Gary Gazaway was born in Northeast Arkansas, where the Western Lowlands of the Central Mississippi
Valley join the Ozark Plateau. The region's rich musical heritage of Blues, Gospel, Bluegrass, Rockabilly,
Soul, and Jazz influenced Gazaway as he was learning to play the trumpet. His father was a fan of Memphis
Music, and took him to concerts by Booker T. and the MGs, Otis Redding and other artists that performed
there at that time.
While attending college, he first worked professionally as a trumpet player in a local R&B band based out
of Memphis. During this time, he became friends with Jazz pianist Charles Thomas and had the opportunity
to experience his trio for several years at the Rivermont Hotel.
Gazaway recieved a degree in Journalism, moved to New York City, and began playing Club Dates, Jazz
Lofts, and with the Machito Salsa Orchestra. From New York, he went to the Virgin Islands working with
Freddy Thomas, then moved to Miami. In Miami, he began playing locally with Israel Lopez "Cacho",
Alexandro "El Negro" Vivar, Francisco "Pacquito" Hechavarria, Celia Cruz, Lisette, Ira Sullivan, Mike
Gerber, Barry Ries, Big Black, Wayne Cochran, and many other American and Latin musicians in South
Florida. He was introduced to Bob Marley spent time at his home in Miami.
Gazaway joined the popular Latin Jazz fusion group Opa from Uruguay, and moved to Los Angeles, touring
and recording with Brazilian Jazz artists Flora Purim and Airto Moreira. He recorded with Manolo Badrena
and Jaco Pastorius. It was during this time that the nickname "El Búho" ("The Owl") was fondly bestowed
to Gazaway. From Los Angeles, he moved to Atlanta, and recorded and performed with Bruce Hampton.
Then Gazaway traveled to South America touring in Argentina with Opa and Milton Nascimento.
In Brazil he performed with Toninho Horta, Wagner Tiso, Luis Alves, Robertinho Silva, Luis Eca,
Yuri Popov, Mauro Senise, Nivaldo Ornellas, and Leo Gandelman.
In Uruguay he performed with Hugo and Jorge Fattoruso, Ruben Rada, Eduardo Mateo, and the Montevideo
Folkloric Candombe Drummers. He performed and recorded with Delta Bluesman CeDell Davis and
New York Times pop music critic Robert Palmer, with a special appearance at Tramp's Blues Club in
NYC, featuring Jazz legend Ornette Coleman.
Gazaway moved to Nashville in1984 to concentrate on studio work, production, and songwriting. While
developing the El Búho Project, he continued touring and recording with some of the top names in the
music industry. He was bandleader for Cajun musician Joel Sonnier on his RCA recordings, videos, and
tours, working with guests Steve Winwood, and Garth Hudson. He toured with Delbert McClinton and
also recorded with Steve Cropper.
His El Búho Project continued to performed in Nashville, and featured a "Who's Who" of new musicians
moving to Music City at that time. Gazaway worked for Joe Cocker on two American tours, recorded on
his platinum Live CD with the Memphis Horns, and appeared in a live concert video. He performed on
the Joe Cocker and Stevie Ray Vaughan "Power And Passion Tour," which was the legendary Texas
guitarist's last tour. Vaughan featured Gazaway's trumpet solos, and hired him to organize a horn section
for his European tour, scheduled for October of that year.
In the spring of 1991, after performing several shows with the newly formed Aquariam Rescue Unit,
Gazaway moved to Maui, Hawaii to research music of the Polynesian Triangle. He was hired by the
Hawaii State Department of Education as Director of Polynesian Music in Hana, (one of the last Native
Hawaiian communities in Hawaii). While working in Hawaii, he performed with jazz vocalist Jon
Hendricks, Hawaiian guitarist Sam Ahia, and Hawaiian vocalist Lisa Ahia.
After returning to Nashville in 1995, he worked with the Irish group The Commitments on their
American tour, and in October 1996, the rock group Phish invited Gazaway to be a featured performer
at their Halloween concert in Atlanta.
This concert is a very important live show for tape collectors of Jam Bands. After recording on albums
for George Jones, Susan Werner, and Derek Trucks, Gazaway reassembled his El Búho Project
and began touring as a band. He has rapidly devoloped a grass roots following, and his shows have featured
special guests Victor Wooten, Erich Avinger, Walfredo Reyes Jr., T Lavitz, Grant Green Jr., and Jeff Sipe,
and Mike Gordon.
In the fall of 1998, El Búho began recording his first solo release, The Wham Bam Boodle. As word spread
of the recording among his colleagues, many of El Búho's friends offered their talent; Col. Bruce Hampton,
Victor Wooten, Oteil Burbridge, Mike Gordon, Walfredo Reyes Jr., Matt Rollings, and Erich Avinger are just
a few of the musicians on the project.
Gazaway released the Album in April 2000 on Ecotone Records, as a collection of 6 original songs representing
6 different styles of El Buho. Now in 2003, he will release a new CD "Live in the Heartland", featuring new
compositions recorded live in concert from the El Buho Project 2002 Tour featuring Jeff Sipe, Billy Peterson,
and Peter Schimke.