User:Suzieo/Ray Gomez

Ray Gomez ... Raymond Richard Gomez, (February 27, 1953) is a guitarist, songwriter, singer, and recording artist. Named by his peers as a guitarist’s guitarist, Gomez is known for his superlative tone and technique, blending the North African rhythm soundscape of his Moroccan birthplace with unique fingering innovations, use of tremolo bar, harmonics and feedback. Gomez’s music and seminal style may be classified under several genres, drawing primarily on Blues, Rock and Jazz-Fusion sensibilities.

In addition to his solo album entitled ‘’Volume’’, Gomez is credited for his guitar work on scores of recordings with major contemporary artists, such as Stanley Clarke and Aretha Franklin, as well as iconic guitar players, Roy Buchanan and Peter Green, among others.

Biography

Ray Gomez was born in Casablanca, Morocco in 1953. From early childhood, American music, rhythm & blues and jazz, in particular, Ray Charles, influenced him. Gomez began playing drums, followed by piano, and ultimately found his musical voice in guitar. At age ten, he gave his first concert to an audience of 5,000 and performed on radio stations, singing and playing music of The Beatles.

After moving to Spain in 1965, at age 15, Gomez joined the number-one Spanish instrumental group, Los Pekenikes, and won the reputation of a being a young prodigy. At age 18, he headed another Spanish band, The Pop Tops, which had an international hit, Mamy Blue, selling three million copies worldwide.

1970s

Meetings with the top artists of the day would determine Gomez’s career path over the following several years. After meeting George Harrison in 1973, Gomez traveled to England, where he met many of the leading progressive musicians, including Keith Emerson, Jon Anderson (Yes), Patrick Moraz, Mike Ratledge (Soft Machine), Bob Tench (Jeff Beck Group / Van Morrison). Following a jam session with Carmine Appice (Beck, Bogert and Appice / Vanilla Fudge) and Rick Grech (Blind Faith), the idea of a forming a group was discussed, leading to a move to the USA. On the day he arrived in New York (December 14, 1974), Gomez was asked to work with John Lennon. [The group with Appice, undergoing quick changes, saw the replacement of Rick Grech by Jeff Berlin, and dissolved soon after, to see another formation with Bill Bruford (Yes / King Crimson), which was also short-lived.]

In 1975, a meeting with Lenny White introduced Gomez to the emerging scene of jazz/rock fusion, and led to his collaborations with Deodato, Narada Michael Walden, Herbie Hancock, and Stanley Clarke, among others. 1976 saw the release of Stanley Clarke’s legendary album, ‘’Schooldays’’, which was applauded as a historic bass anthem of contemporary music, and on which his guitar work won Gomez critical acclaim as one of the great contemporary guitarists.

…”Gomez mixed slick jazz phrasing and blues and rock licks, along with heavy distortion and the distinctive tone of his Fender Stratocaster. Among his best guitar spots with Stanley Clarke are the extended solos to “School Days” (on Clarke’s 1976 Album of the same name) and the climactic blues guitar / piccolo bass duel between himself and Clarke on “Quiet Afternoon,” from the 1979 set “I Wanna Play For You”. Also extremely noteworthy is “West Side Boogie,” an incendiary instrumental from Gomez’s 1980 solo album, “Volume”…”.

In 1978, Gomez signed with Columbia Records and recorded a solo album, ‘’Volume’’. The album received accolades from critics and media, and reached number-one on the radio.

1980s

1981 marked an engagement in another series of collaborations with Chaka Khan, Hall and Oates, and Scandal. Throughout the 80s, Gomez moved between the East and West Coasts, where he worked on projects with Stanley Clarke, George Duke, Steve Smith (Vital Information), Steve Perry (Journey), Aretha Franklin, Tori Amos, Narada Michael Walden, Brian Auger, Steps Ahead, and Eddy Palmieri. During this period and with the help of old friends, Tony Smith, Dennis Chambers and Chris Palmaro, Gomez returned to live performance on the New York City club scene, and work on recordings for new projects with the collaboration of Dennis Chambers, T.M. Stevens, Buddy Miles, Will Lee, and Andy Newmark.

1990s

Through the 1990s, Gomez wrote, produced, sang and played on commercials for major brands such as Coca Cola, Brut de Brut de Fabergé, AT&T, Bell Atlantic, Palmolive, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Molson, Coors, Budweiser, KFC, Pontiac and Gillette. At this time, he was also featured in the Starlicks instructional video series, with Tom Brechlein (ex Chick Corea, Robben Ford, Eric Johnson) and organist, Willy B. Smith (Robben Ford, Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt…). In addition to commercial work, he briefly joined Stewart Copeland (The Police) and Stanley Clarke in the group, Animal Logic.

2000s

From the late 90’s to present, Gomez has remained active in music, alternating between performance, teaching and recording. Among his many memorable performances are the French concerts with Philippe Chayeb (bass) and Loïc Pontieux (drums), Palabra de Guitarra Latina in Palma de Mallorca, featuring Biréli Lagrène, Larry Coryell and Tomatito (including a tour in Spain, Portugal and the Canary Islands), Festival de Guitar d’Astaffort, Jazz à Vienne, La nuit de la Guitare in Agen, Festival de Guitare dans tous ses Etats in Nerac, Harresi Aretoa Theater in Agurain, Spain, Cape May Jazz Festival, USA

Discography

Solo

Ray Gomez – ‘’Volume’’ (Columbia,1980)

As Band Member or Session Player

Ray Barretto – ‘’Eye of the Beholder’’ (Atlantic, 1977)
Dee Dee Bridgewater – ‘’Just Family’’ (Elektra, 1977)
Jack Bruce – ‘’Somethin’ Els’’ (CMP, 1993)
Bunny Brunel – ‘’Brunel’s L.A. Zoo’’ (Tone Center, 1998)
Roy Buchanan – ‘’Loading Zone’’ (Atlantic, 1977)
Roy Buchanan – ‘’You’re Not Alone’’ (Atlantic, 1978)
Roy Buchanan – ‘’Sweet Dreams: The Anthology’’ (Polydor, 1992)
Roy Buchanan – ‘’Guitar on Fire: The Atlantic Sessions’’ (Rhino, 1993)
Chayanne – ‘’Tiempo de Vals’’ (Sony, 1990)
Chayanne – ‘’Sus Canciones’’ (Columbia, 2001)
Stanley Clarke – ‘’School Days’’ (Nemperor, 1976)
Stanley Clarke – ‘’Live 1976-1977’’ (Epic, 1991)
Stanley Clarke – ‘’I Wanna Play for You’’ (Nemperor, 1979)
Stanley Clarke – ‘’Modern Man’’ (Nemperor, 1978)
Stanley Clarke – ‘’Time Exposure’’ (Epic, 1984)
Stanley Clarke – ‘’Find Out!’’ (Epic, 1985)
Stanley Clarke – ‘’The Bass-Ic Collection’’ (Sony, 1997)
Stanley Clarke – ‘’This Is Jazz, Vol. 41’’ (Sony, 1998)
Stanley Clarke – ‘’Stanley Clarke - Portrait’’ (Columbia, 1998)
Luis Cobos – ‘’Amor’’ (1998)
Norman Connors – ‘’Romantic Journey’’ (Buddah, 1977)
Deodato – ‘’Very Together’’ (MCA, 1976)
Deodato – ‘’Love Island’’ (Warner Bros./Atlantic, 1978)
Deodato – ‘’Night Cruiser’’ (Warner Bros./Atlantic, 1980)
J.D. Drews – ‘’J. D. Drews’’ (Unicorn Productions, 1980)
Sonny Fortune – ‘’Infinity Is’’ (Atlantic, 1978)
Sonny Fortune – ‘’With Sound Reason’’ (Atlantic, 1979)
Aretha Franklin – ‘’Who’s Zoomin’ Who?’’ (Arista, 1985)
Aretha Franklin – ‘’Greatest Hits 1980-1994’’ (Arista, 1994)
Peter Green – ‘’Peter Green Songbook’’ (Seagull Music, 2000)
Hall & Oates – ‘’Private Eyes’’ (RCA, 1981)
Alphonso Johnson – ‘’Yesterday’s Dreams’’ (Epic, 1976)
Wornell Jones – ‘’Wornell Jones’’ (Paradise Records, 1979)
Amy Kanter – ‘’Other Girl’’ (Atlantic, 1982)
Joachim Kühn – ‘’Sunshower’’ (Atlantic, 1978)
Shawn Lane – ‘’Powers of Ten’’ (Warner Bros., 1992)
Stacy Lattisaw & Johnny Gill – ‘’Perfect Combination’’ (Cotillion Records, 1984)
John Lee & Gerry Brown – ‘’Still Can’t Say Enough’’ (Blue Note, 1976)
Herbie Mann – ’’Yellow Fever’’ (Atlantic, 1978)
Herbie Mann – ’’Super Mann/Yellow Fever’’ (Collectables, 2001) Collectables
Herbie Mann – ’’Best of the Atlantic Years’’ (Collectables, 2002)
Melba Moore – ‘’What a Woman Needs’’ (EMI America, 1981)
Patrick Moraz – ‘’Story of I’’ (Charisma, 1976) (Atlantic, US/Canada, 1976)
Patrick Moraz – ‘’Out in the Sun’’ (Charisma, 1977)
Eddie Palmieri – ‘’Sueño’’ (Intuition Records, 1989)
Scandal) – ‘’Scandal’’ (Columbia, 1982)
Patty Smyth – ‘’Greatest Hits – Featuring Scandal’’ (Columbia/Legacy, 1998)
Jeremy Spencer – ‘’Flee’’ (Atlantic, 1979)
Steps Ahead – ‘’N.Y.C.’’ (Intuition Music, 1989)
Cat Stevens – ‘’Izitso’’ (A&M/Island Records, 1977)
Cat Stevens – ‘’Numbers/Izitso/Back to Earth (Box Set)’’ (Mobile Fidelity, 1996)
Cat Stevens – ‘’On the Road to Find Out (Box Set)’’ (A&M, 2001)
Vital Information – ‘’Global Beat’’ (Columbia, 1987)
Narada Michael Walden – ‘’Garden of Love Light’’ (Atlantic, 1977)
Narada Michael Walden – ‘’I Cry - I Smile’’ (Atlantic, 1977)
Narada Michael Walden – ‘’Awakening’’ (Atlantic, 1979)
Narada Michael Walden – ‘’Nature of Things’’ (Warner Bros., 1985)
Narada Michael Walden – ‘’Ecstasy’s Dance: The Best of Narada Michael Walden’’ (Rhino, 1996)
Lenny White – ‘’Venusian Summer’’ (Nemperor, 1975)
Lenny White – ‘’Big City’’ (Nemperor, 1977)
The Wonder Band – ‘’Stairway to Love’’ (ATCO Records, 1979)
Larry Young – ‘’Spaceball’’ (Arista, 1976)
Michael Zentner – ‘’Playtime’’ (Warped Disc, 1995)
Various Artists – ‘’Guitar on the Edge – Vol. 2’’ (Legato Records, 1992)
Various Artists – ‘’Rattlesnake Guitar: The Music of Peter Green’’ (Viceroy, 1995)
Various Artists – ‘’Jazz Fusion – Vol. 1’’ (Rhino, 1997)

External links

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