He wrote and produced “77 Hours,” the latest release from the “Always Together” EP.
Athletes talk about being in the zone, when thought ceases and the voice within goes silent, and their entire being enters a flow state. A football player who wore the number 77 on his jersey, jazz-blues saxophonist Michael Cates achieved that flow state when writing and recording his new Sonic Redoubt Entertainment single, “77 Hours.” Revealing that his creative process typically takes 77 hours to compose and record one song, Cates channeled the effervescent single presently climbing the national singles charts in “nearly no time.”
When he entered his recording studio that evening to work on tracks for his “Always Together” EP that was released last year, Cates was frustrated, and he wanted to blow off steam. His intention was to write “something they’ll never play on the radio.”
“I write a ton of tunes. It’s a ritual, that I lock out the distractions and create. That’s who I am and that’s what’s always on my mind, writing music. The music that I write is the amalgamation of everything that I’ve taken in. I’m a fusion and rock guy possessed with a funky delivery. That’s how I play. The blues and gospel were my steppingstones and have integrated nicely into all of it. As an artist, you are always that which created you. Blues and gospel created my performance gene. While my music gets played on smooth jazz outlets, it’s also been rejected for not fitting that format. That’s not why or how I create music anyway. So, I went into the studio purposely to create a blues tune, thinking that it is not something that will ever get airplay. Naturally, radio has quickly embraced ’77 Hours’ and the single is taking off fast,” said Cates, an admitted perfectionist who believes that “seven is a perfect number so having two sevens on the single cover is even more perfect.”
After conceiving the initial solo and “the head of the tune,” Cates brought in GRAMMY® nominated pianist-keyboardist Rob Mullins, guitarist Randy Jacobs, bassist Larry Antonino, and drummer Sergio Gonzalez to flesh out the melodies and amp up the rhythmic grooves. Cates’s tenor saxophone wails robustly on “77 Hours,” piloting the soulful flight with power, command, and passion.
“There have been 77 take offs and landings in the Piper (airplane) on the single cover,” said Cates, who has been a pilot since 1985.
The New Jersey native’s career took off when he moved to Los Angeles and was cast as, wait for it…the saxophonist, who had a recurring role for five seasons on the Emmy Award-winning David E. Kelly television series, “Ally McBeal.” As a recording artist, Cates has released three albums, two EPs, and his singles consistently hit the major charts. He played with or shared the stage with Jennifer Lopez, Elton John, Barry White, Joe Sample, Tina Turner, Mariah Carey, and many more. Playing gigs in the US and Europe, Cates’s resume boasts performances at prominent venues including BB King Blues Club, The Stone Pony, Spaghettini, Catalina Jazz Club, and the Rose Bowl along with such festivals as the Newport Beach Jazz Festival, San Francisco Jazz Festival, and Little Rock Jazz Festival. He’ll next lead his band on August 9 for a show at The Bank of America Performing Arts Center Thousand Oaks.
For more information, please visit https://michaelcates.com.
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