Giacomo Gates (1950) is an American jazz vocalist. Gates was born and raised in Connecticut.
His father was a classical violinist. He made his public debut as a vocalist at the age of six. Soon after, he picked up guitar. In his youth he listened to jazz stations broadcasting from New York City, learned about jazz from disc jockeys, and played along on guitar.
A college dropout, he found work on a road crew as a
laborer, then drove dump trucks and heavier vehicles like bulldozers. Gates
moved to Alaska to work on the Alaska Pipeline, intending to stay only a year
but remaining for twelve. While performing at a jazz festival in Fairbanks, he
was approached by Sarah Vaughan, who encouraged him to leave Alaska and pursue
a singing career.
Gates interprets jazz standards, practices vocalese, and is active in jazz education. He has taught at Wesleyan University, the Hartford Conservatory of Music, and New Haven's Neighborhood Music School. In his singing he tries to copy the sounds of instruments, such as flutes, trombones, and drums.
No comments:
Post a Comment