Keith Gattis


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Keith Gattis
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We’re sitting on the deck of a bungalow in Laurel Canyon in the Hollywood Hills – a locale rich in the history of American music, known as home to both famous musicians and infamous goings-on way back to the 50’s and 60’s. My friend, Keith Gattis, picks on his old gut-string guitar, working his way through a new song. He’s on a two -day break from the road. He’s playing lead guitar, banjo and mandolin and doing background vocals with Dwight Yoakam on his “Almost Alone” Summer/Fall ‘03 tour. I met Keith here in Los Angeles, when he was recording his new album, BIG CITY BLUES – his first release since his critically acclaimed debut album on RCA records in 1996. I immediately checked him out on the internet and my favorite quote from a music critic reviewing his first record reads, “Were all the suits out of town when Gattis cut this album? They have to have been. We’re talking no holds barred, no apologies, no compromise country on this disc. Heck, the guy doesn’t even wear a hat.” Keith embodies the very essence of country rock cool (although he resists any kind of tag that pigeon-holes him into a corporate marketing niche.) No Gucci runway cowboy style for him. In fact, he’s one of the authentic guys who actually inspire the designers with his Levi’s boot-cut skinners, the backs raggedy-edged from endless scraping across the floor over James Leddy custom cowboy boots and a Viper Room t-shirt, sleeves cut off to reveal a self-designed tattoo - a horseshoe intertwined with roses (luck and love) on his right bicep. Keith Gattis drove into Los Angeles in the spring of 2001 at the wheel of his ‘65 Lincoln Continental. He paid for the move by selling two of his favorite guitars. Keith came west as many before him have done, to reinvent. Originally from Texas, he left the Nashville pop/country scene behind and put California in his headlights (to paraphrase one of his songs) looking to play rock and roll. But, as he told me, he kept returning over and over to his traditional country roots. With true grit and his slow Texas drawl, Keith soon became a flash point of L.A.’s explosive country rock scene. Playing Hollywood clubs – the Joint, the Viper Room, the King King – he found himself in good company, with Lucinda Williams and Dwight Yoakam often in the audience. As Keith is completely grounded in the spirit of the American entrepreneur, he soon found independent financing to produce and record his next album, far from the influence of Nashville’s Music Row. An accomplished writer, Keith has had his songs recorded by such artists as George Jones and Sarah Evans. On BIG CITY BLUES, he takes a giant step beyond commercial and conventional boundaries, wearing his lyrics on his sleeve and baring his soul to anyone who will listen. BIG CITY BLUES includes 11 new tracks, 10 songs written by Gattis. Keith also brought together an impressive group of friends to work on the record, among them Rami Jaffee of the Wallflowers, Ken Coomer (Uncle Tupelo, Wilco,) Doug Pettibone (Lucinda Williams,) and Waddy Watchel (Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Brown, Keith Richards.) Not satisfied with resting on his laurels, Keith rolled into producing another independent album right after finishing BIG CITY BLUES. He worked with friend and singer/songwriter Waylon Payne, son of Willie Nelson lead guitarist, Jody Payne, and Grammy winning country songstress, Sammi Smith. Keith and Waylon’s collaboration produced Payne’s debut album, THE DRIFTER, which sold to Universal Records New York a month after the record’s completion. THE DRIFTER will be released in January 2004. After Keith comes off Dwight’s tour in October, he’ll move into producing a movie soundtrack. Director John Maybury has brought Keith onto his current project, George Clooney and Stephen Soderburg’s Section 8 film, THE JACKET, to star Mark Wahlberg. I leave Keith on the deck, hashing out the lyrics to his song. Cigarette smoke curls up from his ashtray next to a long neck bottle of Bud. The melody drifts down onto the street as the wooden gate closes behind me. I hear Keith’s melancholic voice. His song belongs here in the canyon. And at this moment, I understand that no matter what the future holds, Keith Gattis is a man who will always make his music. And there are those who know who will always listen.
Date Venue City State Note
No Tour Dates Available
10/04/2006 - KVET Free Texas Music Series: Keith Gattis - Read More
02/18/2005 - Keith Gattis returns home - Read More
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Average Rating : 5              Total Reviews: 17


Keith Gattis  01/07/2008            
AJ
Keith Gattis is an amazing song writer, and singer. I havent taken his CD out of my CD player in 6 months.
Keith Gattis  04/09/2007            
Braymen
My two year old cracks me up because she sings the chorus to "Reconsider" when we are in the car! Youngest Keith Gattis fan?
Keith Gattis  02/04/2007            
Jodi from Mo's
Hi cutie!!! Glad to see you are doing well!!! I always wondered!! Best of luck to you, Jodi from Mo's Place in Katy, TX.
Keith Gattis  01/11/2007            
trouble trowell
big city blues in my opinion is one of the best texas country albums of our generation rock on gattis
Keith Gattis  10/23/2006            
plaincrazy
I am so glad my ex got me into this kind of music. I love keith. He's awesome.
Keith Gattis  09/25/2006            
Ben
Saw Keith Gattis in Austin at the Saxon Pub. I really enjoyed it. That is one talented dude.
Keith Gattis  09/09/2006            
d pullen
for those who have found keith, congrats! he's an awesome talent. he used to live around cleburne tx. way before he was really known. my brother played in a band with him for a short time. then we lost track of him. i think he went and played guitar for waylon but not positive.i still have his first nashville album and it is awesome. i believe it could be rereleased and do great. anyway if keith reads this i hope he can remember some of the lake whitney friends...
Keith Gattis  05/18/2006            
Tsowdsun
Wow. You hear the words and you hear the voice, then you see the picture and they just don't line up. This is lyrically one of my more recent, favorite albums. You can hear the desperation and pain in his voice in some tracks. Lyrics from the heart. Great album.
Keith Gattis  03/28/2006            
Big Dave
I like to think I've heard a hell of a lot of music, and this is of the best. If you like good writing and good music, you'll love this stuff. As original as Adam Carroll and as well produced as Bruce Robison. I listen to it over and over. Where has Keith Gattis been?
Keith Gattis  06/02/2005            
ktd
Just got the album a few days ago after noticing that he wrote two of my favorite songs on Charlie Robison's new album. I really enjoyed hearing Keith's versions of them, he's a real talent. I can't wait for the opportunity to see him live. The cd is unique-- a real fresh sound for this scene.
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