Wait. What?
Wait. What? is Gil’s 4th solo album and features 11 original songs and one cover, spanning rock, folk-rock and jazz-rock. Apart from trumpet and flute solos, and drums on selected tracks, Gil sings and plays all the instruments.
The compositions were inspired largely by personal experiences and empathy for those less fortunate in life. Examples include “A Vote Is A Weapon” written after seeing the exodus from Srebrenica during the Balkans War (1988) on TV. This track features fine trumpet soloing by Filipe Durães. “To Know That You’re With Me” is intended to be of comfort to those people experiencing depression or loss – it reminds us that we are never alone in feeling anguish and pain, whatever the cause. “10-Year-Old Boy” draws attention to the importance of respecting children and bringing them up to be who they are meant to be, and not who their parents want them to be.
“Slick Dudes In American Cars” arose from memories of childhood nightmares brought on by exposure to the American TV series “The Untouchables”. It is a rather humorous take on the 1930’s gangster scene in Chicago, but for Gil in his youth America seemed a dark, frightening and lawless place. The recording features an inspired flute solo from Bruna Caroline Nazário, who has also played on Gil’s previous works.
Videos to accompany this song, and the leading track on the album “Lies”, can be viewed on YouTube, both produced by Michael Cross, Rogue Productions, Durban. The lead track, “Lies” can be regarded as a straightforward comment on the integrity of relationships, but as the video suggests there is a more urgent geopolitical interpretation, for which there is no shortage of material.
Also included on the album is a version of Richard Berry’s classic “Louie Louie”. This is one of the most covered songs in history, and was a hit for the Kingsmen in 1963 . Gil was inspired by the Kink’s rendition, released in 1964.
Wait. What? was produced primarily in Gil’s studio in Portugal. Mixing and mastering by Dave Langemann, at Creative Native Productions in Cape Town, has brought out the best in the music, always sympathetic to the concepts and feel of the music.
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