All original instrumental whacked jazz featuring electric guitar, acoustic bass and drums -- modern jazz with rock elements.

9 MP3 Songs
JAZZ: Weird Jazz, JAZZ: Jazz Fusion



Details:
John William Gordon
Oakland, CA USA
JohnWilliamGordon.com
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CD BACKGROUND

The CD -- "John William Gordon" -- was recorded in 2005 at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, CA, USA.

All the tracks are originals. All the solos are improvised. Every take in the studio was different (and because of this, two alternate takes are for sale as downloads on the website, www.johnwilliamgordon.com).

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PLAYERS

JOHN WILLIAM GORDON's fans call his music "whacked" and "mutant" jazz. He can't help it. From the git-go, intense unusual music pushed his buttons and enthralled him. From Mahavishnu Orchestra to Bird to Monk, the inspiration of his youth shaped his guitar playing. His guitar teachers ranged from New England Conservatory-trained jazz guitarist Harry Andrew to Ted Greene-inspired Adam Levy (now with Nora Jones) to Atilla Zoller's Vermont workshop with Jim Hall in the mid-1990s.

Many fans remark about the sonic and harmonic space in his music, but John composes from the heart with no such stuffiness in mind. Occasionally, if his band mates are game, he'll make up a tune with them on the spot at a gig.

Besides composing his own brand of electric whacked mutant jazz guitar playing for his trio, "John William Gordon," John keeps his Monk connection alive by playing guitar in the San Francisco piano-less Monk cover band, "Theloni On Wry."

JEFF CHAMBERS (Berkeley, CA) played bass on 6 of the 9 CD tracks (and one of the alternate takes). Chambers is a highly regarded bass player who's played with many wonderful musicians, including Dizzy Gillespie, Herbie Hancock, and many other heavies. Though he holds bebop and Latin jazz close to his heart, he's also recorded with MC Hammer and played in his own Mahavishnu/Weather Report cover band in San Francisco.

RICK RIVERA (Boston, MA) played drums on all 9 tracks (plus the two alternate takes available on the website). Rivera's recorded with several people, including a couple of CDs in a duo with the freaky, original pianist Thollem Mcdonas. You can often hear melodic-style phrasing in Rivera's solos.

TODD SICKAFOOSE (Brooklyn, NY) played bass on 3 CD tracks. Sickafoose lives and plays mostly in New York. He's recorded with several fine musicians and also released his own CDs. Sickafoose toured as the sole accompanist of Ani DiFranco.

Dave Wellhausen of Fantasy Studios engineered and mixed the CD. Wellhausen has over 25 years engineering experience and has recorded many well-known acts at Fantasy Studios.