ABOUT BRIAN GORE


A BIOGRAPHY OF BRIAN GORE

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Known as a “poet of the guitar,” Brian Gore’s evocative, heartfelt style blends influences from Folk, Jazz and ‘Americana.’ He earned his reputation as a fingerstyle guitarist the hard way, one show at a time, in International Guitar Night (IGN), and on live, unedited, IGN recordings. In IGN, Brian played in duet and quartet with guitar greats Ralph Towner, Pierre Bensusan, Andrew York, Guinga, Sylvan Luc, Martin Taylor, Lulo Reinhardt, Marco Pereira, and Mike Dawes.

Brian’s distinctive guitar playing was shaped in San Francisco during the Impressionistic ‘open tuning’ heyday of William Ackerman, Alex de Grassi, and Michael Hedges. A pioneering guitarist in his own right, Brian experimented early on with multiple capos, slapping, tapping, and percussive techniques. Brian expanded his technical palette to integrate the harp guitar, foot drums, conga, and bongos into his solo performances, further enriching his one of a kind sound.

After IGN, Brian released his singer-songwriter debut, “Seek the Love You’re Yearning,” featuring the legendary Greg Leisz, among others. San Francisco’s 48 Hills says the album “is a deeply heartfelt, folk-infused journey that bares Gores’ vulnerability, something refreshing in an age of artifice.” As a singer songwriter, Brian joins a cadre of guitar bards like Hedges, Nick Drake, Bruce Cockburn, Leo Kottke and José González, who skillfully balance singing and instrumental guitar.

Brian performs solo and collaborates in duo settings with acclaimed musicians evolutionary bassist Michael Manring, guitarist Jim Kimo West, and jazz pianist Itamar Erez. As well, he has recently founded a new show, called Worlds of Song which will feature the singer songwriters Raul Midón, Badi Assad, Loah and Laura Silverstone. Worlds of Song will debut on the US West Coast and in the EU in 2025. Brian hopes that Worlds of Song will be a significant bookmark to IGN, highlighting virtuosic musicians who push the boundaries of the solo singer songwriter genre.

Discography: Brian performed on numerous live CD recordings, including an Evening with International Guitar Night on Steve Vai’s Favored Nations label, featuring Pierre Bensusan, Guinga and Andrew York. He released four solo CDs, including two in collaboration with illustrator Bill Russell; Santa Cruz and Wine Country Tales. Each song on these releases feature Bill’s illustrations and animations about stories of the region.

 

“Absolutely beautiful. Great work… It’s so nice to see and hear this.”
– Steve Vai, Guitarist
“A musical romantic, who draws inspiration from literature and philosophy, he employs his virtuosity in the service of the heart. He is a self-taught guitarist who’s developed “one of the most unique new acoustic guitar styles on the scene today” (News and Review). He has “emerged in the past decade as a leading figure in the new acoustic music movement pioneered by the late Michael Hedges.”
– Contra Costa Times
“For all the exhaustive work that Brian Gore puts into bringing contemporary guitar music to the masses, his name is unjustly unknown to them.”
-Alan Fark, Minor 7th Magazine