Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown

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Lawrence · #1 Post by **Lawrence** » Thu Feb 05, 2004 1:39 pm

It might seem like heresy to have a thread on Gatemouth because... well, he's still alive for one thing

, but I just saw Gatemouth play in a small club with an acoustic trio (three guitars: Gatemouth on his acoustic guitar, an accompanying acoustic guitar, and an acoustic bass). It was the first acoustic trio he had played in decades, and it was absolutely fantastic!! If you get a chance to see him with the acoustic trio, don't miss it.

Do you have any recommendations?

I'll start it off with the obvious choice, "Gate Swings," (which violates Paul Overton's rule that if the album has the word "Swing" in the title, then it doesn't) with "Bits & Pieces" and "Too Late Baby" (both of which get played Nationally). Big Band Swing with a blues guitar.

I also have the follow-up to Gate Swings, American Music, Texas Style, with a great version of Don't Get Around Much Anymore. Still with the Big Band.

"Just Got Lucky" is another great one, which has a great groovin re-make of Louis Jordan's "Salt Pork, West Virginia.

Downeastdancer · #2 Post by **Downeastdancer** » Sat Feb 07, 2004 2:08 pm

We had a chance to see and dance to Gatemouth this past summer at the National Folk Festival. After the performance, we visited him in the trailer. He seemed really tired, and thin. He seemed weary with doing performances . I hope he's well! Mostly he played very slow blues and folky stuff, because that's what the crowd seemed to want. The floor was absolutely packed with spectators, and the organizers did a terrible job of getting people to stop standing on the dance floor so the dancers could have some room!

Lawrence · #3 Post by **Lawrence** » Sat Feb 07, 2004 3:34 pm

Downeastdancer wrote:We had a chance to see and dance to Gatemouth this past summer at the National Folk Festival. After the performance, we visited him in the trailer. He seemed really tired, and thin. He seemed weary with doing performances . I hope he's well! Mostly he played very slow blues and folky stuff, because that's what the crowd seemed to want. The floor was absolutely packed with spectators, and the organizers did a terrible job of getting people to stop standing on the dance floor so the dancers could have some room!

Yes, he's been old and thin for 20 years, now.

He was the same way when we saw him. But unlike other elderly legends whom I have seen, he really did "kick it" like he was young.

You got to see Mose from 5 feet away. Misha and I were 4 feet away from Gatemouth: front row to a 2-foot high stage!

Do you have any other Gatemouth CDs that you would recommend?

Nate Dogg · #4 Post by **Nate Dogg** » Thu Feb 12, 2004 3:27 pm

Gatemouth Brown is awesome, I have several of his CDs on my wish list.

LindyChef · #5 Post by **LindyChef** » Mon May 17, 2004 10:00 am

Just figured out that one of the "unknown" songs given to me on a mix CD is by Gatemouth ... wow ... awesome stuff. Can't wait to order some of those CDs.

Roy · #6 Post by **Roy** » Mon May 17, 2004 10:23 am

Myself and ShortyDave saw him in Chicago. It was him, an awesome tenor sax player, a piano player, and a drummer. It was a freaking awesome show. He's a great guitar player. He plays the fiddle also. He also does some crazy things with his guitar to make interesting sounds in the middle of his show. He played allot of Ellington or Basie numbers. Between one of his songs he asked if anyone in the crowd had any requests, I yelled "take the A train" and he said "sure then I'm going to take A break". They played it, it was awesome. We went and talked to him on the band break. We told him that people Lindy Hop to "bit and pieces" he was rather surprised at that. He said he always opens with that song.

Abdel · #7 Post by **Abdel** » Mon May 17, 2004 11:53 am

Tim Adams (Tampa DJ) and I saw him a little more than a year ago in Tampa back in December. I thought he was amazing and the rest of his band was tight. He mentioned how much he enjoyed playing big band music even when he was booked for a blues show. I thought he was thin too, but I didn't think he was weak. Anyway, the dude is old. I have two of his cds, but I don't remember the title of the second cd. However, I did managed to get him autographed my cd and the other cd was autographed as well that I received it as a present from a friend.

Peace Up, TPA down!

Moonmist · #8 Post by **Moonmist** » Wed May 19, 2004 10:00 am

I saw him few years back at New Orleans Jazz Fest, apparently he go there quite a bit. I was just thrilled to see a legend perform.

Lawrence · #9 Post by **Lawrence** » Wed May 19, 2004 1:02 pm

Roy wrote:We told him that people Lindy Hop to "bit and pieces" he was rather surprised at that. He said he always opens with that song.

He still does. He and I had a very similar conversation during the band break, and he acted equally surprised that Lindy Hoppers danced to his music (as did the bass player), so I'm not sure if he was really listening to either of us.

Nate Dogg · #10 Post by **Nate Dogg** » Thu May 20, 2004 2:46 pm

It took me a second to notice this was not "Gatemouth" Brown when I saw it a little while ago. I am not that familar with Gatemouth Moore.

It all made me wonder, what is a "Gatemouth" anyway.

Bluesman 'Gatemouth' Moore Dies At 90
Edited By Jonathan Cohen. May 20, 2004, 3:00 PM ET
Billboard.com
Blues singer Arnold "Gatemouth" Moore died yesterday (May 19) in Yazoo City, Miss., after a long illness. He was 90.

Born in Topeka, Kan., Moore grew up in Memphis. He worked with various Kansas City jazz bands, and fronted Bennie Moten's legendary group. He was active as a recording artist during the '40s, but turned to the church in 1949. He worked as a gospel DJ during the '50s.

Moore cut his last album in 1977 for Johnny Otis' Blues Spectrum label but was seen last year in the PBS series "Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues." His performance of "Beale Street Ain't Beale Street No More" was an emotional highlight of director Dick Pearce's film "The Road to Memphis."

-- Chris Morris, L.A.

gatorgal · #11 Post by **gatorgal** » Thu May 20, 2004 3:01 pm

NateDogg wrote:It all made me wonder, what is a "Gatemouth" anyway.

It think it's a snake.

Tina

Kyle · #12 Post by **Kyle** » Thu May 20, 2004 3:35 pm

close:

Gatemouth is Black-American slang for gossiper

Nate Dogg · #13 Post by **Nate Dogg** » Tue Jun 08, 2004 11:22 am

For those coming to the Austin Exchange this year, it is the same weekend as the Austin City Limits Music Festival. On Saturday, there will be an organized outing to the Festival for dancers, Clarence Gatemouth Brown is scheduled for Saturday, 6/18.

The full line-up will be out Friday. I found out about Gatemouth Brown at www.pollstar.com.

PS - I left the obvious voice mail for his manager. I imagine he will be real expensive, but it can't hurt to ask. Heck, look what Shorty Dave lined up for the Basie party in October.

gatorgal · #14 Post by **gatorgal** » Tue Jun 08, 2004 12:53 pm

Nate Dogg wrote:For those coming to the Austin Exchange this year, it is the same weekend as the Austin City Limits Music Festival. On Saturday, there will be an organized outing to the Festival for dancers, Clarence Gatemouth Brown is scheduled for Saturday, 6/18.

That is absolutely awesome!

Tina

Nate Dogg · #15 Post by **Nate Dogg** » Thu Jul 08, 2004 2:32 pm

From Billboard.com
Veteran multi-instrumentalist Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown has signed with Oakland, Calif.'s Hightone Records. His latest studio album, "Timeless," will be released on Sept. 14. Produced by longtime manager and producer Jim Bateman, the set features Texas blues-style covers of Joe Zawinul's "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" and the Righteous Brothers' "Unchained Melody."

Since his first signing with Houston-based label Peacock in the '50s, the artist has recorded for several labels, including Rounder, Alligator, Verve and Blue Thumb. Brown won a best traditional blues recording Grammy Award in 1982 for "Alright Again!" and has received six other nominations. He is also in the Blues Foundation's Hall of Fame and is a past recipient of the foundation's entertainer of the year award.

-- Margo Whitmire, L.A.