Eric Gales’ newest album is a heartfelt tribute to his late brother, Manuel Gales, often known as Little Jimmy King, who died in 2002. Tribute to LJK is a star-studded guitar album that includes Joe Bonamassa, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, and Buddy Man, amongst others. It honors Eric’s pricey brother, but additionally pays tribute to the Gales left-handed bloodline.

Are you pleased with the way in which Tribute to LJK turned out?
I put a number of exhausting work into it and I’m actually pleased with it. I’d been serious about my brother for fairly a while. I discussed it to Joe Bonamassa and Josh Smith, they usually instructed me they had been with me. They did their factor, helped me see my imaginative and prescient, and helped me make it occur. It was a bunch effort. Everyone concerned did their half and it turned out nice. I’m slightly biased, however I don’t suppose I may very well be prouder.

Was it powerful, reliving your loss?
After all. Emotionally, it was powerful, however I used to be decided to push via it as a result of musically, I’m an emotional dude anyway. Figuring out that day by day I used to be getting into, stacking up extra ideas about my brother not being there undoubtedly weighed on me. I considered him smiling someplace. He might see his child brother paying tribute to him and making his identify nonetheless ring – making the world understand how badass he was and nonetheless is to me. That, and retaining the Gales household identify alive.

There’s a complete era that won’t know my brother, and that is the way in which to relay that message. We’re a household who performs guitar the other way up and backwards. There’s multi-tiered data out there for folks to search out out about this household. Hopefully, it would lead folks to his again catalog. It’s a memorial to let the world know that I haven’t forgotten him. I’ve a bloodline that comes from some highly effective taking part in. I’m taking part in his songs with a 2025 twist, and I really feel fairly achieved behind it.

What guitars did you employ for the report?
I used my Sonnet Rawdawg guitar by Magneto, and a Paul Reed Smith acoustic. It sounds nice. I used to be handed certainly one of Joe’s ’56 Les Pauls for “Don’t Wanna Go Dwelling.”

Did you play via his amps?
It was a mix of my DV Mark Uncooked Dawg blended with certainly one of his Dumble combos. It sounded actually good, so we put them collectively, and I gotta say, that DV Mark, with these crystal cleans with every little thing operating via it, sounded nice together with the Dumble.

How are you getting your lead tones?
I’m utilizing a Seymour Duncan overdrive pedal and my MXR Uncooked Dawg. For my fuzz, I’m utilizing a Colossus by Mojo Hand Fx. I’ll use the Seymour Duncan for distortion, however then additionally press the Uncooked Dawg, like a Tube Screamer as a booster. Generally I’ll use simply the Uncooked Dawg for more-subtle issues. However once I need extra drive, I’ll use them each like an additional achieve stage on an amp, however I do all of it via the pedals. Once I use the Colossus fuzz, I take advantage of it by itself.

Buddy Man and Christone “Kingfish” Ingram are on the album!
Man, that wasn’t even on goal (laughs)! My spouse was like, “You need to have Buddy Man on the album.” Buddy is the final residing legend between him and Bobby Rush. These are the final two of us black people! That’s it! Buddy mentioned “After all” as a result of there was a connection between him and my brother. They performed festivals collectively again within the day. Kingfish mentioned my brother was a giant affect on him. So there was a goal in incorporating them. Who wouldn’t smile on the alternative to have a legend like Buddy Man be a part of their venture? He knocked it out of the park and introduced all of it dwelling. I couldn’t be extra elated. It was so emotional.

Little Jimmy King has been gone for 23 years, and bringing his reminiscence again to life to this new era bridges the hole between the younger and outdated. With the younger, we’ve got Kingfish, me within the center, and Buddy Man on the latter finish. It’s a trifecta. I bought Joe and Josh on guitar and Mono Neon on bass. It’s only a good outdated get together, all in honor of my brother. I couldn’t be happier, and I would like the world to know that Eric Gales is again with a vengeance, so be careful! I’m on the way in which! – Oscar Jordan

This text initially appeared in VG’s December 2025 situation. All copyrights are by the writer and Classic Guitar journal. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.