Baltimore Mystery No. 1: Gate’s 45, Streetman
Violetville Music
Today we have a Baltimore puzzler: the band Gate and their brassy, jazz-rock 45, Streetman. Where did this great band come from and where did it go? The song is a fantastic, twisting, odd time signatured, whiplash-inducing amusement park ride. I recall hearing the song played on one or more Baltimore FM stations in 1972 and immediately purchased a copy at a local record store. The songwriters are listed as D. Potsdam, M. Reder and P.C. Willy. The credited conductor of the track is the world-renowned band leader of the former, Towson State College Jazz Ensemble, (now the Towson University Jazz Orchestra), Hank Levy. No surprise there. Mr. Levy was known for his love of odd time signatures. The flip side is a cover of Chocolate Puddin’ by Arthur Miller. (Not the playwright – the jazz-folk guy.) It’s decent, too.
So, was Gate a horn rock spinoff of the Towson State Jazz Ensemble? I recall that WKTK-FM (once an early ‘70’s free form FM station in Baltimore) interviewed the group. The D.J. was particularly intrigued with the unusual name of one group member, Obadiah Potsdam, III. I remember Potsdam discussing some sort of affiliation with the Ensemble, but my memory is a little fuzzy. (Note to self: must quit day drinking, perhaps tomorrow.) Potsdam, III was a member of the Ensemble in 1971 and 1972 according to jazz festival program guides of the era. I did not see the names Reder or Willy listed in those programs, though. The record label is Violetville, which is the name of a Southwest Baltimore neighborhood. Perhaps the band members hailed from Violetville? But, more importantly, did the group play live or make any more recordings? Did the band members go on to music careers? Where are they now? The record collecting site Discogs indicates that the 45 was reissued in 2017 by a German label. So, the 45 must have gained new fans over the years.
And so, we are left with a great record and a few mysteries to solve. If you know anything about this great band, please fire away.