Eugene Grey

NEUQUÉN (AN). - For the first time Jamaican reggae musician Eugene Grey will perform in the city along with Sessions. The integral neuquino that band, Luciano Espinosa, told "Black River" what it will treat the show.

-Grey know in a while ...

- With Eugene played in 2007 and 2008 in Buenos Aires, Cordoba and La Plata. Thus, generating a relationship of music and friendship. This year, after a long time without coming, we met again and decided to go with the idea to make it a priority to know Neuquén (for both speak of our place so that we want to know).

- What were the points of contact with him?

We learned much of his music. Studied much: writes and composes for all instruments and also occurs as a recording engineer. It is a very complete musician. And while we do a similar style, he has peculiarities, such rely heavily on Caribbean music, but adding jazz and classical music.

- How would you describe the musical approach of Sessions? Reggae is not all the same ...

-Sessions is a project that has a constant search. You can find many styles, yet is still reggae. We like to get things proper, authentic and convey feelings, emotions, search for new sounds and ideas that take us to places where we want to be.

- How did the band's musical evolution "counted" in the sounds of five discs (for a decade)?

-Our project is constantly evolving, because they have passed it several musicians and because our jobs are not immune to the influences we all perceive the world, but are always told our way. Next, do, learn and record it evolve.

- What up? If all you do is instrumental, how enter the letters on the issues?

-Try to be open and perceptive to translate the music we receive, that it comes from somewhere that it is not clear what is and cross our ways of saying. We try to make the letters are like a more and connect with something inside.

- What will the clinic will give 5 in the city?

-It will be for all musicians. The clinic is about the beginnings and evolution of reggae.

This proposal will be free in ESMN (Diagonal Alvear 90) on September 5, at 19, along with musicians from The Scam Dub and others.

Tickets for the recital 7 in the bowling of Santiago del Estero 883, can be obtained at 264 and Godoy Roca Neuquén 268, and 120 of Cipolletti Villegas, 100 pesos. - Rio Negro.com.ar

South Florida jazz and reggae fans will meet at the Broward Center May 22, 2011 to enjoy a unique brew of musical genres at the Reggae Jazz Fusion event. Jazz piano virtuoso Monty Alexander, celebrating 50 years in music, will headline the event alongside reggae great Maxi Priest. Versatile vocalist A J Brown and jazz guitarist Eugene Grey complete the bill.

Jazz Guitarist Eugene Grey with his smooth and subtle style will complete the lineup of what promises to be a true fusion of musical styles. This event promises to be an evening of musical excellence featuring some of the elite performers in their respective genres.
- Fort Lauderdale Reggae Music Examiner by Gerald Belnavis May 5, 2011

Guitarist and composer Eugene Grey, in addition to a long-thriving solo career, has played with some of the most famous bands in Jamaican history – from Toots and the Maytals to Burning Spear. Classically trained, Grey has evolved his music as his knowledge has grown, and now he is trying to the same thing for reggae. His new album, Diversity, hints at Grey’s attempt to move reggae forward in the same way Quincy Jones added sophistication to R&B and Funk. Grey talked to Caribbean Journal about the new album, his experience with Burning Spear, and his vision for the future of reggae.

Talk about your new album, Diversity.
It’s a long time coming. It’s a double-CD set, with 10 instrumental, 10 vocal tracks. Except for the song, “Reward,” most are compositions or rearrangements. “Wheel O Matilda” is a folklore song that we grew up with, and we re-harmonized it.

How has your music changed over the years?

As I have grown as a musician, the music has changed. Each of my CD’s is a little different – as I evolve, I try to put that evolution into a new CD. It speaks for itself, I think.

What was your experience like with Burning Spear?

I had a ball with Burning Spear. We were an amazing side – we had fun at sound checks, because we would take the music and then just expand it and experiment. Sometimes [Rodney] would come in and say, “What’s that? I recognize that, but really, we have a way to do this.” But then he would fall in love with it himself. And then he’d allow it. That gave the band the freedom so that we when we took the stage, we played with authority and we had fun. We would take all the 15-hour bus rides and the fatigue just for that one hour, and just have fun. It’s a high.

How has Jamaican music changed? It has always been so intertwined with culture and politics.

As a people, especially the colloquial mass of the Jamaican people, the only voice they had to voice their frustration was through the arts, through music. So originally, reggae had that as a part of its foundation, the people that it came from. And the music has evolved of course. It has become world-class music. Now we have dance hall, all of that. I’m a jazz player – I play jazz and classical. New forms always come out of old forms – but what I wish for dance hall is that as the years go by they will eventually get their thing a little more sophisticated, just like every other form of art, and take its place. So the music has evolved and I’m curious to see what’s going to come up next. Also, what I like is that you have other cultures who have adopted reggae, and are putting their cultural interpretation on it and that makes it so unique. I’ve spent a lot of time in South America, I go to Argentina a lot. I was beautifully surprised how the musicians revere the music and the fervor that they really embrace it with.

What are you working on now?

I started working on some other stuff. I don’t want to let the cat out of the bag yet, but as I grew up musically, I tried to speak my language as clearly as possible. I studied classical music, and I use all the different ingredients – we have classical Jazz, poly-rhythms, polytonality and try to incorporate it back into reggae. This new album, a little bit of that is there. It’s written in different time signatures. The reason I’m doing this is that, like anything, the natural progression of the universe is the law of perpetual motion – things have to move. I spent 26 years of my early life in Jamaica, so I’m part of the earth of reggae and the evolution. Being in an international setting like America, it also gives me a different perspective so I’m using the knowledge I get here. It’s like cooking – there are different ingredients. I’m putting in all the different polyrhythms, from classical to cultures in south America and incorporating it. Because I can do it, and I think if you can you should. I’m on a path similar to what Quincy Jones did for rhythm and blues and funk. I’m using that same kind of concept and knowledge.

What kind of change are you talking about?

I’m using that same type of concept and knowledge [as Jones]. I want to bring Reggae music up that level – I studied European classical music, and those guys were thinkers – and they became musical scientists. I’m doing my contribution to see if we can get Reggae on that path. So maybe a few years ahead, when kids go for a degree in music they have to pass through those principles. And I’ve already helped to lay down some of those foundations, theoretically, and show that the capacity exists for those things to happen. - Caribbean Journal by Alexander Britell March 12, 2011

Disc 1 shows off the instrumental side of this hard working and award winning Jamaican born guitarist and composer while disc 2 has all the vocal tracks thrown in. I can’t decide which is better. They are both flavorful in their own way, highlighting inflections and nuances of the buoyant horn section and funky subtly flowing rhythms that are based in Afro-pop, reggae, jazz and jam. - Maximum Ink Music Magazine, April 2011, Andrew Frey

This is an excellent compilation of the guitar virtuosity of Eugene Grey. -- as he is certainly on par with Ernest Ranglin or Lynn Taitt. Great to get a double dose, with both a vocal disc and instrumental disc. - Dr. Strangedub (KFAI-FM) - May 14, 2011

The Tenth Annual Reggaesoca Music Awards is pleased to announce that Eugene Grey has been nominated in the Instrumental Album category for his 2002 release "Timeless". The black tie affair will be held on Saturday, June 28 at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale, Florida at 8:00 p.m. - Hi Class Promotions, 2003

This CD of mostly jazz instrumentals contains some amazing covers of songs like "Wildflower", "Our Song", and "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy". The songs that feature a vocalist are "My Baby Just Cares" and "Street Life" and those too are just done in such a great way...it's rare to find really enjoyable covers that aren't just exact mimics of the original song, but in this case, the Eugene Grey band manages to instill each song with its own flavor while maintaining the spirit of the original. This is just an amazing CD for the jazz lover and that's all I can say. - Unsigned Music Magazine, April 2006

… this is a fabulous body of work, beautifully played (and produced). ... Thanks for the music. - Noishead.com, March 2007

This Wednesday November 21 from 23:30 pm will be presenting is by 1 time in our country one of the best Jamaican guitarists of all time. Eugene Grey (guitarist of The Wailers, Burning Apear, Culture, Toots and The Maytals among others) visited us with Reggae Sessions Toolkit. - NOTICIAS DE ROCK

Hi Class Promotions is proud to announce that Eugene Grey has been nominated for a ReggaeSoca Award in the instrumental album category for his 2004 release "Shades of Grey". The black tie award show will be held Saturday November 5, 2005 at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. - Hi Class Promotions, October 2005

On "Love You Too Much", the fourth track from his 2004 release "Shades Of Grey", Eugene's playing recalls the fluidity of Charlie Christian, the creativity of Wes Montgomery, and the first-class execution of George Benson while sounding completely unique - an incredible feat given the deep talent pool of past and
present jazz axemen. Multiple plays may be needed by the listener who is new to instrumental jazz to focus on the layering and the nuances of the arrangement to reveal its beauty from both a cerebral and emotional aspect.

"Skata", from the same release, is a laid-back composition featuring his clean and shimmering tone, giving the listener the imagery of a tropical sun reflecting on clear emerald waters. The title refers to 'Ska' and may allude to 'Rock Steady', the pronounced rhythms in this tune (both actually precursors to Reggae) with Grey's voicings and arranging skills adding jazz sensibilities in a melding of not only styles, but once again of different musical eras. Like his compatriot Ernest Ranglin, Eugene Grey is one of the few musicians to blend jazz and Jamaican music successfully.

High marks also to the backing musicians and the production value of these tracks. The varied instruments are mixed and performed as clean and flawless as his technique.
- BeSonic.com, September 2006

Also, appearing on stage as opening acts are ... and Jamaica's genius guitarist, Eugene Grey.

Eugene takes the stage with a reservoir of high cultures joining Dionne as her pioneer opening act of support. - South Florida Caribbean News, March 5, 2007

Eugene Grey soars on Shades of Grey (Greyphone), the roots reggae version of a smooth-jazz album that showcases his stylized virtuoso electric guitar with soft backing vocals, chunky tracks bedded by real bass, drum and subdued keyboards. If you like players like Peter White, Larry Carlton or Lee Ritenour you'll be pleasantly surprised by the technical dexterity of Eugene Grey working on unquestionable reggae rhythms but playing with the feel of modern jazz at its best. He's not afraid to step out of the mold (as on the intro to "Our Song" where sophisticated jazz voicings drop into a stepped-up rhythm). Recognizable names are in the mix, including percussionist Larry McDonald, and cool solos abound. Two bonus tracks give backing vocalist Tasha a chance to show what she can do out front, my favorite being a nice romp through pop standard "My Baby Just Cares For Me". - The Beat, vol 23 #6, 2004

EUGENE GREY — 2:15 p.m., Washington Mutual Stage. This Jamaican guitarist's credentials include appearing on every album by danceable international ska band Kid Creole & the Coconuts, plus touring with reggae acts Toots & the Maytalls and Burning Spear. Now mixing touring with a house gig in Sunrise, he'll perform pieces from his latest CD, Shades of Grey.

- The Palm Beach Post, April 2005

...Grey's jazzy, clean, and shimmering guitar lines are a wonderful addition to the overall sound. ...making a delightful listen. - Guitar Nine Records, June 1,2002