Phil Gates Band at the 2010 Santa Clarita Blues Festival

Though the word "funk" originally had odiferous origins, eventually the term became a high compliment for the "real thing," as well as a form of syncopated dance music growing out of R&B. Guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Phil Gates is as real and funky as it gets, as amply demonstrated on his new release, Addicted To The Blues. Just as significantly, he is a totally hip blues cat, savvy in cutting edge recording technology and the latest online social networking.

Gates was born to the blues in a musical family in Chicago on April 21, 1962. By the third grade he was playing violin, clarinet and drums before following at age 12 in the guitar-picking footsteps of his older brother. Buddy Guy, Albert King and sixties rock guitar heroes like Jimi Hendrix and Santana fueled his desire, as did jazz. Gates served in the Air Force 1980-85, working with high tech electronics and was also selected as guitarist the USAF "Tops in Blue" World Tour that performed at Superbowl XIX. From 1986-89 he was a sound engineer at a Texas jazz club, while a move to Los Angeles in 1989 to work in the aerospace industry afforded him the opportunity to produce and do session work. He released Party Time in 2000, Secret Passage in 2002, This Side of Me in 2005, created the film score for My Normal Life in 2006 and released Should I? in 2008. He also found time to write FAQ: Recording the Guitar for music book publisher Mel Bay in 2005.

You can find out more about the Phil Gates Band by visiting their website at www.PhilGates.com.

Video Produced by Soul Brothers Imagery

Marc B. Jones
videographer & editor

Ron Jones
photographer

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