Bill_Gable_Reviews



Walter Becker (Steely Dan) --- Bill Gable is first and foremost a great songwriter but he also has a marvelous ability to incorporate exotic musical elements and seemingly disparate influences into a uniquely seasoned and tasty succotash of third world post-modern sense and style.

Washington Times --- Bill Gable is a new pop star. "There Were Signs" is terrific. This is adult, interesting and affecting music, sophisticated lyrics set to sweet and daring melodies, sung by a voice that invariably touches the heart. He sounds a bit like Don McLean, but the voice is beefier. Every song here tells a story, each vividly told. There are few happy endings, but a lot of gorgeous music. "Run, go ahead, run / What's the point of loving you? You're the kind of girl who tends to make the world a lonely place" sings Mr. Gable without a hint of bitterness in his voice. "Who Becomes the Slave" recalls Stewart Copeland's solo work, and the Latin American flavor of much of the material is not far from the best Brazilian jazz of the 1960s. If I frankly don't understand "The 3 Levels of Nigeria," I confess that I am drawn to it. "Leaving Venice to the Rain" will bring a melancholy smile to those who have loved. The lyrics are curiously straight-forward, their impact coming as a surprise each time.

Russ Davis, Music Director, WQCD-FM, New York City --- One of the most inventive works I've heard in years. A terrific blend of poetry with a unique vocal style and the music is a combination of jazz, folk, classical, latin and so much more. Really refreshing.

Jazz Link --- Here is an album for everyone. Take away the lyrics and the music stands on its own ... While Bill Gable wrote all the songs on this release, he enlisted the talents of Rob Mounsey, Jimmy Haslip (Yellowjackets), Mark Egan (GRP Records), jazz percussionist Airto Moreira, and Jeff Porcaro (Toto), among others, to perfect and interpret this debut collection of sensitive tunes. Add the lyrics, the soft voice and spontaneous phrasing, and you have an artsy, personal look at a mature musician ... On this album he plays not only keyboards but guitar and percussion. And, of course he writes: "Far away in the north of the country / Is a place where nothing can grow / And the people who all live there are crazy from no home...". These lyrics, with political and philosophical implications about the caste system in Africa, are strengthened by the Afro-Cuban beat, the earthy feel of the music on "The 3 Levels of Nigeria." If we must categorize musicians, Bill Gable could be called a jazz singer / poet. While many of his songs reflect romantic, love-torn realizations about life and its transparent ironies, it is the attention to musical detail and the perfect capture of mood with music that make Gable a remarkable artist.

JAZZIZ --- Bill Gable is a groundbreaker. It's taken this 37-year old Midwesterner a long time to hit the beach, but "There Were Signs" should establish Gable as a force to be reckoned with in the vocal-pop-jazz wake of Michael Franks. With a beautiful tenor strangely reminiscent of Don McLean, an exotic grasp of world music (equal in scope to Working Week), sophisticated and unpredictable melodic lines, densely layered instrumentation and crystalline CD production values (thanks to producers Gable and Rob Mounsey), this is a blue-ribbon debut. And behind it all is an uncompromising moral consciousness, coupled with a bard's sensitivity. Just listen to this opening verse from "Letting the Jungle In:" "Your love does this thing / To my nervous system / Deep in the twilight of memory / Standing in a cage / When the bar is lifted / Who knows how to behave?"

MAC Report --- After hearing "There Were Signs," I wondered why it took such an obviously talented songwriter this long to get a deal! After eight years on the New England club circuit, Bill moved to LA, where he set up his own recording studio to work on original material. Along with co-producer Rob Mounsey, whose list of credits includes Steely Dan, Steve Winwood, and Michael Franks, among others, Gable has come up with an accomplished mix of pop, jazz and world music that sounds like nothing else on the radio today. At times, such as in "All The Posters Come Down," I was reminded of Paul Simon's Afro-pop hybrid "Graceland." To start making a lot of comparisons, however, would be a disservice to a highly original new voice.

Music In Review (syndicated columnist Lucky Clark) --- Bill Gable is an exacting perfectionist with his voice (as well as guitar, synths, percussion, sanfona and other instruments) ... These nine cuts shimmer and gleam with excellent sonic stylings that are balanced by Mr. Gable's rather devil-may-care, yet perfectly controlled, vocals. I realize that that may seem contradictory to my "perfectionist" comment made earlier, but all you need to do is listen to "There Were Signs" and it will all become clear to you...I promise! Buy this CD and enjoy!

The Herald, Allaire, N.J. --- A Midwesterner hailing from Illinois, Gable's music has been described as having a "pure, naive, almost rural quality." While I must agree with this description as far as it goes, there's much, much more to Gable's music ... An accomplished and classically-trained pianist and cellist, he also exhibits an extraordinary talent as a songwriter and lyricist. While his vocal range and timbre is reminiscent of James Taylor, the exciting latino rhythms he incorporates on some of the album's nine selections gives him a musical signature all his own. This is an inspired album that is sure to please those who have transcended soft rock and are looking for more meaningful music‹highly recommended.

Billboard --- Gable's voice blends in here with the other instruments, creating a pleasing tone that permeates the whole project without ever sounding dull. Artist is perfect for AC outlets as well as adult alternative stations that play vocal offerings. Superb lyrical imagery throughout.



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