Gary Windo – Deep Water
Gonzo Multimedia
http://www.gonzomultimedia.com/product_details/15591

Rating: B

Gary Windo is one of those guys you probably have never heard of, unless you are a jazz rock aficionado.  Gary was a guy who was best known as a jazz tenor saxophonist, yet as can be heard on this release, he was a talented songwriter and arranger as well.  He did not chase after pop music stardom, as he was too unique for that…too creative…too one-of-a-kind.

He got his big break when he took part in an all-star jam session at Graham Bond’s Sun Festival in 1970 with Jack Bruce and Mitch Mitchell.  By the end of the decade he was playing with anyone who let him share the stage including Nick Mason.  By 1987, when this album was released, Gary had gone from being a guy who just plays with other people, to a strong band leader not afraid to push the envelope.

The music on Deep Water is all over the map, making Windo so hard to categorize.  Most of all, above anything else, this is a rock album…or is it a jazz album?  Hell, it’s a good album of unique music that came from the mind of a musical genius.  Sadly, we lost Gary to heart failure triggered by a massive asthma attack in 1992, his health silencing a musical vision that only he could totally comprehend.  Thank goodness for labels like Gonzo Multimedia who still believe in that vision and are doing what they can to make sure Gary, while gone, is not forgotten.

Also released by Gonzo Multimedia are Gary Windo’s albums Dogface and Steam Radio Tapes.

Tracks:

1. Deep Water
2. Blonde Country
3. Clean Machine
4. Don't Bite Too Hard (Your Teeth Are Too Sharp)
5. Ginkie
6. Subway Love
7. Ghosts
8. Breakfast In Bed
9. Sister Europe

By Jeb Wright