Giacomo Gates with the Jimmy Masters Trio at the Sandler Center for the Arts

Giacomo Gates sings in a calm baritone, delivering songs easily, but there's more to just singing a song. Mixing the lyrics with vocalese, singing his lyrics to otherwise instrumental improvised parts, Gates tells a story full of emotion that can be seen on his face and heard in his voice. Closing your eyes and listening to Gates takes you back to a 1950s jazz club where the hip snapped their fingers and cigarette smoke clouded the room. Gates' own words best summarize his style, "In this kind of music, it's about intention, honesty and what comes through in your voice—the experience of life" Ably backed by John Toomey on piano, Jimmy Masters on bass and Frank Russo on drums, the quartet performed two 45-minute sets with special guest Mary Foster Conklin singing a duet with Gates. Gates' banter with the audience was just as relaxed as his singing and by the end of the evening, everyone in the room had found a new friend.

The following are photos from the performance.