Once Upon a Dream

"What great music! I love your tone and touch and the ideas are wonderful -- beautiful, creative stuff -- and on both guitar and bass! Wow!"

-- Michael Manring


"Ladies and Gentlemen, I am stunned. I cannot say enough good things about this CD. Buy it. Now!"

--Bassically.net (Scott Hubbell)

"Al's playing is absolutely joyous. The positive energy he creates seems boundless. I recommend this album to all music lovers, from the hardcore jazzer to the hardcore rocker. It may sound sappy, but I don't care: this album will make you feel good... The album is of such even high quality that it's difficult to pick favorites. There are no stinkers on this album; you get great music from start to finish... The compositions communicate a joy, a love of music. ..Uplifting. Positive. Good, in the best sense of the word."

--Prog4you.com (Jeffrey Ryan Smoots)


"Rarely have I heard a musician that can double on the bass and guitar with the proficiency that I am hearing from Al Garcia... If you are a lover of the bass, jazzfusion, and Holdsworthian guitar, Al Garcia has a cd for you to check out..."

--Prognosis (MJ Brady)


"I strongly believe in the bass guitar as a solo and melodic instrument," says Al Garcia. On his first CD, "Make It So," Al's belief is apparent as he takes the listener on a subsonic musical odyssey guided by his uniquely melodic approach. Fingerstyle, legato phrasing (ala Holdsworth), 16th note funk, chordal passages, finger picked arpeggios, harmonics, and raga inspired glissandos are all to be encountered on this journey.

Born in Newark, NJ, Al began playing the bass guitar at the age of 13. His early influences include Jack Bruce and Felix Papalardi, two bass visionaries who helped expand the role of the bass guitar in rock music. After his family moved to Los Angeles, Al played in a number of funk and Latin bands. Later, his musical horizons were broadened to include Jazz, Classical, and Indian music. Seeing an Allan Holdsworth concert inspired Al to take up the electric guitar as a means of expressing another side of his musical persona. Other influences on his playing include the music of J.S. Bach, Charlie Parker, Bela Bartok, Eric Johnson, Jaco Pastorious, Jeff Berlin, and pianist Bill Evans.

Al has performed and recorded many types of music. These include Jazz, Rock, Afro-Cuban, Fusion, Blues, Country, and Reggae. He believes this varied experience is responsible for his desire to create music that transcends musical boundaries yet remains respectful of tradition. This eclectic background is evident on "Communique" from "Make It So" which begins with a lyrical fretless bass solo inspired by the music of India and later morphs into a Latin Jazz piece.

Al plays 4, 5, and 6 string fretted and fretless basses and various 6 string electric and acoustic guitars. He uses digital technology to record, compose, and perform music and plays a guitar synthesizer to gain access to sounds usually unavailable to string players. He uses this varied sonic palette to create a wide variety of moods and textures.

Al is currently performing with the world music chamber ensemble Quarteto Nuevo.