INSTRUMENTS : Lead Alto Sax, Soprano Sax, Tenor Sax, Flute, Clarinet, Piano, Drums
COLLEAGUES : Billy Kilson, Alex Bunon, Terri Carrington, Lynn Fidmont, James Genus, Freddie Fox, Branford Marsalis, Lalah Hathaway, Walter Beasley, and Kevin Eubanks
PERFORMANCES :
• Toured with Larry Carlton
(Osaka, Tokyo, Seattle, Nashville)
• Toured with Billy Kilson (Osaka, Tokyo)
• With Chris Botti - Altria Richmond, VA
• With Alex Bugnon - Richmond Jazz Festival,
• With Jeff Lober - Hampton Jazz Festival
• With Delfeayo Marsalis -
Charlottesville Jazz Festival
• With Patrice Rushen - Richmond Jazz Society
• With Fred Wesley - Richmond Jazz Society
CD Release Party
• Marvin Gaye - Downtown Boston, MA
• Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers -
Village Gate, NY
NOMINATIONS & AWARDS :
• 6 First Ballad Grammy Nominations
• The Pride of RPS 2015 Living Legacies Honoree
CHARTING :
• #8 Smooth jazz Listener Chart (2020) - "Hero"
• #4 Billboard Smooth Jazz Chart (2017) - "Together We Can Make It"
• #18 SmoothJazz.com Indie Chart (2013) - "Spain"
"Closing in on 30 years as a recording artist, Richmond, VA based saxophonist James Saxsmo Gates offers timely words of wisdom to accompany his sonically bold, sweetly sensual and intensely funked-out new album STEPPING OUT. The Founder of the Dr. Billy Taylor Jazz Studies Program at Virginia State University writes, “Together we can make it if… we Keep Jazz Alive!” Six years in the making, the faith-driven project pairs Gates’ steamy, igniting horn fire with a batch of multi-talented collaborators (including guitarists Alan Parker and Freddie Fox) to create the perfect party mix of anthem-like originals and soulful pop covers." ~Jonathan Widran (SmoothJazz.com Global)
