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Today's Featured Biography
Robert Gay
Berklee alum and saxophonist Robert Douglas Gay has made a name for himself over the years as one of the music industry’s best session players. I had the great fortune of meeting Robert during the first week of orientation here at Berklee. Getting many opportunities to speak and play music with him on an equal level was a treat, but it was not until later that I found out about his astonishing career.
Robert has been a part of some very memorable projects, having recorded with Culture Club on their album, From Luxury To Heartache, Howard Jones’ One To One, Chaka Khan’s Destiny with sax solos on “Love Of A Lifetime” and “Tight Fit”, the Bee Gees’ ESP with signature alto work on the song, “Backtafunk,” and David Bowie’s “Underground” from the soundtrack album of the Jim Henson film, “Labyrinth.” These New York sessions in addition to his group New Man, who were signed to Epic Records, greatly boosted Robert’s profile and contributed to his having won three consecutive Boston Music Awards (’86-’88) for Outstanding Reeds/Brass. Shortly thereafter, he worked with hometown hero and singer Brad Delp and guitarist Barry Goudreau, both formerly of the group Boston. They had created their own band with former New Man bassist Tim Archibald, Return To Zero, and their self-titled debut album RTZ featured Robert’s signature sounds on the song “Livin’ For The Rock.”
In October of 1989, Michael Jonzun, brother of New Kids On The Block creator, Maurice Starr, requested Robert’s sax work on a song written by singer/songwriter Tommy Page and New Kids’ Jordan Knight and Danny Wood. In the spring of 1990, their song, “I’ll Be Your Everything,” reached Number One on Billboard’s Hot 100, which garnered him an opening slot on the sold-out NKOTB Magic Summer Tour. Tommy asked Robert live on Kiss 108 FM to join him on one of the biggest tours in the history of the music industry. After appearing on the highly rated Arsenio Hall Show in front of ten million viewers and a month of show-openers for New Kids, Tommy and his band, with Robert on saxophones and keyboards, went on to headline venues from coast-to-coast before embarking on a worldwide tour.
As an amazingly talented musician, and an upstanding, spiritual, individual, this will be an enlightening and exclusive look into the music industry.
Dominic: When did you begin playing music and what initially got you interested in it?
Robert: When I was about three years old my sister Marcie turned me on to Miles Davis and Charlie Parker as well as a number of other legends. I was thoroughly intrigued by this music and wanted to listen as much as possible. Fortunately I was exposed to great jazz at such an early age. A year later, we moved into my grandmother’s house in Detroit, Michigan and that’s when I began playing the piano. I would hear music and could duplicate the melodies by ear. My mother, who had taught piano for years, recognized my natural abilities and attempted to give me lessons. Unfortunately the chemistry between us was volatile because she refused to allow me to play by ear. I completely shut down for the next two years…
In 1962, the family relocated to Dayton, Ohio because of dad’s work. I’ll never forget the day I came home from school to find a brand new Story And Clark piano in the living room. I was so excited that I sat and played for hours. My mother actually allowed me to do my own play-by-ear thing but eventually had me reading technical exercises from the Hannon Piano Method book.
Dominic: Did you always know you wanted to pursue music, and if not, what happened to make you want to?
Robert: When I was really, really young I would put on shows for my family, during which I would create my imaginary friends and engage them in dialogue! By all appearances, I was heading for a career in stage and screen at the age of two-and-a-half, but then my sister introduced me to jazz and I was so intrigued that music became my primary focus. Like I said before, I did have some “down time” during which I had partially turned my back on music because of the relationship with my mother. Even then, I would sneak to play the piano when she wasn’t around and we had close family friends, the Wilsons, who we visited regularly after Mass on Sundays and they had an amazing jazz collection. It was at their apartment that I developed a real passion for music.
[pullleft]That’s when Mr. Bowie looked right at me and said, "Well! We’ll have to do something about this!"[/pullleft]
When we moved to Ohio I was less exposed to jazz and became interested in pop music because that’s what caught my attention at the time. Shortly thereafter, I began listening to WDAO, which was the “soul” station.
When I was eight years old, my family moved from Dayton’s west side to an all-white suburb. I was just entering the fourth grade and I remember listening to my neighbor, who was a year ahead of me, practice his tenor sax. I was totally intrigued by the sound. The following year, my father made me return to Catholic school, which I absolutely hated! Besides the incredible amount of homework we would receive, there was no music program. I was extremely disappointed but halfway through the year, Mr. Richard Wiggenhorn, band director from the public high school, donated his time on Saturdays to establish a band program at St. Peter. This is when I began playing the alto sax. Funny story about this choice of saxophones: the tenor, which was my first choice was simply too big for me to carry to school because I was so small! I reluctantly settled for alto.
By the time I got to high school, my father allowed me to go to the public school because the band director convinced him that I would get the same, if not a better, education because of their beefed-up music program. I knew for a FACT, especially after band camp, that music would be my career. There was simply no doubt in my mind. After deciding that, I was the only person from my class to take the music award every year. In addition, I was also band president in my junior AND senior year, which, according to my band director, set a precedent for future bands. Yep — total band geek here!
Dominic: Was your family supportive of you and your music early on?
Robert: They were supportive of my abilities as an ARTIST. They knew early on that I wasn’t going to follow in dad’s footsteps as an attorney and they were aware of my love for music. Their primary focus, however, was that I study hard and make my way through school. I’m sure it’s because of my strict upbringing that I excelled in band when I reached high school. I am thankful for the values, which they instilled in me at an early age.
Dominic: What did you study and what can you tell us about your experiences when you were here at Berklee?
Robert: I transferred to Berklee after spending one year at the University of Dayton as a music major and taking two years off to find myself because I really wasn’t sure if I was going to pursue sax or keyboards. I had been so heavily influenced by Keith Emerson and the amazing Rick Wakeman of Yes. I saw both in concert when I was in high school and at UD, and they just had my head spinning.
I spent my two years off in Washington, D.C., where I played sax and keyboards with a band. It was there that I was turned back onto jazz, though what many regard as “real jazz”: Coltrane, Miles, Bird, Herbie, etc. I’ll never forget the night I spent listening to “real jazz” with my friend’s father, Geoffrey Gould. He was the one responsible for my decision to study at Berklee so when I arrived in Boston, I was a dry sponge just waiting to soak up as much as possible and that’s exactly what happened.
I’ll say this: from the standpoint of theory and basic concepts in contemporary music, my freshman year at Berklee was the most fruitful. It was essentially, “Oh, THAT’S how it works! Duh!” So from a theoretical point of view, I learned more in my first year than subsequent years, with the exception of learning flute and clarinet. The big turnaround for me was when I studied sax with Joe Viola; he, along with Richard Wiggenhorn, were the biggest musical influences in my life. Joe, may he rest in peace, had the ability to teach me how to teach myself. I studied with him for two years; my last two years at school. I took the knowledge he supplied and used that to get where I am today. I still use his techniques when warming up and I use his techniques when teaching young players; the concept of centering tone and the diaphragmatic breathing technique and how he made it so easy to apply.
I did play in the most prestigious big band ensembles while at school and can’t even count the number of times I played the Berklee Performance Center.
Another major focus for me at Berklee was ear training, and I studied that through the highest levels. Once again, to this day, I use those concepts and techniques.
Dominic: What year did you leave or graduate from Berklee?
Robert: I was at Berklee from 1976 to 1980 but didn’t graduate. My focus was on absorbing useful, practical knowledge, playing with as many ensembles as possible, etc. Not so much about getting a degree, although I guess I could return for a year and acquire one.
Dominic: When do you think you started forming the connections you needed in order to be a working and a recording musician? Was it at Berklee or after you left?
Robert: This is a great question with some surprising answers. My father developed cancer and died while I was on summer break in 1979. I stayed with him in his hospital room every day because I was the one who actually could. I guess he timed his illness to coincide with the semester break. None of my siblings could take on that task. They all had jobs and couldn’t just be away for weeks on end. I was assisting the nurses, and even though Dad was in a coma for most of the time, we grew so close. I was absolutely devastated by his death.
When I returned to school, I played on the street in Downtown Crossing as a means of coping with grief. There was a kind of solace in a lone sax, echoing off the buildings and creating a serene, meditative state. Suddenly I realized I was making bank! Fifteen to twenty bucks an hour — $700 a week, which in 1979 was decent money. Next thing I knew, I was on a “news magazine” show and in the centerfold of The Boston Herald! Soundtrack Boston, a major recording studio specializing in theme songs and radio and television jingles, began calling me for sessions. When they found I could come in and do it in one take, I became their “first-call” alto guy. Then they began booking sessions in New York, using studios such as A & R and hiring New York session musicians. I eventually joined New York Local 802 and still have a file there. Soon, Soundtrack would acquire two buildings and open numerous rooms there on 21st St. and around the corner on Broadway. To this day they are still one of the few surviving studios in NYC. Nonetheless, I worked my way into the scene there through Soundtrack and I will be forever grateful to owners Rob Cavicchio and John Kiehl for helping me get off the ground.
Here’s another amazing story born of the street: somewhere around 1984, I was working on Boylston St. with the bassist from New Man. One of his students used to come down and listen. One day he said he wanted to bring his friend from Berklee. Well, his friend turned out to be Joe Mardin, son of Arif Mardin, Vice-President/Atlantic Records & producer extraordinaire! Well, Joe loved my playing and wanted me to do some sax work on his senior project, which was to be recorded in New York. I’ll never forget how far my jaw dropped when I asked him where the recording would take place. I just assumed it would be at school. Boy was I wrong!
[pullright]Now is the time to be creative with self-marketing. YouTube can be utilized beyond ones wildest dreams if a clever marketing strategy is devised.[/pullright]
Joe and I eventually became close friends. At his 21st birthday party, I ended up dancing with Chaka Khan! I think comedian Steve Martin may have been in attendance as well. I remember seeing a lot of Joe’s Berklee boys hovering about the living room because Chaka, who had just finished a performance at Radio City Music Hall brought her band to the party as well and the drummer was another ‘Who’s Who’ in the industry causing young Berklee lads to drool…
Seven months after Joe’s birthday bash, I was invited to his Commencement. The invitation also mentioned that his dad was being honored as the recipient of an Honorary Doctorate from school. I attended the concert the night before and the ceremony the following day. Afterward, Arif took us all out for brunch at the Sheraton where Joe pulled me aside to mention that his dad was going to be in the studio with Bowie all week. He invited me to stop by the studio.
When I arrived at Atlantic Studios the following week, the studio guard informed me I wasn’t allowed to walk back to studio ‘A’ until Joe arrived. I ended up waiting hours for Joe to arrive and he never did. Then something really funny happened: the session took a break and the musicians came out to the lobby to find me waiting anxiously.
“Bob Gay! What are you doing waiting out here? Why didn’t you just come on back”
“I was told I had to wait for Joe since I’m his guest.”
“What?! Dude, we’re bringing you back right now!”
As it turns out I knew everyone on the session except for Mr. Bowie. Steve Ferrone on drums from Average White Band, Duran Duran, Tom Petty, etc. Will Lee on bass from Letterman, and I can’t remember the guitarist’s name but all of us had done NUMEROUS sessions together. Just too funny so they walked me back to ‘A’ and introduced me to Mr. Bowie which leads to what I’m guessing is your next question?
Dominic: Indeed it does. Tell me about playing with David Bowe and Chaka Khan.
Robert: I KNEW it! Well, like I said, having played with all of Mr. Bowie’s session guys made things a lot easier for me. First of all, I was much more relaxed than I had expected and Steve Ferrone introduced me as the next up-and-coming New York session guy. Mr. Bowie stood to shake my hand and welcome me to the session. After Steve left to go back into the studio, Mr. Bowie and I had a really nice chat. I told him what a pleasure it was to have met him and what an influence he has been to me and I mentioned how much I love David Sanborn who played a lot with him.
“Ah, yes! A fabulous saxophonist indeed! In fact, I just saw him at a venue in London not too long ago and he was absolutely stunning!”
Just as we were discussing David Sanborn, in walked Joe and he seemed a little miffed that I was already in the Studio ‘A’ lounge chillin’ with Mr. Bowie. His reaction was a bit like, “Oh, ummmmm, I see you’re already back here…”
“Joe, I’m sorry but the session took a break and as it turns out, I know everyone here. Steve and Will brought me back.”
“Okay, well uh, Mr. Bowie, meet Bob Gay who is the next up-and-coming saxophonist from Boston working his way into New York. He’s a fantastic player!”
That’s when Mr. Bowie looked right at me and said, “Well! We’ll have to do something about this!”
By the end of the night, Mr. Bowie had fallen asleep and I discretely, but without permission, handed Mr. Bowie’s bodyguard a copy of my demo. David listened to over and over and absolutely loved it. When the time came for overdubs, Mr. Bowie had specifically requested me. Arif called me to announce the verdict I was beside myself. He told me that since the artist had specifically requested me, I should be very grateful that such an honor would be bestowed upon me. I was humbled by the gesture.
I ran into Chaka at Atlantic one night when she was doing vocals. I gave her a big hug and thanked her for the opportunity to record on her latest album. She grabbed me and said, “Are you kidding, baby? You got the Chops of Death!” To this day, remembering that line she spoke, no matter how down I might be or no matter that I’m in excruciating pain, keeps me moving because it is so complimentary and reinforcing.
Dominic: Rob, one thing I have learned about you is that you are a very giving person. Is there anything you would like to say to young musicians?
Robert: I ran into Chaka at Atlantic one night when she was doing vocals. I gave her a big hug and thanked her for the opportunity to record on her latest album. She grabbed me and said, "Are you kidding, baby? You got the Chops of Death!"
There is a basic law of the universe: if one has obtained knowledge that can assist others in this world, it is ESSENTIAL that information be shared. Failure to do so will simply leave the unshared knowledge at risk for bad karma. With that said, the music industry is definitely not what it was 40, 30, or even 10-20 years ago. My career has been an emotional roller coaster, having been ALMOST to the top and then losing it due to bad luck, bad decisions, which at the time seemed to be the appropriate way to go, and cut-throat industry executives. The phrase, “It’s not what you know but who you know,” certainly applies to the music industry. To complicate matters, gone are the days of the big record deals and legacy recording studios. The good news is that being well-equipped, young Berklee students with Pro Tools and MacBook Pros in their back packs can duplicate or trump the quality put out by multi-million dollar recording suites of the 80s, which is why a majority of the major production houses have gone under.
Now is the time to be creative with self-marketing. YouTube can be utilized beyond ones wildest dreams if a clever marketing strategy is devised.
Now is the time to use the artistic side of all of us in an effort to create clever marketing ideas. We have the skills, the formal training, and the equipment but we just need to unlock the creativity of alternative thinking and use that to our advantage in an effort to promote that which God has given us. Yes, times have changed but we must NEVER be discouraged in our effort to distribute our art to the world.
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