Instrumentation
John William Gordon - electric guitar
Rick Rivera - drums
Jeff Chambers - acoustic bass
Todd Sickafoose - acoustic bass (Todd plays on 3 CD tracks)
Biography
All tracks are originals by John, a resident of Oakland, California.
John William Gordon grew up and resides in the San Francisco, California Bay Area. He started playing guitar at age 14 after becoming obsessed with recordings of Mahavishnu Orchestra. In college he fixated on the music of Charlie Parker then Thelonious Monk. Many jazz, free, rock, punk and classical players inspired him. He still plays in a piano-less Monk cover band. Along the way he studied guitar with Harry Andrew (a graduate of New England Conservatory) and Adam Levy (long before his stint with Norah Jones) and learned much in Attila Zoller’s Vermont workshops with Jim Hall and others.
As one fan put it:
"I am a local jazz guitar player, and was thoroughly impressed by your style. I live right between New York and Philly, and have heard some of the best players in the world, but I hadn't heard anything quite like your playing.... I hear everything from Monk to Ornette Coleman to Led Zeppelin in it. I heard your cd while traveling on Friday morning 2/24 between 9 and 10 am. ...Rutgers college station (WRSU) played your entire cd without interruption." Eric D., NJ, USA
Discography
CD: "John William Gordon"
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FINALIST, 2007 ISC - International Songwriting Competition, jazz category (judged by Ornette Coleman, John Scofield and others): track #3, "Quidnunc Mo"
http://www.songwritingcompetition.com/winners.htm
Double SEMI-FINALIST 2006 ISC - International Songwriting Competition: track #1, Harm Alarm and track #8, Belly's Bounce
http://www.songwritingcompetition.com/Semi-Finalists_2006.htm
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LA Music Awards Nomination 2007
Los Angeles Music Awards, 2007
"Distillery" (track #2 from the CD) nominated for the main event in November 2007.
"On behalf of our entire staff, the 17th Annual Los Angeles Music Awards are proud to inform you that you have won a prestigious nomination for this year's main event scheduled for Thursday, November 29th [2007] in Hollywood. Congratulations!"
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What some radio directors have said:
"Your CD is really excellent. Tasteful but daring, technically superior but still has emotional depth. A resounding success.... It's a tremendous disc, I can't wait to get it on the air."
-- Don Campau, "No Pigeoholes" radio show
KKUP 91.5 FM, California, USA (also broadcast in Europe on www.RadioMaruba.de, Germany)
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"I'm listening to it now. I like it! ...I plan on featuring this recording on future shows of mine, and I bet other DJ's will, too."
-- Seth Samuel, Jazz Director, WOBC Radio, Oberlin College/OH, USA
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"Thanks a ton for your CD.... As 'mutant' as your jazz is, I think it will fit in perfectly with some of our new material.... Again, thanks a lot for the tracks, and keep on playing and experimenting."
-- Bryce Peake, Jazz Director, "Jazz Lounge" radio show WEIU 88.9 FM, Illinois, USA
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"It is also rare to receive a CD so vibrant and compelling. From the first few notes I knew I had found something good. Your album has been added to our playlist, where it will chart in our top 30. This week it is number 1 on our jazz chart, and I have gotten 'cool albums' from non-jazz DJs. The cover art is great. I think you nailed this one. Are you looking for label representation?"
-- Benjamin Weiss, Jazz Director
KBGA 89.9 FM, University of Montana, USA
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Additionally...
"Your CD has been selected as 'Best of the Batch' and is featured on the Mi2N.com [Music Industry News Network] and MusicDish.net homepages as well as myspace page. We really enjoyed your album which has been in regular rotation in the office."
-- Eric, (May 18, 2006)
MusicDish.net, USA
Radio Play
KZSU 90.1 FM Stanford University/CA
WOBC 91.5 FM Oberlin College/OH
WRSU 88.7 FM Rutgers University/NJ (played entire CD on one show)
WVFS 89.7 FM Florida State University
KBGA 89.9 FM University of Montana
KUMD 103.3 FM University of Minnesota
KHUM 104.3 FM Humboldt County/CA
WEIU 88.9 FM Charleston/IL ("Jazz Lounge" show)
KKUP 91.5 FM Cupertino/CA ("No Pigeonholes Show," + radio-marabu.de, Germany)
WRUW FM 91.1 Cleveland/OH
Aural-Innovations.com ("Drool Through Show" #42)
209radio FM Cambridge/U.K
WRFW 88.7 FM University of Wisconsin/ Electrorganic Show
KZUM 89.3 FM Lincoln/Nebraska
Uptown Jazz Network/Live365.com
Links
http://www.johnwilliamgordon.com
http://www.MySpace.com/JohnWilliamGordon
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