Frank Gambale Tour Dates and Upcoming Concerts

Frank began playing guitar at age 7 in Canberra, Australia, where he was born and raised. He was influenced by the blues playing of Jimi Hendrix. John Mayall, and Eric Clapton. In his mid-teens he discovered Steely Dan, The Brecker Brothers and Chick Corea, which pointed him in a jazzy direction. In 1982 at 23 he decided to leave his home to study at the Guitar Institute of Technology (GIT) in Hollywood. He graduated with the highest honor, Student of the Year, and was offered a teaching position which he kept for four years. During this time he was playing the local jazz club circuit with his own band, and already had published his first book, "Speed Picking." In 1986 he signed a three-album contract with a small label called Legato and began his recording career. The same year he was recruited by Jean-Luc Ponty to tour. Shortly after that tour, he auditioned for Chick Corea and began a six-year, five-record and Grammy award-winning period with him. Chick helped expose Frank to the world, for which he is grateful. "Playing with Chick was like dream come true," says Frank. That same year, Ibanez guitars approached him to endorse their guitar, which culminated in a long relationship and spawned the Frank Gambale model guitar, which was first on sale worldwide in 1987. There has been four versions of this guitar to date: the FGM100, FGM200, FGM300 and FGM400. In 1987 Frank signed a four-video deal with DCI for instructional videos. In 1988, Frank signed his major label deal with JVC. In 1990 he released "Thunder From Down Under," which sold well all over the world and at one point was #1 on the Japanese Jazz charts, along with all his three Legato releases in the top 10 at the same time. In 1992, Frank decided it was time to go out there on his own, and has been touring with his group ever since. He has toured in many countries with his own band including Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Australia, Germany, Switzerland, Japan and the U.S. He has done countless seminars and master classes worldwide, in countries as far away as South Africa and Uruguay. In 1996, Frank was offered a position of Head of the Guitar Department of a new musical school in the Los Angeles area called the L.A. Music Academy. He wrote the core curriculum/study program for this one-year vocational school. So far the school has been a great success and is an inspirational place for guitarists the world over. He teaches one full day a week at the school when he is in town and maintains the guitar department which he hand-picked. He keeps a busy schedule, either writing for an album, book or video, or helping design a new guitar model with Ibanez, or giving a seminar tour in Germany, or doing a session for an Italian pop record. Frank loves his work and is happiest when working to the extreme. "I can't believe I get paid to do what I do, I wouldn't trade it for the world."