Greatness has not only been predicted but expected from Memphis guitarist-vocalist Eric Gales ever since his blistering, anthemic debut LP The Eric Gales Band was released by Elektra in 1991, when he was only 16 years old. For the past three decades, he’s thrilled audiences and wowed fellow musicians. One thing is consistent across Gales’ 18 albums and his appearances on myriad other artists’ records: His remarkable combination of technical facility and distinctive touch makes him seem at ease in any musical situation, from Delta blues to hard-edged funk. He’s built upon that distinctive guitar approach with a soulful and energetic voice, plus a charismatic stage presence that’s made him stand out in such high-profile situations as playing with Santana at Woodstock ’94 or being a featured guest on the Experience Hendrix tour.
But fame can also have a downside, and Gales has certainly experienced it — something he addresses in a direct manner on his outstanding new LP Crown, which is out Friday via Provogue/Mascot Label Group. He sings in a crisp, earnest fashion about the pain and struggles of drug addiction, and the toll that overcoming it took on him.
“It felt good to talk about my past problems,” says Gales, now five years sober, speaking with the Scene via Zoom. “I wanted to really address those past problems and also talk about what it took to beat them. The growth that I’ve experienced as a person and a musician is really what this album is all about.”
Gales, who’ll be playing a release celebration for Crown at City Winery on Sunday, was also deeply affected by the 2020 murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. This LP includes reflections and assessments of life as a still-young Black man in 21st-century America. Such songs as “Survivor,” “Take Me Just as I Am” (which features strong support from his wife LaDonna Gales) and “Stand Up” make it clear that he’s seen his fair share of injustice and wants to see vital changes made.
The sessions were co-produced by fellow blues-rock star Joe Bonamassa along with Josh Smith, and largely recorded in Nashville at Sound Emporium Studios, with overdubs at Ocean Way Nashville and Greensboro, N.C.’s Earthtones Recording. There’s a trio of instrumental vignettes that showcase Gales’ speed, imagination and flair as a guitarist. But it’s the 13 other cuts — which include contributions from Tom Hambridge, James House and Keb’ Mo’ — that provide a platform for Gales to shine as a vocalist and lyric storyteller. Those skills enhance the playful and joyous side to Crown, and you can hear that all come together on the lead single “I Want My Crown” as Gales sings about getting the widespread renown that’s long overdue: “People tell me, ‘Let it be’ / Nobody bothered asking me / For as long as I’ve been around / It’s my turn / I want my crown.”
“We really wanted that one to set the album off, and I think it did,” says Gales of the single. Gales and Bonamassa met when they were both teenage blues wizards in the early ’90s; they reunited some 25 years later during a cruise, when Bonamassa invited Gales onstage to jam. In the inventive video for the song, the pair stages a guitar duel in the boxing ring, with no less than Keb’ Mo’ serving as the referee.
While Gales dips into other idioms throughout the new album, he always seems to find a way back to the blues. It’s only natural.
“It’s really impossible for me not to have some blues feeling in anything I play. I love all music, whether it’s blues, rock, soul, jazz, funk — you name it. But in the end, I get back to the blues, as well as gospel. For me, those are the same music anyhow, just with different words. Everything I play and sing really reflects those two.”
