Eric Gale


Eric J. Gale was an American jazz and session guitarist.

Early life and career

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Gale began playing guitar at the age of 12. Although he majored in chemistry at Niagara University, Gale was determined to pursue a musical career, and began contributing to accompaniments for such stars as Maxine Brown, the Drifters, and Jesse Belvin. He soon began to attract the attention of King Curtis and Jimmy Smith, who began recommending him for studio work. He became known first as a session musician in the 1960s, eventually appearing on an estimated 500 albums. Among the many artists he recorded with were Mose Allison, Aretha Franklin, Bob James, Paul Simon, Lena Horne, Quincy Jones, Bob Marley, Nina Simone, Peter Tosh, Grover Washington, Jr., Herbie Mann, Esther Phillips, Joe Cocker, Carly Simon, Van Morrison, Al Jarreau, Dave Grusin, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Paul Douglas and Billy Joel. He also had played in Aretha Franklin's stage band.

Death

Gale died of lung cancer in May 1994, at the age of 55.

Discography

As leader

With Stuff

As sideman

With Ashford & Simpson
With Patti Austin
With George Benson
With Hank Crawford
With Roberta Flack
With Aretha Franklin
With Jun Fukamachi
With Greg Hatza
With Freddie Hubbard
With Bob James
With Billy Joel
With J. J. Johnson and Kai Winding
With Quincy Jones
With Al Kooper
With Yusef Lateef
With Ralph MacDonald
With Jimmy McGriff
With Van Morrison
With Idris Muhammad
With David "Fathead" Newman
With Esther Phillips
With Jerome Richardson
With Diana Ross
With Lalo Schifrin
With Diane Schuur
With Shirley Scott
With Tom Scott
With Paul Simon
With Richard Tee
With Stanley Turrentine
With Grover Washington Jr.
With Sadao Watanabe
  • Morning Island
  • How's Everything
  • In the Shade of a Tree
  • Rendezvous
With others'