Wilson Pickett spotted Gregory Simmons playing guitar in a fusion band at the famous jazz club “The Tralfamadore” in Buffalo NY in the late 70's. He was so impressed he insisted that the owners have Gregory add his signature to the list of jazz greats that the brothers collected at the Tralf. Gregory continued to play in a variety of bands to enthusiastic crowds in the northeast and South Florida throughtout the 80's and 90's. Now as a seasoned pro, Gregory has focused his attention on composing original material and has many projects in the works.
CD REVIEW FOR "SIGNS OF LIFE":
“Overall this disc took me by surprise - pleasantly so.”
Jeff Charney, ContemporaryJazz.com
You will not find Smooth Jazz on this disc. What you wil find is a guitarist who takes his jazz playing pretty serious. "Cabo Rojo" is my favorite track on the record. It is an depth story with a nice melody that sounds like a travel log. Simmons is a very good guitar player.
BIO
Wilson Pickett spotted Greg Simmons playing guitar in a fusion band at the famous jazz club “The Tralfamadore” in Buffalo NY in the late 70's. He was so impressed he insisted that the owners have Greg add his signature to the list of jazz greats that the brothers collected at the Tralf. Greg continued to play in a variety of bands to enthusiastic crowds in the northeast and South Florida throughtout the 80's and 90's. Now as a seasoned pro, Greg has focused his attention on composing original material and has many projects in the works. The most recent release, "Signs of Life", combines the incredible talents of Dave Hanlon on drums, Edgar Pagan on 6-string bass, Lisa Alibrandi on vocals and Rick Parente on percussion. Mastered by Grammy Award winner Bob Katz of Digital Domain, Orlando FL, this CD tells a beautiful story with catchy melodies, danceable grooves and great musicianship - definitely more than just another contemporary jazz CD.
“Overall this disc took me by surprise - pleasantly so.”
Jeff Charney, ContemporaryJazz.com
You will not find Smooth Jazz on this disc. What you wil find is a guitarist who takes his jazz playing pretty serious. Simmons is deeply influenced by fusion music. As one would guess with this background there a lot of notes to comprehend here, but Simmons isn't just playing notes to hear himself pluck. His notes makes sense as he gives his own compositions some life and meaning. "Cabo Rojo" is my favorite track on the record. It is an depth story with a nice melody that sounds like a travel log. I found my self listening to it and then it hit me how good this song was. "A Simple Explanation" has a nice beat with some spunk. "Dusk To Dawn" has a nice reoccurring back melody. Simmons is a very good guitar player. He also wrote all of the compositions... Overall this disc took me by surprise - pleasantly so.
“Signs of Life is an extremely impressive debut...”
Frank Malfitano Executive Director, Syracuse Jazz Fest
Detroit International Jazz Festival
"Signs of Life is an extremely impressive debut, and contemporary jazz guitarist Greg Simmons is surprisingly authoritative on his first solo outing. He's also a first rate composer whose charts are catchy and instant grabbers. If I were asked to define his style I'd call it a mix of Island Funk and Street Samba. He's obviously someone who's going to be making his mark on the local scene in the months ahead. This is some of the best new jazz I've heard in years."
“Music worth a listen”
John Heidt, Vintage Guitar Magazine, July 2005