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Jazz Articles about Frank Gambale

About Frank Gambale

169

Album Review

Frank Gambale: Coming To Your Senses

Read "Coming To Your Senses" reviewed by John W. Patterson

by John W. Patterson
November 1, 2001

This is solid, good-n-sassy jazz guitar with a melodic-bent, fusion-driven flow. Gambale is know for his various approaches on his solo albums from smooth melodic jazz, to jazz fusion, to real scorching, shredded rockers and all points in-between. His playing is virtuoso, fully lyrical, phrasings to die for, technical wizardy, sweep picking mastery, speed, grace, and soul.Being the critic I am, I will admit some Gambale releases just didn’t do it for me as his range of styles ...

152

Album Review

Gambale/Hamm/Smith: The Light Beyond

Read "The Light Beyond" reviewed by Todd S. Jenkins

by Todd S. Jenkins
October 1, 2000

Half of Vital Information unites with a former chops-metal icon to produce their second masterfully hewn fusion disc. Gambale and Smith are true giants of the fusion industry, and Hamm proved long ago that he was up to more than backing hair-god guitarists like Steve Vai and Joe Satriani. From the very first notes the astonishing empathy and gifts of these three men are in your face. This is a 5K run through a musical mine field, the players deftly ...

149

Album Review

Gambale/Hamm/Smith: The Light Beyond

Read "The Light Beyond" reviewed by John W. Patterson

by John W. Patterson
August 1, 2000

If I had to find patterns or echoes of another guitarist in Gambale’s chordal progressions, breakdowns, and eruptions into vitriolic riffs of ostinatos and legatos, all being sweep-picking showcases – I’d have to say I keep hearing Mahavishnu John McLaughlin’s style in his Mahavishnu Orchestra daze of fusion. Listen to opening cut, “Katahdin” for evidence. And next track, Gambale surprises me with signature Allan Holdsworth voicings; those dream-laden, chordal noodlings and odd maneuvers of scale. This gives Hamm room to ...

160

Album Review

Frank Gambale - Stuart Hamm - Steve Smith: The Light Beyond

Read "The Light Beyond" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
August 1, 2000

Fusion and Rock superheroes, guitarist Frank Gambale, bassist Stuart Hamm and drummer Steve Smith reunite for their second “Tone Center” release, titled - The Light Beyond. Throughout, the musicians meld strong, memorable compositions with aggressive soloing and cagey dialogue. On the opener “Katahdin”, Gambale utilizes his impressive and well documented – sweeping technique – intermingled with thoughtful lines, legato and suspenseful themes while Hamm and Smith hammer out the rhythms with effortless control amid vivacious interplay. The composition, “Yang” might ...

146

Album Review

F.Gambale, S.Hamm, S.Smith: Show Me What You Can Do

Read "Show Me What You Can Do" reviewed by John W. Patterson

by John W. Patterson
March 1, 1999

I'm upfront, in the middle, and lastly a fusion fan. Why? Jazz fusion is what brought me into the world of prog and all the rest of it. That said, biases in the clear now, listen up. Gambale and the gang tear it up! Stu Hamm is Levinesque-thundering, Stanley Clarke-kicking bass. Vital Information's Steve Smith's drumming keeps right up when it gets wild and hold things together during spacey chordal splurges.These pros got pumped watching old Mahavishnu Orchestra ...