Keith Gamble

Keith Gamble began playing clarinet in fourth grade, and by age 16 tenor saxophone. His High School music teacher Ernest Rodgers was a major influence in his life as he taught Keith Gamble to play saxophone. While a student Keith Gamble began playing professionally with a disco/top 40`s group called the Unique Experience Band. The Unique Experience Band mostly played cabaret halls in Detroit from 1975-1978. Also during this period Keith Gamble began playing with the New Detroit Jazz Development Workshop under the direction of trumpeter Marcus Belgrave.

During his college years from 1978-1982, Keith Gamble attended Oakland University in Rochester, MI. While at Oakland University Keith Gamble studied saxophone with Dr. James Dawson, and jazz improvisation with saxophonist Sam Sanders. Gamble was also a member of the Afram Jazz Ensemble at Oakland University, under the direction of Marvin “Doc” Holiday.

From 1982-1986, Keith Gamble played clarinet and tenor saxophone with the Charles Young Post American Legion Concert and Marching Band; Carl Carlton on his promotional performance of his big hit “She`s a Bad Mama Jama”, and tenor saxophone for WDIV`s “Go For It” promotional campaign. After graduating from Oakland University with a B.S. in Music Education in 1987. Keith Gamble would go on to teach, and while teaching Keith Gamble continued his playing career with performances at Alexander`s in Detroit with pianist Jay Johnson, and leading his own group called Keith Gamble and Intensity, with performances at the Jazz Development Workshop in Detroit, and Frog Island Jazz Competition in Ypsilanti, MI. Keith Gamble also composed, performed, and was musical director for the stage play “When Mama Cries Why?” at the Paul Roberson Theatre inside the Northwest Activity Center in Detroit. 1987 also saw Keith Gamble playing tenor saxophone with percussionist Greg Williams and Vibrations at the Detroit Jazz Development Workshop.

During the years 1987-1989, Keith Gamble played in performances with the late poet Ron Allen at the Magic Bag Theatre in Ferndale, MI, and other performances in Ann Arbor, Pontiac, and Detroit. For the 1989/1990 school year, Gamble`s career as a music teacher took him to Las Vegas, NV. While in Las Vegas, Keith Gamble taught music in the Clark County School System. Gamble continued to play in Las Vegas at various outdoor events. Gamble also became friends with Miles Davis` saxophonist Azar Lawrence, who shared with Keith Gamble some of his musical expertise. Keith and Patricia Gamble left Las Vegas in 1990 returning to Detroit, where Keith resumed his teaching career and formed a music company called K.G. Musical Services.

Keith Gamble did not do much, if any performances for the later part of 1990 through 1997. In 1998, Keith Gamble formed his group called the Keith Gamble Quarter which performed from 1998-2002 at the Motor City Casino, and various City of Detroit Parks and Recreation concerts. In addition to performances with the Keith Gamble Quartet, 2001 through the present have brought performances with the Detroit Wind Symphony, and the reggae band called Basiks. With Basiks Keith Gamble performed in concert at various festivals, including the National Black Arts Festival in Atlanta, GA; Arts, Beats and Eats in Pontiac, MI, and Chrysler Auditorium with the late Sugar Minott in Windsor, Canada. In 2005, Keith Gamble partnered with urban poet Wardell Montgomery to create the performance poetry group Creative Tradition. In 2006, Creative Tradition recorded it`s CD called Do I Have To Live Like This? Also in 2006, Keith Gamble became saxophonist with the Continuum Jazz Ensemble.

Creative Tradition performed at a number of libraries in Michigan, most notably the Java and Jazz series at the main branch of the Detroit Public Library. With Basiks Keith Gamble performed the Concert of Colors (twice) at the Max M. Fischer Theatre, and other performances that promoted Basiks CD - Black Songs Of Freedom, which Keith Gamble recorded with Basiks. Keith Gamble was also involved in performances at CJ`s in Lake Orion, MI, and Baker`s Keyboard Lounge in Detroit with Continuum Jazz Ensemble. The years 2007 and 2008 included other freelance recordings and performances; most notably backing Martha Reeves at the NAACP conference at Cobo Hall in Detroit.

Keith Gamble continues his responsibilities in music education teaching independently, and has recorded his 2010 CD under his name called Meaning, Truth, and Understanding.

Awards: