ANTHONY GOMES BIO
“This above all, to thine own self be true”
– William Shakespeare, “Hamlet”
Singer-guitarist Anthony Gomes lives by that credo of truth as an artist, constantly challenging himself to expand his explorations of heart and sound. The release of his latest album “Up 2 Zero” represents a full-circle return to his love of high energy, guitar-driven blues rock. The new collection of songs combines straight ahead power blues compositions with tracks that incorporate soul-injected melodic moments. “This album is the most honest representation of who I am,” Anthony says. “When I started playing, all I wanted to do was dig deep and play the blues. I wanted to capture that reckless blues power of my earlier catalogue on this recording. I also have a love of melody that you can hear in soul and gospel music, and this CD has those elements as well. Even on the songs that stray away from the traditional 12-bar blues format, you still can hear plenty of B.B. King or Buddy Guy in there.” Born in Toronto, Canada, to a Portuguese father and a French-Canadian mother, Gomes began playing guitar in his early teens and was drawn to the blues sounds of B.B. King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix. While he honed his skills in the blues bars at night, Gomes earned a Master’s Degree in history from the University of Toronto focusing on the ‘Racial Evolution of Blues Music’. He relocated to Chicago in the late ’90s to learn from the blues masters and to establish himself as a musician and artist. During his brief stint as a sideman for Magic Slim and the Teardrops, Gomes put together his own group and won the first annual Buddy Guy’s Legends “Best Unsigned Blues Band” competition in 1998. Three years later, he moved to Nashville to sharpen his skills as a songwriter. Every one of Anthony’s albums have varied with a genuine personal vision of the blues and beyond. The 1998 debut, “Blues in Technicolor” introduced Gomes as a guitar-slinger loaded with impressive firepower. Instead of following up with more of the same, he boldly stepped back for an intimate acoustic offering in 2000 with “Sweet Stringin’ Soul”. On 2002′s “Unity” he accomplished the album’s title with a heavy mix of styles that led Bandit Blues Radio to name it one of the Top 30 Essential Blues CDs of all time. A year later Gomes was named BluesWax Magazine’s “Artist Of The Year”, which elevated him to the top of the blues field. “Music Is the Medicine”, released in 2006, peaked at number four on the Billboard Top Blues Albums chart. Gomes’ endless touring kept him atop the blues field as he continued to be nominated for BluesWax Artist of the Year awards for several years in a row. 2008′s “LIVE” is Gomes’ greatest commercial success to date, reaching number one on the Billboard Top Blues Albums chart. “Up 2 Zero”, Gomes’ latest offering, bristles with that passion and personality of the blues, a testimony to the healing power of music to uplift, console, move and motivate the spirit. One of the key songs on the new CD is the searing mission statement of “Back To The Start.” Comments Gomes, “I wanted to begin the CD with a powerhouse shuffle to set the tone of where we are at musically. Lyrically, the song says it all. As simple as it sounds, you have to follow your heart and I had to get back to where I started. For me, it’s the blues. I can always try different things, but I always find myself going back to where the music started.” Another track central to the album’s essence is “Room 414″. “A lot of folks ask me what the significance is of that room. They wonder what exactly happened behind those closed doors,” Anthony laughs, “It is actually the room number at the Gunter Hotel in San Antonio where Robert Johnson recorded all his material. It blows my mind to think that all those haunting songs were captured in a hotel room.” The CD also includes two new versions of Gomes’ most popular songs. “Fly Away”, previously entitled as “Bluebird”, is presented in a more gritty and blues-influenced fashion. “Darkest Before The Dawn”/”Le Soleil Se Levera” appears in both English and French versions on the album. “My mother is from Quebec City and the French-Canadian culture is a big part of who we are. I am so proud to be able to sing this song in French. For me, it’s a highlight on this album.” stated Gomes. “The title of “Up 2 Zero” embodies so many different things,” says Gomes, “It represents getting back to the blues – back to ground zero. It also signifies a countdown to breaking new ground and moving forward or upward. There’s a beautiful anticipation of hitting zero. Musically, most people try to look ahead for inspiration or seek out what’s cutting edge. I seem to go in the other direction and look backwards to be inspired. In a strange way, when I look to Muddy Waters or Robert Johnson I hear the future.” Back To Top
PRESS HIGHLIGHTS“#1 Blues Artist”
- Billboard Magazine “Blistering guitar licks and vocals that slice like a whiskey-soaked machete.”
- Toronto Star “Anthony Gomes delivered plenty of fierce fingerpicking…his monster strums were loaded with attitude and authenticity.”
- Illinois Entertainer “A Serious Mojo Mofo”
- Salt Lake City Weekly “The place was packed, they came from all around, there was a buzz in the air, the lights went down. Gomes came out – and he was the sh*t. He could play guitar like there was no tomorrow. When he started to sing, I was floored…”
- Creem Magazine “Gomes persues his passions with a musical intelligence that places him way ahead of the other hellions igniting the Fender Fretboard”
-Downbeat “Gomes executes twising wammy bar swoops and feedback dives that revive the ghosts of the Fillmore. By the end of the night, Gomes has delivered a PhD dissertation on blues rock guitar.
-Hartford Advocate “Anthony Gomes proves that music can transcend race, age and international borders. His lively R&B infused guitar makes Gomes accessible to all kinds of music fans.”
-Des Moines Register “Gomes music is true blues – biting, with a heavy prescription of electricity and avant-garde modernism. Gomes plays music that makes you want to shake it and promises if you arrive to a show on the fence, you’ll leave a fan.”
- Noise “Like Stevie Ray Vaughan, Gomes brings his blues-rock to the forefront and is on the fast track to joining some of the biggest blues-rock legends music has ever seen.”
- Musiqtone Back To Top
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS- “LIVE” (Ruf Records) debuted at number one on Billboard’s Top Blues Album Chart. The CD is the first number one Billboard Blues Album for both Gomes and Ruf. - Nominated by BluesWax for Blues Artist of the Year four times, winning it once in 2003. - Performed in 11 countries and throughout the United States including; France, Great Britain, Italy, Portugal, Switzerland, Norway, Belgium, Finland, Canada, Jamaica and Mexico. - Complete Woman/Cosmopolitan Magazine named Gomes one of music’s most ‘Eligible Bachelors’ in their ‘Men of Music’ feature. - Performed with BB King, Robert Plant, Doobie Brothers, Buddy Guy, Kenny Wayne Sheppard, Robert Cray, Chuck Berry, George Thorogood, Arc Angels, .38 Special, Eric Johnson, Gretchen Wilson, James Otto, Big and Rich, Cowboy Troy, Jim Peterik, John Goodman and Tim Robbins. - Earned a Master’s Degree from the University of Toronto and wrote his Master’s Thesis on “The Racial Evolution of Blues Music”. Gomes graduated with high distinction and earned several academic scholarships and honors including the C.P. Stacey award. - Has collaborated with songwriters Mark Selby (Dixie Chicks, Kenny Wayne Sheppard), Jim Peterik (.38 Special, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Sammy Hagar, Survivor), Bruce McCabe (Jonny Lang, Bonnie Raitt), Tom Hambridge (Susan Tedeschi, Buddy Guy) and Kelly Keagy (Night Ranger). - Appeared in various national publications, including Blues Revue, Guitar Player, Vintage Guitar, Downbeat and Big City Blues. - Currently endorses Gigliotti Guitars, Chicago Blues Box Amplifiers, Hammond/Leslie Amplifiers, TC Electronics, Dean Markley Stings, Seymour Duncan, RMC Effects, Xotic Effects, George L’s cables, and Wornstar Clothing. - Won the first annual Buddy Guy’s Legends “Best Unsigned Blues Band” competition. Back To Top
DISCOGRAPHY | 1998 – Blues in Technicolor |  | 2000 – Sweet Stringin’ Soul |  | 2002 – Unity |  | 2006 – Music Is The Medicine |  | 2008 – Anthony Gomes LIVE |  | 2011 – Up 2 Zero |
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ADDITIONAL RECORDINGS | 2006 – Long Way Home |  | 2008 – Primary Colors |  | 2009 – New Soul Cowboys |
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