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Spotlights [Issue
#
8 ]
Frank Gambale:
Frank Gambale
By
Dean Truitt
For more than two
decades, guitar maverick extraordinaire Frank Gambale has stunned the world
with his blistering technique, eclectic style, and prolific writing. Having
repeatedly contributed his seasoned talents to the Chick Corea Elektric Band
and Vital Information as well as a prodigious outpouring of his own albums,
the Australian native continues to pioneer the musical frontier with disciplined
abandon.
Once again, Gambale
has revolutionized the musical lexicon by creating a new tuning that allows him
to explore uncharted territory. With what he calls his Nouveau Tuning, the virtuoso
has created a method for attaining new harmonic chord voicings previously impossible
to capture on the guitar. He remembers his frustration in trying to play piano
chord patterns on the guitar, “The thing about the keyboard that I love is
that you have absolute liberty to play any combination of notes that your heart
desires, which is something that is not possible on guitar.” Having an entirely
new palette of paints with which to express himself is truly the biggest thrill
for Gambale. For the moment, the inventor of sweep picking plans to keep his discovery
a secret until he has had more time to explore the infinite possibilities. He
has even filed a patent on the tuning method to protect his remarkable idea.
Gambale’s latest outing, Raison D’être, is an apt title
since music has always been his reason for living. He began playing guitar at
age six and the latest discovery has him extremely excited about his artistic
passion. The album also features the all-star support of percussion legend Billy
Cobham on drums with Ric Fierabracci and Steve Billman sharing bass duties. While
discussing the limitless possibilities of his patent-pending tuning, “It’s
broken through for a dimension for me on the guitar.” If Raison D’être
is any indication, Frank Gambale’s creativity will soar even higher.
Raison D’être
Wombat
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