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| Giacomo Gates and Ed Howard photo by Ralph A. Miriello 2013 |
In Novemeber 2011, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
officially designated April 30th as International Jazz Day in order to highlight jazz and its diplomatic role in uniting people in all corners of the globe.
Jazz has a long history of successfully bridging the gap
between various cultural and ideological differences. The United States,
through its State Department, has sponsored jazz artists to tour foreign
countries as good will ambassadors. The music has been an invaluable vehicle
for sending positive images of our national intentions to other countries.
Jazz artist like Dave Brubeck, Dizzy Gillespie and most famously Louis
Armstrong have all been instrumental in improving relations with other
countries through the positive vibes offered through the performances of their
music abroad. The artists sent strong messages of
peace, friendship and goodwill through the all the powerful medium of
their music. Jazz has proven to be an international
language that accepts no political or geographic boundaries. This year in Osaka, Japan a stellar line-up of top jazz
musicians will celebrate this special day with an All Star Global Concert from
the Osaka Castle Park in Japan.
In keeping with this celebratory and spiritual undertaking
of uniting people around the globe through jazz, I have been working with the
creative and receptive people at the Stamford Center of the Arts to
introduce a regular jazz series to the Palace Theatre in Stamford. The
people at SCA have graciously received this notion as one that is keeping with
their mission to provide artistic performances to the community. To that end
and in celebration of International Jazz Day, the SCA will present an
evening of jazz this Wednesday April 30, 2014 at 8pm at the Palace. The
evening will feature the great jazz vocalist Giacomo Gates and his trio. Mr.
Gates is a Connecticut native and longtime resident of Bridgeport. He is a frequent nominee in both the Jazz Journalist
Association and Downbeat magazine annual awards for best male jazz vocalist.
Gates has a smoky baritone that resonates in the ears like a
fine glass of single malt smoothly tantalizes the mouth. He is a master
of the art of vocalese and scat and is a direct descendant of the great Eddie
Jefferson, whom he credits as one of his influences. More than anything
else Gates is a master storyteller who engages his audience with a nonchalant
appeal. His delivery has a cool, hip cadence that somehow draws you into the
story he is telling, and oh what stories! Gates repertoire is filled with
nuggets that lay just outside the great American songbook. His most recent
albums, both critically acclaimed, include the Revolution Will Be Jazz the
Music of Gil Scott Heron and Milestones the Music of Miles Davis. Giacomo Gates, a cat who lies just outside the boundaries of what you might expect, and that, along with his wonderfully resonant voice, is
what makes his performances unpredictable and so appealing. And the cat can swing, no lie.
I will be holding an impromptu Q & A session with
Gates at intermission, so be sure to come and see a true jazz master and maybe
ask him a question or two. Get into his head. It will be a trip for sure.Join us in celebration of great music on International
Jazz Day, Jazz Appreciation Month and the return of real jazz to Stamford, CT
at the Palace Theatre this Wednesday at 8pm. You can get your tickets by
linking here.
Here is a sample of Gates recent music and if you want to read more about Giacomo Gates see my recent interview with him by linking here, See you at the
Palace.
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