Gary Kaschak is well known throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania’s business community as the General Manager of two of our region’s popular lodging properties, the five-time Platinum Award winning Comfort Inn & Suites Tunkhannock and the three-time Platinum Award winning Comfort Inn & Suites Sayre.
Fewer are aware of Gary’s long history as a singer/songwriter and versatile local performer.
From 1992 to 2014, he played his hands in the world of cover bands in such local Scranton-area groups as Eternity, the Jeffrey James Band, the Tom & Gary Duo, Johnson, and a few other projects.
With these bands, Gary alternated between acoustic & electric guitars, harmonica, trumpet, alto & tenor saxophone, bass; sang lead and background harmony vocals; and did what he could to entertain from such diverse venues as backyards and front porches, restaurants, bars, mobile bandstands, fire company picnics, weddings, and even at a prison for inmates.
His first taste of writing and recording came in February 1990, at 15 years old, at SI Studios in Scranton. After a few years of playing in cover bands while continuously writing originals, Gary returned to SI Studios’ Old Forge location in the Fall of 2008 with his original rock project, jakesway. Among those who have supported and promoted jakesway tracks are Alan Stout, Scranton/WB’s 105 The River, on “Music on the Menu”; and Jim Price, on Altoona’s “Homegrown Rocker” on 105.9 QwiK. Gary was also featured as the “New Artist of the Week” on the nationally-syndicated “The Second Shift Show” when it was run on weeknights on Scranton/WB’s Froggy 101. And, each jakesway album was also featured and reviewed on www.pamusician.net and published in their monthly Pennsylvania Musician Magazine.
After completing three full-length albums in their discography, the jakesway project was put on an indefinite hiatus so that everyone involved could pursue different personal and professional interests.
With a newly-rekindled passion for writing and recording, Gary (using his chosen professional stage name, Gary Carl) turned his attention to beginning and completing his debut solo country album, “Off the Grid,” which kicked off a nine-session venture at SI Studios on September 13, 2016, with “Bagpipes & Elvis Tunes” and “Buck & Rumble” being tracked.
Along with the talents of John “Chickie” Yanochik, Joe “Wiggy” Wegleski, Tom Borthwick, Lenny Mecca, Chris Condel, and Steve “Stove” Nelson, Gary Carl and crew final-mixed and mastered the album on February 23, 2017.
The 12-track “Off the Grid” album is available for purchase on cdbaby.com, as well as on multiple websites for digital download and streaming such as, ITunes, Spotify, Amazon, BestBuy, YouTube, Apple Music, iHeartRadio, Napster, and more.
For more information, visit Gary’s Facebook page @garycarlcountry. Listen to tracks from “Off the Grid” at reverbnation.com/garycarlcountry.
An active artist member of the Kitson Art Alliance, and a member of its Advisory Board, Gary Carl is a proud to be backed by the alliance and its team. The Kitson Arts Alliance is a non-profit, collaborative effort that inspires partnerships connecting the art, antiques & collectibles community, the artists & artisans community, the music community, and the farm-to-table community with citizens, schools, corporations, and foundations to promote a unified and sustainable community that provides a bridge enhancing and strengthening through leadership, advocacy, and the cultivation of multicultural arts. The Kitson Arts Alliance embraces diversity among the arts to foster economic, community, and educational growth. For more information visit www.kitsonartsalliance.org.
Gary Carl resides in North Branch Township with his wife and children.