10. Please Don't Bug Me
(2:59) 11. All Alone
(3:55) 12. Well You Needn't (It's Over Now)

Federal regulations require food and beverage manufacturers to provide "Nutrition Facts" on all package labels. They want you to know what you're digging into. Now, if recordings had that same requirement, Everything Is Cool from Giacomo Gates might read this way: "Ingredients: 100% genuine talent and devotion to the true art of jazz vocalizing. All natural and swinging ingredients. No artificial jive, smooth jazz, or ju-ju. Organic, filled with mojo, and very much the Real Deal, Baby!" You see, Gates is an adoring acolyte to one of jazz's most honored traditions the hard-swinging male jazz vocalist. No smooth, well-coiffed crooner or re-homogenized "package," this blues-collared Cat carries the torch that "Dippermouth" lit when he opened his and began to scat on Perdido Street. That flame was handed down, flickering through artists such as Babs Gonzales (whom Gates highlights here), Jon Hendricks, and Eddie Jefferson. However, Gates drives his own iron in this superior effort and this one's as cool as it gets. The selections, perfectly selected for Gates hip style, tip the beret rakishly to Mr. Gonzalez ("Everything Is Cool," "When Lovers They Lose," "Here Today and Gone Tomorrow"), as well acknowledging other boy hipsters, including Oscar Brown Jr. ("Hazel Hips"), Lenny Bruce ("All Alone"), Frank Rosolino ("Please Don't Bug Me"), Thelonious Monk (Well You Needn't"), Dave Brubeck ("Take Five"), et al. The repertoire is an acknowledgement and fine presentation of great jazz material and is testimony to Gates' enormous versatility, dramatic range, and even hip humor ("If I Were You Baby, I'd Love Me").

Vocally, Gates is a ballsy baritone who offers more swings than a big city park. His rhythmic sense -one festooned with syncopated upbeats is swingingly instrumental. He can taffy-pull a beat's heart with the best of them and does so here. And, his lyric delivery has a speak-song flair to it which provides a pungent, yet attractive seasoning, bringing those black dots on the staff to jazz life. Gates' dramatic sense, one robust and filled with obvious life-experience overtones, is evidently displayed on the superb balladic material (Bruce's "All Alone" and Elvis Costello's "Almost Blue"). The accompanying crew here is indeed up for the date, with guitarist Tony Lombardozzi and pianist John J. DiMartino (both frequent Gates sidekicks) standing out, but not on anyone's toes. Saxophonist Grant Stewart is a hair reserved here, but covers his solos admirably. Bassist Ed Howard and drummer Willard Dyson provide whiplash momentum for the stagecoach when needed and offer tasteful textures when not. Giacomo Gates may not have his dough, notoriety, or "square"-ish black-rimmed glasses, but, after digging what's richly served up in Everything Is Cool, that other Gates might very well be in the market for shades, a black beret, and finger-popping lessons. Dig it.

~Nicholas F.Mondello http://www.allaboutjazz.com/everything-is-cool-giacomo-gates-savant-records-review-by-nicholas-f-mondello.php

Personnel: Giacomo Gates: vocals; Grant Stewart: saxophone; John Di Martino: piano; Tony Lombardozzi: guitar; Ed Howard; bass; Willard Dyson: drums.

Everything Is Cool

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Giacomo Gates - Luminosity

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:59
Size: 117,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:50)  1. Comes Love
(3:30)  2. Me, Spelled M-E, Me
(5:43)  3. Melodious Funk
(6:20)  4. The Beginning of the End
(5:44)  5. Hungry Man
(4:31)  6. The Blues Are Out of Town
(5:32)  7. Romancin' the Blues
(4:01)  8. Someone's Rocking My Dreamboat
(7:32)  9. P.S. I Love You
(3:13) 10. Full of Myself

"Begin at the beginning," the King told the White Rabbit, "and go on until you come to the end. Then stop." Normally, that's good advice, except in the case of Luminosity, a sparkling CD/DVD package that proves Giacomo Gates is all about commitment to his listeners, to his fellow musicians (past and present), and to jazz and its history.

The DVD features a four-song excerpt from Gates' 2005 appearance at San Francisco's legendary club Jazz at Pearl's. But following that mini-set is the real prize of this package: "Influences, Concepts and Ruminations," a bonus feature that shows Gates discoursing about the songs and artists that have inspired him ever since he got his first taste of jazz from Dave Brubeck's Time Out (Columbia, 1959). Mind you, it's not necessary to watch this interview in order to enjoy Luminosity; Gates is always a treat to listen to whether he's on disc or in concert, and that's the way it is here. However, the insights and context "Influences" offers really puts Gates' overall performance in perspective.

First there are the artists, of whom Gates feels as passionately about today as he did when he first heard them: "Peace of Mind (Let's Cool One)" has Gates dispensing soothing advice over the startling music of Thelonious Monk; "What Am I Here For" combines Duke Ellington's music and Jon Hendricks' lyrics, doubling Gates' obvious pleasure; "Someone's Rocking My Dreamboat" lets Gates give shout-outs to Bugs Bunny and the Ink Spots; and Gates scores a three-fer with "Lady be Good/Disappointed" a merry mashup of the Gershwins' music, the solo from Charlie Parker's take on "Lady," and the Eddie Jefferson lyric inspired by Parker's solo. Then there are the lyrics, which gives Gates the stories he loves to tell: In a spoken-word intro to Bobby Troup's "Hungry Man" (one of several spoken intros on the studio set), Gates links Troup's love of travel he wrote "Route 66" with his love of fine food; Gates frames Dickie Thompson's "Me, Spelled M-E, Me" as a late-night infomercial for romance; and Gates shapes the questions Jimi Hendrix' alien protagonist asks during "Up From The Skies" into a snapshot-fast blast about global warming.

Gates is up-front about not having "an act": He knows what he's going to do in a general sense, but a lot of it is left up to the moment. That puts Gates and his band out on the wire, possibly without a net below. But the result is an unparalleled level of trust and respect, which raises all the performances to a higher level on both the studio side and the live side.As Gates himself says, "There's gotta be a connection. Otherwise, I might as well stay home and sing." That connection would have been solid if Luminosity had only been a studio disc. But with the DVD, the listener not only makes the visual connection, but also connects with why Gates does what he does and ultimately sees why he does it so well. ~ J Hunter  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/luminosity-giacomo-gates-doubledave-music-review-by-j-hunter.php

Personnel: CD: Giacomo Gates: vocal; John diMartino: piano; Ray Drummond: bass; Greg bandy: drums; Bob Kindred: tenor sax; Tony Lombardozzi: guitar.

Luminosity

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Giacomo Gates - Centerpiece

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:11
Size: 133,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:48)  1. Summertime
(3:30)  2. I Told You I Love You, Now Get Out
(4:15)  3. Centerpiece
(4:51)  4. Meldey: How High The Moon / Ornithology
(5:28)  5. You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To
(4:33)  6. All Of Me
(5:00)  7. Lady Bird
(5:55)  8. Route 66
(5:03)  9. Scotch & Soda
(4:18) 10. Lester Leaps In / I Got The Blues
(3:44) 11. Milestones
(5:40) 12. Hittin' The Jug / Swan Song

Centerpiece is the third album from Connecticut-based crooner Giacomo Gates. This is full-fledged jazz lounge singing at its contemporary best. The songs are standards from throughout the timeline of jazz, but with an extra ounce of emphasis on some of the writers: Cole Porter, Eddie Jefferson, and King Pleasure. There are clear echoes in Gates' technique of Sinatra at times, Lambert, Hendricks & Ross methods at times, and maybe a bit of Joe Williams on some of the bop standards. With these echoes and influences in hand, Gates then fuses them into a coherent style of his own. The great thing here, beyond being able to mimic aspects of the greats, is his ability to jump from style to style along the way and claim the songs for himself. In "Route 66," he slows the pace down to a lazy croon. 

In "I Got the Blues," he picks up the phrasing to a jumping bop format very reminiscent of a sped-up round of some of the Dizzy Gillespie/Joe Carroll classics. The forward drive is only enhanced as he smashes into a lyricized version of "Milestones" (which also features some exceptional solos from the band). The album is an exceptional take on vocal jazz, which tends to lose its sheer power and fun in favor of sentimentality in many new artists. Gates reclaims the fun of it and keeps the technical aspects at peak performance to boot. Definitely worth picking up for any fan of older styles of vocal jazz, and most likely for fans of contemporary vocal jazz to get a glimpse of a different take. ~ Adam Greenberg  http://www.allmusic.com/album/centerpiece-mw0000205782

Personnel: Giacomo Gates (vocals); Vic Juris (guitar); Vincent Herring (alto saxophone); Harold Danko (piano); Ray Drummond (double bass); Greg Bandy (drums).

Centerpiece

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Giacomo Gates - Miles Tones

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:44
Size: 112,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:07)  1. All Blues
(4:00)  2. Be-bop Lives (Boplicity)
(4:19)  3. Fiur
(4:55)  4. 'Round Midnight
(5:02)  5. I Fall in Love to Easily
(6:27)  6. 'Long Come Tutu
(5:18)  7. Milestones
(4:42)  8. You're My Everything
(4:58)  9. So What
(3:52) 10. Walkin'

It has long been widely accepted that Kurt Elling is heir apparent to Mark Murphy. But an equally strong case can be made for Giacomo Gates. Indeed, while Elling has advanced to a somewhat distant some might say higher plateau, Gates remains truer to Murphy’s path. Nor is it surprising that Gates has, since joining Joe Fields’ Savant label in 2011, reached new levels of adventurism. It was, after all, during Murphy’s three-decade association with Fields that his musical boldness and creativity soared. Many would argue that Murphy’s mastery reached its apex with the Fields-produced Bop for Miles, recorded in 1990. Gates’ Miles Tones is very nearly as magnificent.

Though Gates has, like Murphy, achieved his greatest fame for his ability to brilliantly vocalize multiple instruments, particularly horns, the intent of Miles Tones is to focus on lyrics associated with or subsequently attached to 10 Davis-related selections. As such, the album is as much a tribute to the wordsmiths Oscar Brown Jr., Jon Hendricks and Al Jarreau among them whose sagely tailored lyrics Gates so skillfully navigates.

From the long, lean lines of his “All Blues” and loose, loping “Be-Bop Lives,” to his tightly coiled “Four” and dark, dense “’Long Comes Tutu,” Gates strikes a dexterous balance between veneration and fresh interpretive imaginativeness. Murphy first added lyrics to “Milestones” when he recorded it in 1962 (and again in 1990), but Gates opts for his own clever wordplay. He also comes closer than any of the myriad vocalists who have covered it to capturing the bone-deep loneliness of Davis’ “I Fall in Love Too Easily.” The penultimate track, an insistent “So What” hoisted like a raised middle finger to all Davis detractors, is truly the album’s endpoint. “Walkin’,” which follows, simply provides a breezy coda.  ~ Christopher Loudon   http://jazztimes.com/articles/81644-miles-tones-giacomo-gates

Miles Tones

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Giacomo Gates - Blue Skies

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:59
Size: 105,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:59)  1. Five Cooper Square
(4:51)  2. Lady Be Good/Disappointed
(3:58)  3. Meet Me Where They Play The Blues
(3:28)  4. What Price Love/Yardbird Suite
(3:59)  5. Waitin'
(3:43)  6. Four
(4:31)  7. Lucky So And So
(3:36)  8. Blue Skies/In Walked Bud
(4:22)  9. No, Not Much
(5:00) 10. It's The Talk Of The Town
(3:27) 11. Where Or When

Gates is the only singer on the scene to date who has embraced the vocalise style of Eddie Jefferson, putting lyrics to already established solos. That alone should earn him a Congressional Medal of Honor, for no one else is plying this tricky craft. As a singer, he has a full, deep, manly voice that is still in a maturation process, with slightly flatted tones. He can sing up a storm, rant on a bebop lick, or shape a ballad quite sweetly. Rhythm section help comes from pianist Harold Danko, bassist Rufus Reid, and drummer Akira Tana. There are several combo tunes, like Gates á la Jefferson's rendition of "Lady Be Good" and "Disappointed" put together, going from hopeful to crestfallen in one fell swoop of slow blues. "Blue Skies" follows "In Walked Bud," Jon Hendricks' lyric on the latter, and Gates handles it nicely. An easy swing and scat bridge defines "What Price Love?" informed by Charlie Parker's "Yardbird Suite" with Jefferson's lyric and Danko's dancing piano. Of the extrapolative numbers, Gates waxes beatnik poetic with his lyrics on "Five Cooper Square," aka Thelonious Monk's "Five Spot Blues," speaking of the history of bop to hard bop figures of the day, spurred on by saxophonist Jerome Richardson's all-inclusive runs. 

"Waitin'" is Matt Emerzian's music and Gates' words about "standing in the rain, waitin' for you," and his blues-drenched pain is easily felt. Another Hendricks lyric on "Four" is done to a T; Gates shines on this one. It begins with only he and Danko in rubato mode, then the band jumps in and swings hard. There's a Steve Allen classic "Meet Me Where They Play the Blues" with a pretty cool scat bridge, the love song "No, Not Much" where Gates mimics a trumpet, and a straight read of "It's the Talk of the Town," which shows the singer at his doleful, reticent, pleading best. This CD wreaks of potential; it's not perfect, but it's close enough for jazz. Surely Gates will work on his craft. He has all the tools to become a universally accepted singer. ~ Michael G.Nastos   http://www.allmusic.com/album/blue-skies-mw0000179456

Personnel: Akira Tana  Drums ; Giacomo Gates  Vocals; Harold Danko  Piano ; Rufus Reid  Bass ; Jerome Richardson  Saxophone

Blue Skies

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Giacomo Gates - Fly Rite

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 58:37
Size: 134.2 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 1998
Art: Front

[5:13] 1. Senor Blues
[4:24] 2. Girl Talk
[4:31] 3. But Not For Me
[5:26] 4. Spinnin' (Speed Ball)
[4:47] 5. I Cover The Waterfront
[5:00] 6. Baby, You Should Know It
[6:46] 7. Jeannine
[6:14] 8. You Go To My Head
[3:26] 9. Fly Rite (Epistrophy)
[6:01] 10. How I Wish (Ask Me Now)
[6:44] 11. Night In Tunisia

Male jazz singers seemed like a endangered species in the '80s and '90s; for every noteworthy male jazz singer who came along, there seemed to be 50 to 100 women who were taking up jazz singing. The very fact that Giacomo Gates was a jazz-singing male in the '90s made you want to at least check him out and satisfy your curiosity, and thankfully, he had solid albums like Fly Rite to back himself up. Joined by trumpeter/flügelhornist Jim Rotondi, pianist David Hazeltine, bassist Peter Washington, and drummer Ben Riley, the smoky-voiced, expressive Gates brings a saxophone-like approach to bop classics like Thelonious Monk's "Ask Me Now" (for which he embraces Jon Hendricks' lyrics), Horace Silver's "Señor Blues," and Duke Pearson's "Jeannine." Quite adept at scat singing and vocalese, Gates is well-served by such influences as Mark Murphy, King Pleasure, and Eddie Jefferson but makes it clear that he's very much his own man. And Gates' lyrics to Monk's "Epistrophy" and Lee Morgan's "Speedball" let us know that he isn't a bad lyricist either. The singer was in his late forties when this CD was recorded, but he was still quite obscure. One hoped that Fly Rite would make him better known. ~ Alex Henderson

Recording information: Systems Two Studios, Brooklyn, NY (01/22/1998).

Giacomo Gates (vocals); Jim Rotondi (trumpet, flugelhorn); David Hazeltine (piano); Ben Riley (drums); Peter Washington (bass).

Fly Rite

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