photo: Gary Eskow | credit Dion Ogust
Composer Gary Eskow has a penchant for dualities — discipline and spontaneity, craft and instinct, tradition and discovery. It’s a sensibility that has guided a career spanning decades and scenes, from successful pitches and placements in the jingle industry to the expansive, genre-blurring vision of his MANY STREAMS, ONE RIVER series on Navona Records.
Now based in La Jolla CA, with roots in Woodstock NY, Eskow’s musical life has never followed a straight line. He earned his Master’s degree in Music Theory from Queens College, but his education extended well beyond academia. As a young guitarist, he played in blues bands. Later, he composed for media, sharpening an ear for immediacy and aesthetic clarity. During the rise of hip hop, his tenure as an Editor for Mix Magazine led him to interview Eminem around the release of The Marshall Mathers LP, a moment highlighting the range of his musical exposure.
Eskow’s lived experiences find a natural home in MANY STREAMS, ONE RIVER, a variegated three-album series whose title, Eskow notes, came to him nearly two decades ago during a session at Sony Music Studios on West 54th Street.
“Titles are very important to me,” says Eskow. “All the different kinds of music I love and listen to flowing through one river.” The phrase has since become a mission statement: an embrace of plurality, and a departure from “fitting the mold.”
“If the goal is pure, you’ll never have to worry about being alone in music,” he reflects. It’s a perspective that aligns with his collaborative spirit, having worked with artists like percussionist Bashiri Johnson and violinist Philip Setzer — a founding member of the Emerson String Quartet, while remaining equally committed to championing others. “I don’t worry about if I’m any good or not,” says Eskow. “I just want to be around the artform — in the game.”
That ethos is mirrored in his wide-ranging influences. From the celebrated songwriting of James Taylor, Stevie Wonder, and Paul Simon, to the infectious grooves of drummers like Clyde Stubblefield and Steve Gadd, the classical foundations of Frédéric Chopin, Igor Stravinsky and other greats, and the energy of disco, country, and hip hop, Eskow hears continuity where others hear contrast. He cites Tupac Shakur and Fat Joe alongside Emily Dickinson and William Shakespeare with equal reverence:
“If there’s imagery and emotion… I’m there.”
Volumes 1 and 2 of MANY STREAMS, ONE RIVER are available now from Navona Records, each tracing vivid musical memories across eras and idioms. Gramophone Magazine praises Volume 1 as “an entertaining portrait album of a little-known composer who knows what he is doing,” citing his string quartet Remo’s Revenge as “compelling.” A follow up review of the newly-released Volume 2 will be published by Gramophone in April 2026.
The forthcoming third installment pushes the envelope even further, exploring minimalism with hints of inspiration drawn from Philip Glass and Eric Clapton.
Above all, what endures is Eskow’s sense of purpose. “My love for music is profound,” he says.
“I’ve made it this far on passion and a desire to be part of the team — whether I’m the star or coming off the bench is immaterial.”
It’s a statement that captures both humility and resolve, the balance of opposites he navigates with aplomb. Our conversation ends on a fittingly-human note. “Great talking to you,” he says warmly. “I’m off to yoga.”
