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Al Garcia

Born in Newark, NJ, Al began playing the bass guitar at the age of 13. He was influenced early on by Jack Bruce and Felix Papalardi, two bass visionaries who helped expand the role of the bass guitar in rock music. His musical horizons were broadened to include Jazz, Classical, and Indian music after hearing John McLaughlin and the Mahavishnu Orchestra. Later on, the music of Allan Holdsworth inspired Alfred to take up the electric guitar as a means of expressing another side of his musical persona. Other influences on his playing include the music of J.S. Bach, Charlie Parker, Bela Bartok, Eric Johnson, Jaco Pastorious, Jeff Berlin, Brand X, ELP, Yes and pianist Bill Evans.

Al has performed and recorded many types of music. These include Fusion, Progressive Rock, Jazz, Rock, Afro-Cuban, Blues, Country, and Reggae. Alfred believes this varied experience is responsible for his desire to create music that transcends musical boundaries yet remains respectful of tradition.

Al plays 4, 5, and 6 string fretted and fretless basses, various 6 string electric and acoustic guitars, drums and percussion. He uses digital technology to record, compose, and perform music and plays a guitar synthesizer to gain access to sounds usually unavailable to string players. Al uses this varied sonic palette to create a wide variety of moods and textures.

Al is one of the few players who double on bass and guitar to appear in Guitar Player Magazine’s Spotlight column.

He is currently performing with the jazz/rock group Continuum.

Gear


Godin LGXT Guitar

Godin Jazz Multiac Guitar

G&L L2500 Bass

Ken Smith BSR5MW

Quilter Aviator Guitar Amp


Tags

161
Album Review

Al Garcia: Make It So

Read "Make It So" reviewed by Todd S. Jenkins


Hard-hitting, well-executed fusion from a promising new voice. The arrival of CDs which feature one individual playing most of the instruments tends to give chills to reviewers. Fortunately, Al Garcia breaks the mold by crafting inventive, appealing arrangements that utilize all the sounds he has on hand to good effect. He is a member of the Latin jazz group Quarteto Nuevo, but that influence only rears its head on the fine closer. Since the bass guitar tends to be a ...

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73

Recording

Al Garcia: Alternate Realities CD

Al Garcia: Alternate Realities CD

Source: All About Jazz

"Imagine a musician with equal facility on bass AND guitar. He plays guitar like Allan Holdsworth and plays bass like Jeff Berlin. Is he human? Is he from this planet"--Jeffrey Ryan Smoots, Prog4you.com

“Rarely have I heard a musician that can double on the bass and guitar with the proficiency that I am hearing from Al Garcia"--M J Brady, Prognosis Web Site

Imagine a kind of music that knows no stylistic barriers; music that borrows from the best of many ...

"If you are at all interested in the music of Allan Holdsworth, Frank Gambale, Jeff Berlin, Return to Forever, and the Mahavishnu Orchestra, you owe it to yourself to check out All Things Must Converge. Al Garcia is a musician of many talents, and they are fully on display here for all jazz-fusion fans to enjoy."

- SeaOfTranquility.org (Pete Pardo)

"Imagine a musician with equal facility on bass AND guitar. He plays guitar like Allan Holdsworth and plays bass like Jeff Berlin. Is he human? Is he from this planet?"

Prog4you.com (Jeffrey Ryan Smoots)

"...this is a great record, featuring beautiful guitar tones and often-breathtaking playing from beginning to end."

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Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Tampering with Nature

Wandlar Productions
2014

buy

Make It So

Independent Records
2002

buy

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