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Giacomo Gates

“Mr. Gates is a solid example of a performer who is doing something that no one else does. He evokes an age (that I would hope is not so terribly bygone) when musicians were entertainers and entertainers were musicians, and a sense of humor was as important as a sense of rhythm.” — Will Friedwald

Giacomo Gates does more than sing “a bunch of songs.” He is truly an entertainer, for all ages and styles, as audiences enjoy the music, the interaction on the bandstand between him and his musicians, the spontaneity, the humor, the stories about the music and composers, along with their relation to everyday life. People are smiling, having a good time, while thoroughly enjoying the music. What usually lacks in most of today’s performances is obviously present … fun!

The criteria for defining jazz singing will probably be argued for the rest of time. But no matter which side of the argument one may be on, there can be no doubt that Giacomo Gates is an authentic jazz vocalist. Heavily steeped in the traditions of the original vocal improvisers from Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald through their modern counterparts Betty Carter and Leon Thomas, Giacomo’s own approach draws most heavily from the bebop-rooted masters like Jon Hendricks, Babs Gonzales, King Pleasure and most of all, Eddie Jefferson. Like his influences, Gates has forged his own unique path.

In his own words, “In this kind of music it’s about intention, honesty and what comes through in your voice – the Experience of Life.” Without question, Giacomo’s life experience is unlike any other jazz artist that may come to mind. Blessed with a full-bodied and mellifluous voice, extraordinary rhythmic precision and an unerring sense of lyricism, Gates’ total command of the vernacular, boundless creativity and exuberant passion set him apart from nearly every other vocalist on the scene. However, he didn’t display his talents to the public-at-large until 1990, at 40 years of age. Prior to that, Gates led the life of a hardworking blue collar ‘man’s man.’ After a number of years driving everything from school buses to cattle transporters to 18-wheelers, Giacomo departed for the Alaskan wilderness in 1975, working for 14 years in a variety of jobs, including three years on the Alaska Pipeline. Whether he was doing road construction, operating scrapers, loaders and bulldozers, or driving spikes into railway tracks in the flatland emptiness of the tundra with no directional guides other than a compass and the sky, Gates found these experiences to be powerful stimulation for developing his own artistic expression.

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11
Album Review

Giacomo Gates: YOU

Read "YOU" reviewed by Nicholas F. Mondello


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 ...

8
Album Review

Giacomo Gates: G8S

Read "G8S" reviewed by Nicholas F. Mondello


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. ...

13
Album Review

Giacomo Gates: What Time Is It?

Read "What Time Is It?" reviewed by Nicholas F. Mondello


2:02.75. That might have been what longshot “Giacomo" (at 50-1) took to win the Kentucky Derby back in 2005. However, it will take longer--just short of an hour--to realize that this thoroughbred Giacomo rides home a winner with What Time Is It?. Hold the oats and roses and grab the ear buds. Giacomo Gates, the consummate Hipster's Hipster, carries the Bop-Scat-Vocalese torch superbly here--one carried previously by greats Babs Gonzales, King Pleasure, Eddie Jefferson, Oscar Brown, Jr. ...

8
Album Review

Giacomo Gates: What Time Is It?

Read "What Time Is It?" reviewed by Jack Bowers


What is it that separates a “jazz singer" from the wannabes? While many people are known as or call themselves jazz singers, only a handful truly merit the name. Giacomo Gates, whose latest album What Time Is It? is his seventh (and fourth for Savant Records), is one of the chosen few. Why? Well, as the saying goes, if you have to ask . . . The fact is, Gates has a pleasant baritone voice but not ...

7
Album Review

Giacomo Gates: Everything Is Cool

Read "Everything Is Cool" reviewed by Nicholas F. Mondello


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!" ...

2
Album Review

Giacomo Gates: Everything Is Cool

Read "Everything Is Cool" reviewed by Jack Bowers


Giacomo Gates was almost forty years old when someone suggested that he try his hand at singing. Luckily for the rest of us, Gates thought that was a good idea, moved to New York City later that year (1989) and began singing in clubs. Six years later Gates recorded his first CD, Blue Skies, and Everything Is Cool is the eighth. Simply put, no one on the scene today sings quite like Gates--and that is a compliment. He has a ...

165
Album Review

Giacomo Gates: The Revolution Will Be Jazz

Read "The Revolution Will Be Jazz" reviewed by James Nadal


An omnipresent cloud persistently hangs over any tribute album--that the music will be compared to the original. Even though this might seem unfair, it's a fact. Knowing this, jazz vocalist Giacomo Gates dares to venture into the distinctive songbook of Gil Scott-Heron with The Revolution Will Be Jazz, and comes out the other side with a remarkable record. Gates cautiously handpicked the songs from Scott-Heron's repertoire, and wisely does not attempt an imitation or duplication, but performs ...

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3

Music Industry

Giacomo Gates Sings The Song, Tony Adamo Writes The Music

Giacomo Gates Sings The Song, Tony Adamo Writes The Music

Source: Tony Adamo

Jazz troubadour and terminal hipster Giacomo Gates just keeps getting better and better. Gates is one of the top male jazz singers around today. He's a talented, skillful, and a rock-solid professional. With his vocalese and bebop attitude, he sings, scats, dropping his swinging baritone voice into every lyric he sings. A few years ago, singer, spoken word recording artist Tony Adamo asked Gates to stop by and dig Adamo’s recording session for his CD, Tony Adamo And The New ...

Interview

Interview: Giacomo Gates, 'You'

Interview: Giacomo Gates, 'You'

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers

It's no secret that Giacomo Gates is among my favorite male jazz singers today. His voice is meaty thick and his jazz sense is limber and always happening. He swings and bops with the confidence of the masters. Out today is Gates's new album, entitled You (Savant), a generous collection of 18 songs that have the word “you" in the title. He's backed by a smart trio and he gives each song an (Eddie) Jeffersonian spin complete with a flatted ...

4

Recording

Vocalist Giacomo Gates Releases 'You' on January 28, 2022

Vocalist Giacomo Gates Releases 'You' on January 28, 2022

Source: Scott Thompson Public Relations

Jazz vocalist Giacomo Gates is blessed with a smooth and supremely expressive baritone voice and an all-inclusive musicality which encompasses a hipster-like coolness, a smattering of vocalese, an Eckstine-like seductiveness, the story telling ability of a griot, a firm footing in the blues and a sense of swing which is second-to-none. His performances can be quiet and full of insight (or innuendo) or be ebullient and joyful. Whatever style Gates may offer—be it sensitive, sensuous or syncopated—he infuses the music ...

1

Performance / Tour

Swinging with Gates is quite a jazz journey

Swinging with Gates is quite a jazz journey

Source: Ken Franckling's Jazz Notes

Giacomo Gates' jazz vocals mastery is rooted deep in the scat and vocalese traditions, then blended with his engaging ability to put songs in context and good humor. He has carved out his own special niche among jazz vocalists. His career included construction work on railroads and the Alaska Pipeline among many other things before diving into jazz full time around 1990. He drew mightily from the Jon Hendricks and Oscar Brown Jr. songbooks but also brought in some Eddie ...

5

Event

Ball & Chain Presents Special Musical Performance By Giacomo Gates on March 10 (3 Sets)

Ball & Chain Presents Special Musical Performance By Giacomo Gates on March 10 (3 Sets)

Source: Zack Bush

BALL & CHAIN PRESENTS SPECIAL MUSICAL PERFORMANCE BY VOCALIST GIACOMO GATES New York Times Critically Acclaimed Jazz Vocalist’s First Show on Calle Ocho Ball & Chain, the historic and world famous live music venue located at 1513 Southwest 8th Street, Miami, FL 33135 is thrilled to present a special live musical performance by New York Times critically acclaimed jazz vocalist Giacomo Gates on Thursday, March 10, 2016. “We are so excited to host a jazz legend such as Gates within ...

1

Recording

Giacomo Gates: It's All Cool

Giacomo Gates: It's All Cool

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers

One of my favorite male vocalists is out with a new album—Everything Is Cool (Savant). I last wrote about Giacomo when his Miles Tones was released (here). And before that The Revolution Will Be JazzL The Songs of Gil-Scott Heron (here). Giacomo's groovy baritone is a throwback to a time when jazz vocals didn't just mean the American songbook. Here's an excerpt from my liner notes... “Nobody sings like Giacomo Gates these days. Back in the late 1940s and 1950s, ...

1

Performance / Tour

The hipster returns

The hipster returns

Source: Ken Franckling's Jazz Notes

Jazz singer Giacomo Gates is full of surprises—for his audience, and his bandmates. His performances are richer for it. Such was the case Saturday night when he closed out February with a South County Jazz Club concert at the Glenridge Performing Arts Center in Sarasota FL.Gates' band for the night, and a pair of jazz bistro concerts scheduled Sunday, March 1 at JD's in Port Charlotte, included pianist Mac Chrupcala, bassist Don Mopsick and drummer Patricia Dean. He built an ...

1

Recording

Hip Jazz for Hip Listeners

Hip Jazz for Hip Listeners

Source: Ken Franckling's Jazz Notes

Singer Giacomo Gates wide-ranging musicality, humor and swing were on full display Saturday night at JD’s Bistro & Grille as he opened the Port Charlotte FL venue’s Jazz Masters series of special jazz events.  Gates fit the bill perfectly with his approach to jazz, including his instrument-like scatting and use of vocalese. The latter technique, popularized by Eddie Jefferson, Jon Hendricks and Oscar Brown Jr., puts lyrics to classic instrumental jazz solos that enable a singer like Gates to ...

150

Recording

Giacomo Gates Sings Scott-Heron

Giacomo Gates Sings Scott-Heron

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers

Last Friday in the Wall Street Journal I reviewed jazz singer Giacomo Gates' new CD, The Revolution Will Be Jazz: The Songs of Gil Scott-Heron (go here). It's one of the most exciting and intelligent vocal albums I've heard in some time. Giacomo doesn't try to cute-up Scott-Heron nor does he over-hip the songs. Instead, he plays it straight—giving the material a baritone bopping in the vocalese tradition of Eddie Jefferson and Mark Murphy. The last time I posted about Gil ...

168

Recording

New England Jazz Ensemble to Release Fifth CD at June 5 Concert Featuring Giacomo Gates, Ali Ryerson

New England Jazz Ensemble to Release Fifth CD at June 5 Concert Featuring Giacomo Gates, Ali Ryerson

Source: Ed Bride Associates

The 16-piece Big Band Celebrates 20th Birthday In Performance at Hartford's Polish National Home HARTFORD, CT—"It's a Grand Night for Swinging," The New England Jazz Ensemble's long-awaited fifth CD will be released on June 5, 2011, at a concert at the Polish National Home in Hartford. The 4pm concert also features guest vocalist Giacomo Gates and flute soloist Ali Ryerson. The concert includes jazz and blues standards that have been arranged by Jeff Holmes, John Mastroianni, and Walt Gwardyak, all ...

What is it that separates a "jazz singer" from the wannabes? While many people are known as or call themselves jazz singers, only a handful truly merit the name. Giacomo Gates, whose latest album What Time Is It? is his seventh (and fourth for Savant Records), is one of the chosen few. Why? Well, as the saying goes, if you have to ask . . . Jack Bowers, All About Jazz

Giacomo Gates digs interesting songs that, more often than not, have a clever twist to them. What he delivers—and what you hear—is not always what you expect. - Ken Frankling

Gates still doesn't get the attention, even within our insular jazz world, that I think he deserves. If you haven't heard him before, "What Time Is It?" is a great place to start. - Curt's Jazz Cafe

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Primary Instrument

Vocals

Location

New York City

Willing to teach

Advanced only

Photos

Concerts

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

YOU

Savant Records
2022

buy

G8S

9th Note Records
2018

buy

What Time Is It?

Savant Records
2017

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Everything Is Cool

Savant Records
2015

buy

The Revolution Will...

Savant Records
2011

buy

Luminosity

DoubleDave Music
2008

buy

The Nearness of You

From: YOU
By Giacomo Gates

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