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Eric Gales with Ron Artis II and the Truth
The following description was submitted by the event organizer.
Part of the 2020 Biamp PDX Jazz Festival.
Growing up in a religious household, Eric Gales‘ brothers Eugene and Manuel used to blast out Jimi Hendrix, Cream, Muddy Waters, Blue Cheer, Albert King, John Lee Hooker, King’s X and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Whilst their mother was at church and little Eric was aged just four , he was soaking it all up, and this is where he had his incredible grounding of blues, hard rock and psychedelia. Naturally right-handed, Eric learned his distinctive left-handed upside-down playing from his older brothers Eugene, his ‘mentor’ and Little Jimmy King, who was later adopted as Albert King’s godson.
His talents caught the eye of Elektra Records, who released his debut album The Eric Gales Band in 1991 when he was only 16 years old. The band was made up of Eric, his older brother Eugene and drummer Huwbert Crawford. Picture of a Thousand Faces followed in 1993, then Manuel Gales (a.k.a. Little Jimmy King) joined his two brothers for 1995's Left Hand Band as The Gales Brothers. Over the next few years he worked on various projects, including performing as Lil E with Hip Hop collectives Prophet Posse and Triple 6 Mafia.
In 2001 he returned and released his first album on MCA records, That’s What I Am, before moving to Mike Varney’s legendary shredder label, Shrapnel Records for Crystal Vision (2006) and The Psychedelic Underground (2007). Four album on Blues Bureau Internation followed: The Story of My Life, Layin' Down the BLues, Relentless and Transformation (2008-2010).
The all instrumental Ghost Notes (Tone Center Records) came in 2013 along with Pinnick Gales Pridgen (Magna Carta). The latter was a collaboration with dUg Pinnick (Kings X) and Thomas Pridgen (Mars Volta, Suicidal Tendencies) and the sequal come in 2014 with another fusion of psychedelic blues, hard rock and progressive soul/R&B. He then released Good for Sumthin’ in 2014 (Cleopatra Records)in addition to live album A Night on the Sunset Strip (2016).
As a renowned guitarist, he has performed with: Carlos Santana at Woodstock in 1994 and in July 2016, Zakk Wylde who also appeared on 2014s Good For Sumthin’ and Eric Johnson who also appeared on the same album. He also toured as part of the Experience Hendrix tour with legend after legend including Bootsy Collins & Robert Randolph and has also collaborated with Lauryn Hill many times.
In 2017, Provogue/Mascot Label Group released Middle of the Road which he describes as his “rebirth” following issues with drink and drugs and had collaborations with Gary Clark Jr., young guitarist Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram, Eugene Gales and Lauryn Hill.