Exactly Like Us The Ray Gelato Enric Peidro Quintet

• 1 Stringin' The Jug 05:02
• 2 Achtung 06:05
• 3 Dutch Kitchen Bounce 05:35
• 4 Stumpy 05:57
• 5 It's The Talk Of The Town 05:15
• 6 Two Brothers 05:05
• 7 The Voucher 05:40
• 8 Skylark 05:01
• 9 Exactly Like Us 05:52
• 10 A Hundred a Minute 04:54
• Total Runtime 54:26

Info for Exactly Like Us

Ray Gelato, a British saxophonist, and Enric Peidro releasing their new album "Exactly Like Us" in a repertoire that merges classic swing with a contemporary touch, featuring two masters of international and local swing who will unleash rhythm and expressiveness. An evening full of swing, elegance, and energy that will attract genre lovers.

"Throughout the album, Gelato and Peidro musically bring out the best in these compositions that, without exception, come from the pen of some of the brightest saxophonists and "Swingantes" that Jazz has known. This includes Gene Ammons, Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, Flip Phillips, "Lockjaw" Davis, Charlie Ventura, Jacquet Illinois, Don Byas and many others.

In short, this new album is an exquisite work by two key names in today's classic tenor saxophone world, accompanied by an impeccable sound that recalls the recordings of the best Rudy Van Gelder and that will excite many Jazz fans... most likely wanting a second installment of this exciting quintet that combines elegance, knowledge and above all a passion for music and its universal language. The sound of the classic tenor saxophone enjoys an excellent reputation thanks to performers like Ray and Enric and will never go out of style!" (Cafe Mercedes Jazz)

Ray Gelato, tenor saxophone
Enric Peidro, tenor saxophone
Richard Busiakiewicz, piano
Andrés Lizón, double bass
Simone Zaniol, drums

Ray Gelato
The “UK’s Godfather of Swing”…, London-born saxophonist and singer Ray Gelato is a British jazz, swing and jump blues saxophonist, singer and bandleader. He is known as one of the major forces in the revival of swing music. Paul McCartney chose Ray Gelato to perform at his wedding, Bryan Adams and Richard Branson requested him for their private parties. Her Majesty the Queen twice asked for Ray to perform for her and her guests. Even Robbie Williams requested Ray to open for him at his Swing When You’re Winning concert at the Royal Albert Hall.

Gelato is considered by many to be one of the last in a long line of the classic jump-jive, swing and jazz entertainers. Expect to hear some foot-stompin’ big band tunes that are guaranteed to have you jumpin’ and jivin’ and leave you feeling uplifted and inspired. Ray and his world class band The Giants deliver a high energy show, a mixture of swing, jazz, jump ‘n’ jive and R&B that are unmistakably the band’s own style that never fails to get a crowd on its feet, stomping its collective feet and demanding more. This, combined with Ray’s fun and original songs, makes for an unforgettable evening that will leave you wanting more!

Ray has been taking his special brand of swing, jazz and R&B music all over the world since 1988. This multi-talented singer, saxman, songwriter and band leader has appeared at festivals, clubs and concert stages from Brazil to New York City.

Ray Gelato and his world class band, The Giants, deliver a high energy show that never fails to get a crowd on its feet. The Giants perform with the highest level of musicianship; the horn section being acclaimed as one of the finest in the business. Ray has been compared to such greats as Cab Calloway and Louis Prima. In fact, he’s been called ‘one of the last great jazz entertainers’!

Gelato has 10 albums to his name. The Daily Telegraph gave his latest release 5 stars, stating, “Not for nothing is Gelato known as ‘The Godfather of Swing’ – this album is a joyous delight.” His music has also been featured in a number of Hollywood movies such as Inventing The Abbotts, No Reservations and The Perfect Man, and TV shows such as the HBO series Hung, and UK cooking show The Hairy Bikers. Highlights of Ray’s impressive career include sell-out shows at The Blue Note (Milan), the famous Blue Note Club in New York, and of course London’s Ronnie Scott’s where Clive Davis of the Times wrote “Whether he is blowing a romantic Ben Webster-style ballad, or vamping it up on a huge toned, R&B fuelled Boulevard of Broken Dreams, the stylish, sharp-suited Gelato brings an unmistakable physical presence to the bandstand. He is a larger than life character.” Most recently Gelato and the band once again headlined at the Umbria Jazz Festival playing in the main arena to thousands of his long-standing Italian fans. Together, they have just released their first vinyl album entitled The Italian Collection. He also continues his seasonal residency at Ronnie Scott’s which once again promises to be a sell out this year. Ray has produced, starred in and directed two videos. Both based around his original tunes Get Off the Phone and A Pizza You, these have continued to gather YouTube followers and new fans. A very successful collaboration with the wonderful Claire Martin O.B.E. toured UK theaters in 2019, in a show entitled Let There Be Love. But the main event in 2019 was the celebration of 25 years of the Giants band, with the release of a 25th anniversary live album (on vinyl LP including CD with bonus tracks) now released and available from this website, along with many special shows, including a return for a 5-night residency at the Blue Note Jazz Club in Milan in February, plus numerous UK and European dates throughout the year.

Enric Peidro
A self taught musician, Peidro began playing tenor at the age of fourteen. A couple of years later he started playing on several blues and rhythm and blues bands. His interest in Jazz developed quickly and since then, Peidro has remained loyal to his musical heros: jazz masters like Leon "Chu" Berry, Ben Webster, Don Byas, Coleman Hawkins Benny Carte and Lester Young as well as some of their first disciples, like Paul Gonsalves, illinois Jacquet, Zoot Sims, Charlie Ventura, Flip Phillips,Arnett Cobb, Buddy Tate or Al Cohn among many others.

Although Peidro's sound and phrasing are deeply rooted in the swing-era, his approach is so natural and genuine that he has achieved great popularity, being aknowledged as a real “keeper of the flame” among the classic jazz lovers all over Spain. Often labeled in the past as an “outsider", a “rara avis” or “an stylist swinmming against the current” by some jazz writers, he's been at the same time always regarded in high esteem by the jazz media (critics, magazines etc) wich have always appreciated his honest, genuine and unpretentious approach and invariably have pointed out the richness of his tenor sound and his knowledge of the classic jazz idiom.

In the later years, he works mainly as a leader with two main units under his name: a quartet consisting on him plus a rhythm section as well as with a six-piece band (often augmented to 7 or 8 pieces) wich under the name of Enric Peidro Swingtet has become increasingly popular in the Jazz scene not only in Spain but also in Europe, touring quite a lot and delivering some swingin' jazz to the audiences everywhere. As a leader he has recorded 16 Cds under his own name with several different units and as a sideman his recorded work goes up to 35 Cds at last count.

Beside his projects as a leader, he loves to play in other bands either as a sideman or sharing the leadership duties with other musicians. Currently he co-leads a quintet with intertational sax player and entertainer Ray Gelato wich whom he tours quite often. Together they have released one album entitled "With all due respect". In the spring of 2022 the new album of The Ray Gelato- Enric Peidro Quintet: "Live at the Polisonic" will be released. A live recording from a concert that took place in August 2020.

Also, he frecuently tours with world class trombone player Dan Barrett, whith whom he also co-leads a quintet that in 2018 released their first cd (And the angels swing/Snibor records)wich was more than well received, getting very good reviews by the jazz media, wich was followed by a second release (It goes without saying/Snibor records) and very soon a new album will be in the market (What a wonderful world / Snibor records) wich proves the extraordinary health of the musical relationship in between Barrett and Peidro.

A particularlly interesting unit wich also features Peidro its the "International Classic Jazz All Stars" wich include among others musiciams australian bass player and vocalist Nicki Parrott, french drummerGuillaume Nouaux or London based piano man Richard Busiakiewicz. Other musicians with whom Peidro ocasionally teams up include vocalists Rebecca Kilgore and Jessie Gordon,drummers Michael Keul and Eddie Metz Jr or vibraphonists Martin Breinschmid and Arturo Serra to name just a few

Always a hard worker, Peidro's schedule keeps him busy most of the year and as he has done for the last 20 years he keeps relentelessly exploring the legacy of the masters of tenor sax he admires, trying to find his personal voice within that musical language and delivering swinging, creative and imaginative music to audiences wordlwide

This album contains no booklet.