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Giacomo Gates: What Time Is It?

By Nicholas F. Mondello
June 10, 2017
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2:02.75. That might have been what longshot "Giacomo" (at 50-1) took to win the Kentucky Derby back in 2005. However, it will take longer—just short of an hour—to realize that this thoroughbred Giacomo rides home a winner with What Time Is It?. Hold the oats and roses and grab the ear buds.

Giacomo Gates, the consummate Hipster's Hipster, carries the Bop-Scat-Vocalese torch superbly here—one carried previously by greats

Babs Gonzales

vocals
1919 - 1980

" data-original-title="" title="">Babs Gonzales

King Pleasure

vocals
1922 - 1982

" data-original-title="" title="">King Pleasure,

Eddie Jefferson

vocals
1918 - 1979

" data-original-title="" title="">Eddie Jefferson,

Oscar Brown Jr.

vocals
1926 - 2005

" data-original-title="" title="">Oscar Brown Jr. and its High Priest,

Jon Hendricks

vocals
1921 - 2017

" data-original-title="" title="">Jon Hendricks—over 11 word-intensive selections, each of which is a gem.

A resonant, rich-with-an-edge baritone, Gates covers the ersatz title tune, "I Didn't Know What Time It Was," following a slick, tickety-tockety-supported talk-over. From this easy-swinging starting gate, Gates shows he's a pure jazz singer whose own time-sense, phrasing, and lyric expression are as genuine as they are substantial. He's in command musically throughout and dispenses no horse-hockey in doing so. He's also brazenly gifted—he covers the old 1950s Rays hit, "Silhouettes," as a light, strollin' swinger in which Gates—demonstrating a knack for singing a story—and his crew show that they can make something rich and tasteful out of window shades, shadows, and innocent love.

Joined by fine sax man

Jerry Weldon

saxophone, tenor

" data-original-title="" title="">Jerry Weldon (who offers tasty solos throughout the album) and backed by a very swinging and involved rhythm unit, Gates channels Oscar Brown, Jr. twice with a solid send-up of the sopped-up tale of a lush life, "Somebody Buy Me a Drink" and the devilish, "Mr. Kicks." It's in this genre—and also on Artt Frank's "A Few Bucks Ahead" and on the "Lady Be Good" contrafact, "Disappointed"—where his words are hip, pungent, and seasoned with soul. There's no lovey-dovey here, but genuine, certainly Post Office Bulletin Board-worthy badass jazz singing.

On the straight-ahead burner (and arguably the album's highlight piece), "In Cognito," Gates swings heavy over Tom Robbins' Beat-inspired poetry. Pianist

John di Martino

piano
b.1959

" data-original-title="" title="">John di Martino, guitarist,

Tony Lombardozzi

" data-original-title="" title="">Tony Lombardozzi, bassist

Lonnie Plaxico

bass
b.1960

" data-original-title="" title="">Lonnie Plaxico, and drummer

Vincent Ector

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Vincent Ector cook and let you know they're the gassers in that fire. The tune, a Gates original melody, was recently featured over the closing credits of actor Chris Cordone's celebrated film, Stevie D. On Betty Carter's "I Can't Help It" Gates extracts every ounce of the sweet rhy-thm-ic juice from melody and lyric. The talk-over closer, "Too Many Things" ties a thought-provoking, philosophical bow on the enjoyable session.

With

Mark Murphy

vocals
1932 - 2015

" data-original-title="" title="">Mark Murphy departed for gigs in the Upper Room and so many male vocalists leaning safe, smooth-looking, and saccharine, What Time Is It? firmly establishes that now's the time that Giacomo Gates emerges as the odds-on favorite as the Hipster Supreme sent to deliver the Word. And, that Word is "winner," as in Giacomo—both man and horse. Bet on it.

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Track Listing

I Didn��t Know What Time It Was; On a Misty Night; Somebody Buy Me a Drink; Silhouettes; In Cognito; Mr. Kicks; A Few Bucks Ahead; I Can��t Help It; Disappointed; Spinnin�� (Speedball); Too Many Things.

Personnel

Giacomo Gates

vocals

Giacomo Gates: vocals; Jerry Weldon: tenor saxophone; John Di Martino: piano; Tony Lombardozzi: guitar; Lonnie Plaxico: bass; Vincent Ector: drums.

Album information

Title: What Time Is It? | Year Released: 2017 | Record Label: Savant Records

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