Gary Meek

Gary Meek (born March 16, 1961) is an American jazz and fusion saxophone and keyboard artist. As a featured artist or session musician he has contributed to more than 150 albums.[1]

Gary Meek
Background information
Born (1961-03-16) March 16, 1961
GenresJazz, Jazz fusion, Latin jazz
Instrumentssaxophone, keyboards
Years active1981-present
LabelsLipstick, B&W, MELT 2000, A440 Music Group, Ronnie Scott, Concord, Stretch

Biography

Gary Meek was born in 1961 in Encino, California. His father played piano recreationally. Meek attended El Camino Real High School, where he was active in the music department on clarinet, saxophones and keyboard. After high school he attended Los Angeles Pierce College and subsequently enrolled in the Dick Grove School of Music Professional Instrumental Program.

Meek began his career in the early 1980s playing woodwinds in the big bands of the Los Angeles Jazz Workshop, and keyboards and woodwinds for local club dates, weddings and private parties.[2] In the mid-'80s he toured with Dionne Warwick, playing keyboards.

In 1987, Meek began a two-decade association with Brazilian jazz artists Airto Moreira and Flora Purim. In 1990, joined by Jose Neto, they formed Fourth World. This band toured the U.S.,[3] Europe,[4] Asia,[5] South Africa and Eastern Europe for five years,[6] releasing a live album in 1992, "Live at Ronnie Scott's." Three years later, Meek joined Herb Alpert's world tour in support of Alpert's "Second Wind" album.[7] The following year, Meek toured the U.S. and Europe playing saxes, flute and keyboards for Al Jarreau.

Meek's first album as a leader and saxophonist, 1991's "Gary Meek," comprises 11 songs all written or cowritten by Meek. He has released four other solo projects to date, including "Time One,"[8] "Live at Ronnie Scott's," "Good Friends" and "Step 7."[9]

Through the 1990s and early 2000s, Meek began several enduring collaborations, some with artists who contributed session work for his solo efforts.[10] After keyboardist Jeff Lorber appeared on "Gary Meek," Meek played for several Lorber albums, including the Billboard Top 5 "West Side Stories" in 1994. Meek's first studio work for bassist Brian Bromberg, on 1997's "You Know That Feeling," led to several tours and albums including "Downright Upright," nominated for the "Best Contemporary Jazz Album" Grammy in 2007.[11]

In 2000, Meek played saxophone for "Warning," the sixth studio album by the American punk rock band Green Day. "Warning" reached No. 4 on the U.S. Billboard 200[12] and was certified gold by the RIAA.[13]

In 2003, Meek played woodwinds for the album "Playful Heart"[14] by guitarist and bossa nova pioneer Oscar Castro-Neves.[15] The release, named one of that year's best albums by Downbeat, included an arrangement of "Four Brothers" that Castro-Neves wrote to feature Meek on all the woodwind parts.[16] Meek was later featured on Castro-Neves' 2006 album, "All One."

Dave Weckl Acoustic Band in Phoenix, 2016

In 2002, Meek collaborated for the first time with drummer Dave Weckl for the Dave Weckl Band album, "Live (and Very Plugged In)"[17] and a subsequent world tour. He also played with Weckl for 2005's "Multiplicity,"[18] and with Weckl and keyboardist Jay Oliver for "Convergence" in 2012.

In 2015, the Dave Weckl Acoustic Band[19] released its debut CD, "Of the Same Mind," touring behind it in Europe,[20] Asia and the U.S.[21] Acoustic band personnel include Weckl, Meek, keyboardist Makoto Ozone and bassist Tom Kennedy.[22]

In 2017 Meek recorded his latest album- “Originals” which received much critical acclaim including being listed in Downbeat Magazines “Best Jazz Albums of 2018”

Meek lives with his wife, Maureen, in the Monterey, California area, where he is a traveling clinician for the Monterey Jazz Festival.[23] He also teaches privately, sharing methods passed on to him by Phil Sobel, his teacher of more than 25 years.[24] Meek collaborates globally through Internet recording sessions, and travels to Los Angeles for session work. He plays Cannonball saxophones[25] and d'Addario reeds and mouthpieces.

Discography

Gary Meek:

  • 1991 – Gary Meek (Lipstick)
  • 1995 – Time One (B&W)
  • 1995 – Live at Ronnie Scott's (B&W)
  • 1997 – Good Friends (MELT 2000)
  • 2002 – Step 7 (A440 Music Group)
  • 2017 – Originals

Flora Purim:

  • 1988 – The Midnight Sun (Virgin)
  • 1994 – The Flight (B&W)
  • 2001 – Perpetual Emotion (Narada; also coproduced)
  • 2003 – Speak No Evil (Narada; also coproduced)

Airto Moreira:

  • 1989 – Struck By Lightning (Virgin/Venture)
  • 1993 – Airto and the Gods of Jazz: Killer Bees (B&W)

Airto Moreira and Flora Purim:

  • 1988 – The Colors of Life (In+Out)

Fourth World:

  • 1992 – Fourth World Recorded Live at Ronnie Scott's Club (Ronnie Scott's Jazz House)
  • 1994 – Fourth World (B&W)

Jeff Lorber:

  • 1993 – Worth Waiting For (Verve Forecast)
  • 1994 – West Side Stories (Verve Forecast)
  • 1996 – State of Grace (Verve Forecast)
  • 2001 – Kickin' It (Samson)
  • 2002 – The Very Best of Jeff Lorber (Verve/GRP)
  • 2003 – Philly Style (Narada Jazz)
  • 2005 – Flipside (Narada Jazz)
  • 2008 – Heard That (Peak)
  • 2015 – Step It Up (Heads Up)

Brian Bromberg:

  • 1998 – You Know That Feeling (Zebra)
  • 2005 – Choices (Artistry)
  • 2006 – Jaco (Artistry)
  • 2007 – Downright Upright (Artistry)
  • 2008 – In the Spirit of Jobim (Artistry)
  • 2009 – It Is What It Is (Mack Avenue/Artistry)

Green Day:

  • 2000 – Warning (Reprise)

Dave Weckl Band:

  • 2003 – Live (and Very Plugged In) (Concord)
  • 2005 – Multiplicity (Stretch)

Dave Weckl and Jay Oliver:

  • 2014 – Convergence (independent)

Dave Weckl Acoustic Band:

  • 2015 – Of the Same Mind (independent)

References
  1. "Gary Meek - credits". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  2. Stewart, Zan. "Change of Focus". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  3. Woodard, Josef. "The Royal Couple of Latin Jazz". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  4. "Airto Moreira & Flora Purim's Fourth World". northseajazz.com. North Sea Jazz Festival. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  5. "Fourth World Live in Tokyo". YouTube. NHK Television. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  6. Ginell, Richard. "Playboy Jazz Festival features debuts, vets". Variety. Variety Media LLC. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  7. "Herb Alpert: Second Wind". All About Jazz. All About Jazz. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  8. Widran, Jonathan. "AllMusic Review - "Time One"". AllMusic. All Media Netword. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  9. Tauss, Lucy. "Gary Meek - Step 7". JazzTimes. Jazz Times Inc. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  10. Stewart, Zan (1993-09-03). "Change of Focus : When he started to relate to his listeners more, West Hills' Gary Meek said he began to get more acceptance". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2016-05-11.
  11. Milkowski, Bill. "Brian Bromberg: Downright Upright". JazzTImes. JazzTImes Inc. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  12. "Billboard 200, Oct. 21, 2000". billboard.com. Billboard. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  13. "Gold and Platinum". RIAA.com. Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  14. Quinones, Javier. "Oscar Castro-Neves: Playful Heart". JazzTimes. JazzTimes Inc. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  15. Chawkins, Steve. "Oscar Castro-Neves dies at 73". latimes.com. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  16. "Albums". OscarCastroNeves. Oscar Castro- Neves. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  17. "Dave Weckl Band". daveweckl.com. Dave Weckl Music. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  18. Wynn, Ron. "The Dave Weckl Band: Multiplicity". JazzTimes. JazzTimes Inc. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  19. "Dave Weckl Acoustic Band". daveweckl.com. Dave Weckl Music. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  20. "The Dave Weckl Acoustic Band, Ronnie Scott's". CultureWhisper. Culture Whisper Ltd. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  21. Micallef, Ken. "Interview - Dave Weckl" (PDF). nycjazzrecord.com. The New York City Jazz Record. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  22. "Dave Weckl Acoustic Band - Monday, February 1, 2016". Kuumbwa Jazz. Kuumbwa Jazz. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  23. "Jazz In the Schools Artists". Monterey Jazz Festival. Monterey Jazz Festival. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  24. "The Lindeman Method - SaxStation". SaxStation. 2013-10-09. Retrieved 2016-05-11.
  25. "Cannonball Artists - Gary Meek". Cannonball Music. Cannonball Musical Instruments. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
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