Gatekeeper

Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown Swings

by Don Fluckinger

According to the Gospel of John, Jesus wept. According to the gospel of jazz and R&B, Gate swings. From that simple statement emanates 50 years of philosophy, virtuoso musicianship, and one amazing road show set to stop at the Iron Horse next Tuesday.

Sharp as a tack and ready to entertain an audience with his punchy, updated-for-the-'90s swing sound is the 73-year-old Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, whose Gate Swings (Verve) just hit the shelves in July. Although he's been lumped in with blues artists for years -- the fact that his 1949 Texas-swing classic "Okie Dokie Stomp" was one of the tracks featured on Rhino's 1993 Blues Masters set illustrates this half-century trend -- Brown does not wish to be considered a blues musician. In fact, he bristles at the thought.

"I resent being called an old blues player because I know what society thinks of the blues -- and I don't care for that element of thinking in my music," Brown says. "Most jazz players are positive with their music. . . . I like positive music that teaches our young people what I consider a right-wing life. I don't get up there and get vulgar on the mic. And I don't get up there doing vulgar gestures with my body movements. And I don't get up there acting like what I'm playing is tearing me up inside -- I just don't believe all that stuff, and it gets on my nerves."

He definitely has a legitimate claim on being reclassified. Like Ray Charles -- who recorded country, gospel, blues, jazz, patriotic tunes, you name it -- Brown transcends the blues and jazz milieu, having recorded a country album with Roy Clark. He is also proficient in styles as diverse as blues, jazz, polka, Celtic, and Cajun. He can rock the house on guitar, vocals, fiddle, and harmonica. He chooses to call his act "American" or even "world" music.

In Gate Swings, Brown digs deep into his past, going all the way back to the big-band style of his early career. Tunes written or made famous by the likes of Louis Jordan, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and Lionel Hampton show up on the disc, as well as some originals. Blues fans will get their fill, too, since he's included several classics, like a funked-out version of Percy Mayfield's "River's Invitation." Updated for the modern-jazz era, the Gate Swings arrangements were a joint project -- Brown wrote the rhythm section, and noted New Orleans arranger Wardell Quezergue (Dr. John, Aaron Neville, Marc Cohn) added the horn arrangements, tailored to a 13-piece horn section picked by Brown and Quezergue. How can horn arrangements be more modern? Play the punchy, energetic CD a few times and you'll hear it. The tunes move along faster, the sound is crystal clear, and it's drenched with enough blues feel that no one will mistake this album for tired, vintage big-band fare.

"The horns are phrased differently," he says. "They're more together than back in the earlier days. The baritone's in the place where the bottom's at, and the bass is playing different. It's a different way of recording that sounds decent. They bring the horns up in a visible sense, yet it's not overshadowing the soloists."

There's also the singular, single-note soloing of the maestro himself. Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown plays melodic lines that slide and pop and crackle along with the rhythm lines, perfectly woven in with the background. His playing style, he says, was developed because he wanted his guitar to sound more like a horn than the other guitarists of the day.

"All guitar players sound alike, bending themselves, bending their faces, and going through rituals," he says. "I don't think that's necessary."

Although the full 13-piece big band was a studio creation, the four-piece band accompanying Brown on tour consists of the core studio musicians, also known as "Gate's Express": Joe Krown on keyboards, Eric Traub on alto sax, David Peters on drums, and Harold Floyd on bass.

Of course, Brown keeps himself busy in his spare time. Right now, he's writing an autobiography, something he worked on for years. It will outline his musical career and tell about musicians he's known -- some famous and some who fell by the wayside. He also says he'll share his other life experiences, such as when he served as a US goodwill ambassador to northern Africa and Russia, to name a few places.

Now he's focused on his concert tour and the task of entertaining audiences around the world. This year he's played in China, South Africa, and Canada. But he will continue to play Stateside for the remainder of 1997. Energetic and confident as ever, he admonishes all fans to check him out next Tuesday at the Iron Horse.

"Don't miss the show, because I'm going to do the best show I ever did anywhere, that night."

Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown plays at the Iron Horse at 7 p.m. August 26. Tickets are $19.50. Call (413) 584-0610.