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Gator Beat<br />
Gator Beat, a sixmember<br />
Cajun/Zydeco<br />
and New Orleans R&B band<br />
has an unusual history. While<br />
its members hail from all parts<br />
of the globe, they were brought<br />
together by Louisiana native,<br />
Richie Domingue, who started<br />
the band in California 20 years<br />
ago. As a historian, deeply in<br />
love with his culture, he took<br />
great pains to uncover the masters<br />
and assemble a complete<br />
library of this music tradition.<br />
From this, he passed on a rich<br />
understanding of the form.<br />
In addition, he was a prolific<br />
songwriter. Following his passing<br />
in 2005, the group inherited<br />
a rich body of original material.<br />
(They were also major creating<br />
contributor.)<br />
The band attracted top talent to continue<br />
its evolution and as of today, have<br />
emulsified into this incredible, magical<br />
combination that cannot be duplicated, it<br />
is so powerful and authentic.<br />
BAND MEMBERS:<br />
Bruce Gordon: <strong>Accordion</strong> and keyboards<br />
After growing up in Washington<br />
DC in the sixties, this stellar musician<br />
studied jazz at Cornish College of the<br />
Arts in Seattle, earning a degree in music.<br />
He made his way to the Bay Area, in<br />
search of Zydeco musicians after hearing<br />
Clifton Chenier and Queen Ida’s<br />
music. Inspired by the unique sound,<br />
he founded the Zydeco Flames and<br />
participated in their success for fifteen<br />
years. His vast experience on piano adds<br />
Louisiana funk, blues, and Mardi Gras<br />
mainstays to the Gator Beat sound.<br />
Look out!<br />
Beau Bradbury: Drums<br />
It all makes sense when the next<br />
generation shows up with as much enthusiasm<br />
as the old guard. It’s even better<br />
when they show up with the Louisiana<br />
roots rhythms running through their<br />
veins. That’s the case with Beau. His<br />
mama traveled to California from New<br />
Iberia, La, in the 70’s, married a man<br />
from LA, and around the time Beau was<br />
born, he began attending Gator Beat gigs.<br />
He showed tremendous talent early on<br />
when he started university in Santa Cruz<br />
as a music major. He’s about to graduate.<br />
Way to go Beau.<br />
David Scott: Saxophone, pennywhistle,<br />
percussion<br />
A native of Australia, David, at the<br />
age of fifteen, boarded a ship headed for<br />
New Caledonia as a musician playing<br />
Jazz. He settled for ten years in Tahiti,<br />
playing island music, jazz and rock, and<br />
becoming fluent in French. He loved<br />
the fast dance tempos and when he sat<br />
45<br />
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