Eric Gale


Eric Gale was an American jazz and jazz fusion guitarist.
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Biography

Eric Gale was born in Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York to an American mother and British father. His grandfather was English so he spent his holidays visiting family in the UK, which allowed him to look at the world through a different perspective. He was fluent in German and Spanish. Gale started playing the guitar at age 12.
He attended private, all-boys Catholic schools and was exceptionally skilled at math. He skipped junior high school and, while in high school, frequently visited John Coltrane's home where he sat in on jam sessions, and was given after-school snacks by John Coltrane's wife, which he appreciated. Gale received his Masters in chemistry at Niagara University. While a professor at Penn State University he made the momentous decision to pursue a musical career instead of a Ph.D. in Chemistry, which displeased his mother. In the late 1960's, Van Morrison recorded "Brown Eyed Girl", which was originally titled "Brown Skinned Girl". You can hear Eric's catchy riff in the session, but the radio stations requested the title be changed to "Brown Eyed Girl", as the original was considered too controversial for the times.
Soon after, Frank Sinatra approached Eric to work on the hit song "My Way," as mentioned in Sinatra's autobiography. Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway's "Where Is the Love", Phil Upchurch and George Benson. to name a few.
Roberta Flack called Gale and begged him to come back home to New York to help her with her Killing Me Softly album. Gale was reluctant, so she flew the band members to him instead. After some persuading, they ended up returning to the United States. A close, intelligent friend of his, Flack worked together with Gale on her Killing Me Softly album. He had just finished recording his Negril album with Cedric Brooks, Richard Tee, the Wailers, along with Peter Tosh on vocals, in Kingston, Jamaica. He flew out to Montego Bay, Jamaica, to clear his mind and reconnect with nature, then was able to finish an album in Kingston with his friends who understood the inexplicable injustice of politics. This was mentioned in Aston "Familyman" Barrett's autobiography.
Gale often worked as a session musician, recording with musicians such as Bobby Lewis, King Curtis, Quincy Jones, Roberta Flack, Van McCoy, Jesse Belvin, Maxine Brown, Bobby Timmons, George Benson, Lena Horne, Joe Cocker, The Drifters, The Flamingos, Ashford & Simpson, Illinois Jacquet, Billy Joel, Herbie Mann, David "Fathead" Newman, Patti Austin, Mongo Santamaria, Paul Simon, Nina Simone, Jimmy Smith, Clark Terry, Fania All-Stars, and Jackie Wilson. In the 1970s he became a studio guitarist for CTI Records, recording with Bob James, Stanley Turrentine, and Grover Washington Jr., and was a member of the R&B band Stuff with Steve Gadd and others. His first of many albums as a solo act was released by Kudu. Gale played guitar on Van McCoy's hit "The Hustle" and Grover Washington Jr.'s "Just the Two of Us".
Gale died of lung cancer in 1994 at the age of 55 and is survived by his wife Masako Gale, their three daughters, and three grandchildren.

Discography

As leader

Forecast Negril Multiplication Ginseng Woman Part of You Touch of Silk Blue Horizon In the Shade of a Tree Island Breeze In a Jazz Tradition Let's Stay Together Utopia
With StuffStuff More Stuff Live Stuff Stuff It! Live in New York
  • ''Made in America''

As sideman

With Ashford & SimpsonCome as You Are Send It Is It Still Good to Ya Stay Free A Musical Affair Street Opera So So Satisfied
With Patti AustinEnd of a Rainbow Havana Candy Home Should Have One (album)|Every Home Should Have One] In My Life
With George BensonGiblet Gravy Good King Bad Benson & Farrell Space Pacific Fire
With Ron CarterAnything Goes Yellow & Green Very Well I'm Walkin
With Hank CrawfordMr. Blues Plays Lady Soul It's a Funky Thing to Do Help Me Make it [Through the Night (Hank Crawford album)|Help Me Make it Through the Night] I Hear a Symphony Hank Crawford's Back Tico Rico
With Fania All-StarsElla Fue/Juan Pachanga Ella Fue/Steady Rhythm Machine Spanish Fever Cross Over Commitment Social Change
With Roberta FlackChapter Two Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway Killing Me Softly I'm the One
With Jun FukamachiThe Sea of Dirac Evening Star On the Move
With Freddie HubbardA Soul Experiment First Light In Concert Windjammer
With Bob JamesTwo Three BJ4 Heads Touchdown Lucky Seven One on One (Bob James and [Earl Klugh album)|One on One] Sign of the Times The Genie 12 Double Vision Grand Piano Canyon
With Quincy JonesWalking in Space Gula Matari Smackwater Jack $ Body Heat I Heard That!! Sounds...and Stuff Like That!!
With Gladys Knight & the PipsStill Together The One and Only About Love Touch
With Yusef LateefYusef Lateef's Detroit Suite 16 The Gentle Giant Autophysiopsychic In a Temple Garden
With Ralph MacDonaldSound of a Drum The Path Counterpoint Universal Rhythm Surprize
With Van McCoyDisco Baby The Disco Kid The Real McCoy Rhythms of the World
With David "Fathead" NewmanBigger & Better Captain Buckles Scratch My Back
With Esther PhillipsEsther Phillips Sings From a Whisper to a Scream Alone Again Naturally Capricorn Princess
With Diana RossRoss album)|The Boss] Why Do [Fools Fall in Love (album)|Why Do Fools Fall in Love] Silk Electric Ross Red Hot Rhythm & Blues
With David RuffinWho I Am Everything's Coming Up Love In My Stride
With Mongo SantamariaMongo '70 Mongo's Way Red Hot
With Shirley ScottSoul Song Shirley Scott & the Soul Saxes Something
With Tom ScottNew York Connection Blow It Out Intimate Strangers Apple Juice Streamlines Flashpoint Them Changes Keep This Love Alive Reed My Lips
With Frank SinatraThe World We Knew
With Johnny "Hammond" SmithBreakout The Prophet Wild Horses Rock Steady
With Richard TeeStrokin Natural Ingredients Real Time
With Stanley TurrentineSalt Song Don't Mess with Mister T. The Baddest Turrentine The Sugar Man The Man with the Sad Face Nightwings West Side Highway
With Grover Washington Jr.Inner City Blues All the King's Horses Soul Box Feels So Good Mister Magic A Secret Place Skylarkin' Winelight Come Morning The [Best Is Yet to Come (Grover Washington Jr. album)|The Best Is Yet to Come] Inside Moves
With Sadao WatanabeMorning Island Nice Shot! How's Everything Orange Express Bravas Brothers Fill Up the Night Rendezvous Vocal Collection
With others