Home » Jazz Articles » Liner Notes » Eric Gale: Forecast

Eric Gale: Forecast

By Arnaldo DeSouteiro
October 13, 2024
View read count

Eric Gale (born on September 20, 1938, of Barbadian parents, in Brooklyn, NY) recorded over 500 albums as sideman, backing such stars as Aretha Franklin, King Curtis, Dianna Ross, Paul Simon, Lena Horne,

Michel Legrand

piano
1932 - 2019

" data-original-title="" title="">Michel Legrand,

Quincy Jones

arranger
1933 - 2024

" data-original-title="" title="">Quincy Jones, Roberta Flack, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Joe Cocker, Carly Simon, Van Morrison,

Milton Nascimento

guitar and vocals
b.1942

" data-original-title="" title="">Milton Nascimento, Billy Joel,

Gato Barbieri

saxophone
1934 - 2016

" data-original-title="" title="">Gato Barbieri and

Mongo Santamaria

percussion
1917 - 2003

" data-original-title="" title="">Mongo Santamaria, to name a few.

Gale's association with Creed Taylor began when the celebrated producer was working at Verve Records. Curiously, their first sessions together, on August 18 and October 24, 1966, were part of a

Johnny Hodges

saxophone, alto
1907 - 1970

" data-original-title="" title="">Johnny Hodges album titled Blue Notes; a very peculiar name for a Verve LP!

During the A&M/CTI years, Eric Gale was heard on albums by

Herbie Mann

flute
1930 - 2003

" data-original-title="" title="">Herbie Mann, Soul Flutes, Richard Barbary, Quincy Jones, and

J.J. Johnson

trombone
1924 - 2001

" data-original-title="" title="">J.J. Johnson &

Kai Winding

trombone
1922 - 1983

" data-original-title="" title="">Kai Winding. When CTI became a completely independent label, he became the house guitarist for one of its subsidiary labels, Kudu Records, appearing on the first album issued under the Kudu logo: Johnny Hammond's Breakout. Many other sessions followed and, on January 1973, Creed Taylor finally allowed him to record as a leader.

Forecast may not have been the big commercial success everyone at CTI/Kudu anticipated, but it has not damaged Gale's relationship with Creed Taylor. The main reason for the poor sales was that, instead of doing a typical soul-jazz session spiced with funky grooves, covering many r&b hits, Gale opted to record several of his own compositions and only one pop song ("Killing Me Softly"), using different beats and moods throughout the album.

The opening track is a short and easy-listening version of Roberta Flack's "Killing Me Softly "huge pop hit. The beautiful sound on the intro comes from Tony Studd's baritone horn, a seldom heard instrument nowadays. Bob James, who signs the opulent orchestration, plays electric piano with a very light touch, assisted by

Gordon Edwards

bass, electric

" data-original-title="" title="">Gordon Edwards on electric bass and

Rick Marotta

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Rick Marotta on drums.

Undoubtedly the album highlight, Eric Gale's "Cleopatra" is a delightful calypso-tinged tune, propelled by Ralph MacDonald doubling on congas and various Latin percussion instruments. There are irreproachable solos by Gale and

Hubert Laws

woodwinds
b.1939

" data-original-title="" title="">Hubert Laws, on piccolo! The joyful horn arrangement completes the atmosphere of a street party in "St. Thomas." During the tag, Gale and Laws continue to stretch out in a vivacious interplay.

A totally unpredictable version of "Dindi" follows. Composed by

Antonio Carlos Jobim

piano
1927 - 1994

" data-original-title="" title="">Antonio Carlos Jobim & Aloysio de Oliveira, introduced by singer Sylvia Telles on her famous Amor de Gente Mo?a album in 1959, this bossa nova ballad receives a breath of fresh air thanks to Gale's approach. The guitarist doesn't play it with a bossa beat. Instead, he treats Jobim's elegant melody like a jazzy pop ballad played in a very slow tempo.

Bob James

piano
b.1939

" data-original-title="" title="">Bob James adds some subtle strings that doesn't disturb the dreamy mood of the track.

The three remaining songs are all by Eric Gale: the r&b-flavored White Moth, the afro-reggae "Tonsue Corte" (including a brief but admirable Hubert Laws solo, Bob James playing the bass-marimba near the end of the track, and Arthur Jenkins replacing

Ralph MacDonald

percussion
1944 - 2011

" data-original-title="" title="">Ralph MacDonald on percussion) and the title track, Forecast, built upon an intoxicating funk-rock riff. Additional showcases of Gale's highly personal sound and instantly recognizable style.

The first time I met Eric Gale, I asked him which was his favorite recording for Creed Taylor. I could bet he would say something like I can't choose only one or it's hard to remember. However, for my surprise, Gale answered that it was a version of "Where Is The Love" from

Grover Washington, Jr.

saxophone
1943 - 1999

" data-original-title="" title="">Grover Washington, Jr.'s second album for Kudu, All The King's Horses in 1972. He told me: "We had only five minutes to finish that session at Van Gelder's studio, and Creed wanted us to do that track. During my solo, I simply developed it in a way completely different from what Creed wanted. I was playing bebop phrases and Creed became so nervous that he began to talk to my earphones from the microphone in the control room: play the blues, Eric, play some blues lines... But I remained doing what I was doing, because I knew there would be no time for another take. I was trying not to laugh, but Creed became mad with me anyway. For my luck, everybody else in the studio loved the track!"

Even after Eric Gale signed with Columbia, he continued to record as a sideman for Creed. Besides performing as rhythm guitarist on

George Benson

guitar
b.1943

" data-original-title="" title="">George Benson's sessions which yielded the albums Good King Bad, Benson & Farrell, and Pacific Fire, he appeared as a featured soloist on Bob James' last album for CTI, BJ 4, as well as on

Lalo Schifrin

arranger
1932 - 2025

" data-original-title="" title="">Lalo Schifrin's two albums for CTI in 1976, Black Widow and Towering Toccata. For Kudu, Gale kept recording until 1977, on albums by Grover Washington, Jr. (Soul Box, Mister Magic, Feels So Good, A Secret Place), Esther Phillips (Capricorn Princess),

Idris Muhammad

drums
1939 - 2014

" data-original-title="" title="">Idris Muhammad (House of The Rising Sun, Turn This Mutha Out), and Hank Crawford (I Hear A Symphony, Hank Crawford's Back, Tico Rico). Then, in September 1981, he was reunited again with Creed Taylor during the sessions for Silk, the second album by the all-star project Fuse One.

Gale's big popularity in Japan is mainly the result of many tours with the legendary Stuff group (which did a best-selling live album at Yubin-Chokin Hall in 1978),

Sadao Watanabe

saxophone, alto
b.1933

" data-original-title="" title="">Sadao Watanabe (How's Everything—Live at Budokan in 1980) and

Dave Grusin

piano
b.1934

" data-original-title="" title="">Dave Grusin (Grusin and The NY-LA Dream Band, also at Budokan, in 1982). He continued to tour Japan regularly, sometimes three times a year, until 1993. In 1994, soon after performing on

Al Jarreau

vocals
1940 - 2017

" data-original-title="" title="">Al Jarreau's Tenderness album (fortunately documented on video), Gale passed away on May 25, 1994, in Baja, California. The few obituaries (less than 10 lines in Down Beat!) referred to him only as a respected studio guitarist. But, according to Brazilian percussionist Dom Um Romao, who pays tribute to Gale on his latest album, Lake of Perseverance, which includes a song titled "Eric's Stuff," Eric Gale will live forever, in the heart of his fans, as a brilliant musician who contributed to the success of many careers in all genres and styles."

Liner Notes copyright ? 2025 Arnaldo DeSouteiro.

Forecast [24bit Remastering, Kudu Best 12 series] can be purchased here.

Contact Arnaldo DeSouteiro at All About Jazz.
Grammy-voting member, record producer, jazz journalist, historian and educator, screenplay writer, arranger.

Track Listing

Killing Me Softly With His Song; Cleopatra; Dindi; White Moth; Tonsue Corte; Forecast.

Personnel

Eric Gale

guitar, electric

Bob James

piano

Rick Marotta

drums

Idris Muhammad

drums

Hubert Laws

woodwinds

Creed Taylor

producer

Arnaldo DeSouteiro

producer

Rudy Van Gelder

various

Joe Farrell

saxophone

Pepper Adams

saxophone, baritone

William Salter

bass

Gordon Edwards

bass, electric

George Marge

english horn

Garnett Brown

trombone

Randy Brecker

trumpet

Marvin Stamm

trumpet

Ralph MacDonald

percussion

Arnaldo A. DeSouteiro

author

Victor Paz

trumpet

Additional Instrumentation

Eric Gale: all guitars Bob James: electric piano, organ, synths and bass marimba Gordon Edwards: electric bass (1,3) Bill Salter: electric bass Rick Marotta: drums (1,3) Idris Muhammad: drums Ralph MacDonald: percussion Arthur Jenkins: congas & tambourine (5) Hubert Laws: picollo (2) & all flute solos Joe Farrell: tenor sax & flute Jerry Dodgion: alto sax & tenor sax Pepper Adams: baritone sax George Marge: alto flute, bass flute Tony Studd: baritone horn (1), trombone Garnett Brown & Alan Raph: trombones Randy Brecker, Jon Faddis, John Frosk, Victor Paz & Marvin Stamm: trumpets & flugelhorns Max Ellen, Harry Lookofsky, Joe Malin, David Nadien, Gene Orloff, Elliot Rosoff & Irving Spice: violins Alfred Brown & Emanuel Vardi: violas Seymour Barab & George Ricci: cello.

Album information

Title: Forecast [24bit Remastering, Kudu Best 12 series] | Year Released: 2001 | Record Label: Kudu

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Holly Channell, Anne Sajdera, Roxana...
< Previous

Dream Band, Vol. 7: The Lost Tapes, ...
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.