Monday January 3, 2021 “Love & Hate in a Different Time” Gabriels
Feels like we may still be in the 60s with this new music theme.
Gabriels is composed of British producer Ryan Hope (violin in the video), who grew up on St. Gabriels Avenue, California producer Ari Balouzian (keyboards in the video), both classically trained musicians, and amazing vocalist Jacob Lusk who finished fifth in the 2011 American Idol competiton and who has worked as a choir director and a background singer for Diana Ross, Gladys Knight, Nate Dogg, Ledisi, and Beck, among others.
The three connected in 2016 while putting together music for a commercial; Hope and Balouzian were so impressed with Lusk’s talent that they went to his church in Compton and “basically ambushed him there so he had to talk to us.”
Elton John has suggested that “Love & Hate in a Different Time” is ”one of the most seminal records I have heard in the last ten years.” and I guess that’s a notable endorsement.
This video is from Later with Jools Holland, a show that is by far the best thing on TV from a musical point of view. Holland, a founding member of the band Squeeze, has a variety of guests from various genres and decades and they all perform live. You can find episodes on YouTube.
Stay safe and well…and the more I listen to this song the more pieces I hear that suggest not only does Jacob Lusk have an amazing range but Gabriels spent a bunch of time putting all the tastes in this song together and I am anxious for some more from them should I grow tired of listening to this on constant replay.