Step back from those windows, there's a storm on the horizon. Guitar master Eric Gales from Memphis, Tennessee is ready to shake your foundation and tear down the house with the release of his Nightbird Records/MCA Records debut, That's What I Am.
That's What I Am marks Eric's adult debut as a solo artist. Many music fans will avidly recall the albums Eric recorded in the early to mid-90's, as a solo artist and with The Gales Brothers. Those recordings proved that even as a young teen, Eric laid claim to extraordinary musical talents. The ensuing years have burnished Eric's raw, intrinsic gift to a greater luster, his musical drive honed by his life experience.
As a left-handed African-American guitar powerhouse, comparisons to the late guitar great Jimi Hendrix are to be expected. Some have described Eric, now 25 years old, as one of Hendrix's true successors. Hendrix's imprint is at the forefront of a host of influences, which range from contemporary rock to funk and blues. Eric's recording contract with the Nightbird Records division of the Hendrix family-owned Hendrix Records will likely draw comparisons, as well. "We feel that Eric's expressive sound and style is truly unique," states Janie Hendrix, CEO of Experience Hendrix, "Eric pays homage to the great blues artists of the past, but more importantly, is creating a new sound all his own. Hendrix Records is proud to support such a superb young talent." Adds Eric, "Any guitarist today would have to have a screw loose not to acknowledge a debt to Jimi Hendrix. But my goal is to put something out there that's fresh and new, something the world hasn't seen."
He's done just that with That's What I Am. Produced and engineered by the innovative musician/producer Geza X, whose credits include work with Black Flag, the Dead Kennedys, and Meredith Brooks, the new album is a showpiece not only of Eric's guitar playing, but of his equally electrifying singing and songwriting. With unexpected twists and turns, and the cool ease of Eric's guitar style, Eric's music evokes a primal rock reaction, certain to please axe fans everywhere. Joining Eric are drummer Edward "Hot" Cleveland and bassist Paul Taylor (who round out the new three-piece Eric Gales Band), as well as guest musicians including actor/singer Michael De Lorenzo ("New York Undercover"), guitarist Kenny Olson (Kid Rock), and DJ Kilmore and Michael Einziger (both of Incubus). But the star of this show, front and center, is Eric Gales himself. He not only sings and plays guitar - and bass on one track - Eric also co-wrote ten of the album's twelve tracks, several with his brother Eugene.
Raised within the vibrant, richly textured Memphis music scene, Eric Gales has been absorbing a universe of musical influences. "I took a little gospel, a little rock, some Albert King, Robin Trower, Jimi Hendrix and John Lee Hooker," says Eric, "and stirred it all up like a pot of Ragu sauce!" From the slinky funk flavored "Handwriting On The Wall" and the sultry "So Good If You Could," to the dark and demanding chord progression in "Blue Misty Morning," Eric Gales extracts new and limitless musical possibilities. The swamp blues/rap of "Insane" provides stark contrast to the psychedelic soul of "Black Day," while "You Ugly" seamlessly threads hip-hop, rowdy rock and deep-dish sass in one of the album's most upbeat and humorous tracks.
Ballads like "She Shines" and "Can't Go On" - the latter being perhaps the album's emotional high point - not only boast lush and lovely melodies, they also exemplify Eric's ability to spin a song into unexpected directions. Eric's cover of the Hendrix classic "Foxey Lady" is both a tip of the hat to the master and a skilled variation on one of the most important songs of the rock era. The album ends with "Just Got Paid," the album's hardest rocking track and a fittingly virtuosic finale.
Eric Gales has enjoyed a musical lifetime beyond his years. Eric and his brothers Eugene and Manuel trace their musical heritage back to their grandfather Dempsey Garrett, a Delta blues musician of the highest order. That exposure to authentic blues, blended with an immersion in gospel through their Baptist upbringing, gave the entire Gales family a solid early musical education. By age 4, Eric was emulating the guitar stylings of his older brother Eugene, and making music swiftly became a family affair in the Gales household. By age 11, Eric was winning regional amateur blues contests, drawing attention not only for his skill, but also for his unusual guitar technique: holding the instrument upside down and backwards. "By the time I heard it was the wrong way to play, I'd already learned how to play that way," says Eric with a laugh.
The brothers gigged together wherever they could, dazzling audiences by switching instruments throughout their set. "I'd play bass, while Eugene played guitar," recalls Eric. "Then we'd switch, and I'd fire off some Hendrix riffs. The audiences weren't expecting that, and we'd win 'em over every time."
At age 15, Eric signed his first recording contract with Elektra Records, which led to a pair of albums, The Eric Gales Band (1991) and Picture of a Thousand Faces (1993). In 1991, he won Guitar World magazine's Reader's Poll as "Best New Talent," while Spin magazine hailed his music as "the stuff of legend." Eric's fans include Carlos Santana, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, B.B. King, and Eric Clapton, all of whom have attended his concerts. In 1996, the Gales Brothers came together to record an album for the House of Blues label, titled Left Hand Brand.
In the years since, Eric has continued writing and playing, developing his new trio into the tight unit they are today. Having enjoyed such meteoric success as a youngster definitely left an impression. Says Eric, "It helped me learn the do's and don'ts, the ups and downs, how to get in trouble and how not to get in trouble."
Now older and wiser, Eric is back and set to shine with That's What I Am. "The way I see it," he notes, "I approach music like this: thinking too hard gets in the way. I just want to give people an out-of-body musical experience. I'm only a messenger, a middle-man for the big man upstairs. I just try to get out of the way and let Him take care of things."
The winds of change are once again blowing across the musical landscape, and a new season of Gale force rock is upon us.
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