Fall 2017 Newsletter

​Happy Fall! After a hot Summer, with some fun shows and trips in the rear view mirror, I'm looking forward to a cooler, but still busy, Fall season.

First, thanks to all who came out to my GK shows in Annapolis, Albuquerque, Honolulu, Seal Beach, Atlanta and Pensacola. As always, the "promoter people" were great hosts and the response made up for the crazy and sometimes hectic airline travel experience. I'm thankful that Southwest still has a nonstop from LA to BWI, so most of my East Coast shows can be routed from there. The band had some delays and terminal running in Atlanta and ended up missing a connection-thanks Delta...... Luckily, the show was the next day, so once their luggage arrived (late), all was good.

Coming up, I'll be in Norfolk, VA, Richmond and Philly this October. ​I'm returning to Richmond​ at The Tin Pan after a memorable show at the Richmond Jazz Fest in 2013. An hour before my showtime a massive thunderstorm hit and poured so hard, sending everyone running thru the flooded streets for cover. We waited in the van for a while, then went back to the hotel. After an hour of that, it cleared up, people drifted back to the park and we were able to play to a very damp, but happy crowd. Come to think of it, we had a similar, crazy thunderstorm in Norfolk with Jazz Attack in 2012. That time the show was cancelled by the city. I guarantee that these shows will go on, rain or shine.

They're indoors.

Back and forth a bit between shows with Peter White and Marc Antoine's "Guitar Tango"- including a return to Catalina Island Jazztrax for the 17th time.

Also, another great All​-​Star Festival in San Diego at Embarcadero Park Oct. 14. I'll be featured along with Paul Brown, Larry Carlton, Michael Paulo, Jessy J., Jazmine Ghent and DW3.

While back in town, we have spent lots of time at the beach whenever Yvonne has been feeling up to it. The great news is her brain tumor has not grown, and it even looks like it shrunk a little. Currently, I'm sitting poolside in Oakland with Yvonne while we play 3 nights at Yoshi's with Peter, Michael Paulo, Darryl Williams and Sergio Gonzales. Spectacular weather, and a nice waterfront area at Jack London Square. We will both be at Catalina Jazztrax for Oct. 21, going over early to hang with friends on their boat and condo. It will be nice to stay for a while and not have to rush to catch the late Catalina Express ​​boat back on the sometimes choppy seas.

​​ Looking forward to November​ 18​, I will be with Deniece Williams, Michael Paulo, Freddie Washington and Land Richards at The Westin in Palm Desert. I always love playing with Deniece, who recorded our song, "This is as Good as it Gets" (written with Ron Boustead) as the title track of her 1988 album.

Deniece, Shelby Flint, Brenda Russell, Melissa Manchester, ​Patti Austin, ​Marilyn Scott......some great female singer/songwriters I've had the good fortune to accompany. It reminds me of my ​motivation to ​migrate to ​California from Maryland in 1982, after years in the original Jazz/Fusion bands East Coast Offering and Natural Bridge. My goal was not to become a solo artist. It was to stretch out and be versatile enough to support as many different artists and styles as possible- instrumental, vocal, fusion, jazz, R&B,​Brazilian, whatever. As luck would have it (and thanks to Russell Ferrante's recommendation) on my 12th day in LA, I was playing at Donte's with some of the top players in town, reading the "book" (big stack of hand written, original charts in all those styles) of Shelby Flint. Being in Shelby's band for all those years, packing the best showcase clubs like At My Place led to just about every gig I've done since! And if you haven't heard Shelby's voice on our collaborations on my solo CDs, I urge you to check them out. ​

Speaking of Shelby, our acoustic jazz holiday CD, "Home for the Holidays" is now available with a special deal, since it is never too early to plan for ​all those last minute ​holiday gifts.

http://www.karukas.com/new-blog/2015/9/28/home-for-the-holidays-w-shelby-flint

Realizing it is the 30th anniversary of my first solo CD "The Nightowl", we've been talking about putting together a ​new CD ​collection of favorite songs from my older catalog for those who may have just discovered my music recently. Volume 1 will cover my first 5 CD's up to 1995's "You'll Know It's Me". These projects feature some very early recorded work of future stars Dave Koz, Boney James​, Richard Elliot, Everette Harp​ and Eric Marienthal. ​The real story is we all played in each others bands a lot​. Dave played in my band while he was still in college (before he joined Richard Marx and Jeff Lorber), and Richard Elliot had me playing in one of his first bands. Boney played in my band before he got signed to Warner Brothers, and I went on to tour with him for 4 years until 1999. So, we're not only celebrating the music, but also our decades long friendships.

We plan to remaster the tracks to get them sounding better than ever. And, we will fit as many songs as possible on one CD which will be available everywhere, but an enhanced, autographed package will be sold exclusively on my website​ and at shows​. I'd love to hear your suggestions of what may be YOUR favorite songs off of the titles "The Nightowl", "Key Witness", "Sound of Emotion", "Summerhouse" and "You'll Know It's Me". So, let us know and we'll try to narrow it down.

Oh yeah, happy 2nd birthday to Jazzmine the cat; and happy 20th to our son Stevie Oct 29.

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Oct 1 - Temecula, CA Thornton Winery (Gregg guests with Peter White and Marc Antoine)

Oct 7 - Norfolk, VA The Attucks Theater GK w/ Darian Emory, Scott Ambush (Spyro Gyra), Stanley Cooper and Deren Blessman

Oct. 14 - San Diego, CA Jazz Diego with Paul Brown , Larry Carlton, Michael Paulo, Jessy j. and more Oct 21 - Catalina Island, CA Jazztrax Festival (Gregg guests with Peter White and Marc Antoine)

Oct 25 - Richmond, VA The Tin Pan GK w/ Brad Collins, Scott Ambush (Spyro Gyra), Stanley Cooper and Deren Blessman

Oct 26 - Philadelphia, PA South GK w/ Brad Collins, Scott Ambush (Spyro Gyra), Stanley Cooper and Deren Blessman

Oct 27 - TBA

Oct 28 - Philadelphia, PA South GK w/ Brad Collins, Scott Ambush (Spyro Gyra), Stanley Cooper and Deren Blessman

Nov 18 - Palm Desert, CA The Westin w/ Deniece Williams and Michael Paulo

Feel free to share this.

www.karukas.com (exclusive autographed CD's and other goodies) www.cdbaby.com i-Tunes Amazon

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Provided to YouTube by Sony Music Entertainment This Is As Good As It Gets · Deniece Williams / 丹妮絲威廉斯 As Good As It Gets ℗ 1988 Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment Released on: 2010-03-19 A& R Coordinator: Holmes Composer, Lyricist: G. Karukas Composer, Lyricist: R. Boustead Auto-generated by YouTube.

Gregg Karukas

Serenata Review by Kathy Parsons Mainlypiano.com

With Serenata, his first solo piano album in a long and illustrious career, Gregg Karukas dazzles, not with piano pyrotechnics, but with subtle nuance and a deep love for this music.

A mix of new and re-imagined original compositions along with “piano impressions” of Brazilian artists Milton Nacimento, Clube da Esquina and Dori Caymmi, Karukas clearly demonstrates that, in the right hands, great music (and great musicianship!) defies genres and categories to enrich the ears and hearts of anyone willing to take some time to listen. Calling the project “a labor of love that came out of the isolation of the last few months,” the album was initially inspired by a rediscovered cassette tape of his live performances from the 1990’s with Dori Caymmi and Ricardo Silveira at Le Cafe in Los Angeles. One evening, Karukas sat down at the piano and played some of the pieces from memory - a deeply emotional experience that set him off on a new adventure to create this wonderful collection of 15 solo piano gems.

A Grammy Award winner, Gregg Karukas’ 30+ year career as a keyboardist/ composer/ producer has included twelve solo albums, many #1 radio hits, touring with a variety of artists that include Sergio Mendes and Melissa Manchester, being a founding member of The Rippingtons, contributing to more than 100 albums, and sessions for many films and television shows. He has recorded and played on the world’s biggest stages with many of his Brazilian musical heroes, including Montreux Jazz with Caymmi, and multiple shows at the Hollywood Bowl with Ivan Lins, Oscar Castro Neves, Tom Jobim, Toots Thielemans, Mendes and Caymmi. Serenata brings this musical "love affair" full circle - “a crossover treat from the heart, for the heart” (Karukas’ words).

The album begins with “Travessia” by Fernando Brant and Milton Nascimento - a beautifully wistful and dreamy piece that sets the tone of the album. “Ponta de Areia,” also composed by Brant and Nascimento, conveys a warm, soothing energy in a relaxed and understated style. The title track, a Karukas original, has a sweet, simple melody that floats on the flowing left hand broken chords - a favorite! “Tudo O Que Você Podia Ser” by Lô Borges and Marcio Borges combines a jazzier, more rhythmic style with a beautifully poignant melody. Karukas’ “Better Days” is another favorite - simple, direct and from the heart. “Sound of Emotion,” (Karukas) feels like an intimate conversation without words - I love it! “Paisagem da Janela” by Fernando Brant and Lô Borges is a light and breezy bit of musical sunshine. Karukas’ tender, loving “Dori’s Song” is a heartfelt tribute to a dear friend. He also composed "Para Sempre (Until Forever)," a reflective and deeply emotional soul searching at the piano, perhaps late at night by the light of a candle - my favorite piece on the album. The last two tracks were also penned by Karukas. “Lament (Final Embrace)” is a heartbreaking goodbye that goes far beyond any words to describe it, and “Long Ago” brings the album to a very peaceful, serene close.

I sincerely hope that Serenata is just the first in a long series of solo piano albums by Gregg Karukas and predict it will be one of the best and most honored albums of 2021!

Album Links Amazon(referral)Apple/iTunes/Spotify

Contemporary Fusion Reviews - Dick Metcalf

Melodic solo keyboard magic Gregg Karukas – SERENATA:   I’ve spent a lot of time with the piano; playing it (both live and in-studio) as well as reviewing 100’s of other players, so I can tell you that solo pianist Gregg Karukas’ melodic solo keyboard is pure, unadulterated, magic!  Get an intimate look at his preview trailer for the album first…

When you SUBSCRIBE to Gregg’s YouTube channel, you will experience his magic on many other instruments as well (this is his first solo piano album ever).

The thing that truly sets Gregg’s piano apart from other pianists is his sensitivity for what the listener will need to hear; nowhere is that more evident than on his original composition, “Better Days“… his “pacing” is perfect, and every note is formed with the utmost care… DJ’s of all stripes will be plugging this into their playlists for days (and months & years) to come!

Another original composition that really impressed me is Gregg’s “Para Sempre” (Until Forever)… in his own words, “For me, the best music comes out of an inner feeling of either intense happiness or sadness”, and both moods are reflected in this emotional song.

Of the fifteen fascinating songs Gregg offers up for our piano pleasure, I found one of the shorter performances (2:59), “Lament” (Final Embrace) was my choice for personal favorite… he reaches down inside his own heart to touch yours with passion and intensity… I just LOVED this song!

I give Gregg a MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED rating, with an “EQ” (energy quotient) score of 4.99.  

 

JW Vibe by Jonathan Widran

“A thoughtful, reflective and ultimately joyful work. After so many years of in-the-pocket Smooth jazz hit-making, it’s wonderful to experience Karukas’ truest heart on display. To quote one of those earlier titles, that’s truly the sound of emotion coming through loud and clear.”

 Gregg Karukas’ extraordinary success over the past 30-plus years as a #1 charting smooth jazz artist and one of the genre’s busiest sidemen make it easy to overlook the deeper elements of versatile composer/keyboardist’s expansive resume – including winning a Grammy in 2013 for his work with new age pianist Omar Akram and his many years of touring with Brazilian greats Sergio Mendes, Dori Caymmi and Ricardo Silvera in the 90’s.

 Both of those extracurriculars come into play on Serenata, a thoughtful, reflective and ultimately joyful work that marks Karukas’ first-ever solo piano album, his first release in over six years and first since losing his wife Yvonne to cancer. The unique concept – captured in the album subtitle “Piano Impressions of Milton Nascimento Clube Da Esquina and Dori Caymmi “ – grew out of a recent discovery of old cassettes of some of those Brazilian shows. Listening most attentively to his shows with Caymmi at the small L.A. club Le Café, where the singer often introduced Karukas as “my orchestra,” sparked a powerful emotional reaction.

The keyboardist also re-discovered the video of his 1992 wedding where Caymmi sang “O Cantador” – a gently wistful piece that is one of the emotional centerpieces on the generous 15 track collection. Karukas also thought back to memories of his early days driving to gigs in his hometown of Washington, DC, listening to Nascimento imports. Combining all of these inspirations with the isolation of the COVID-19 lockdown created an ideal palette for him to explore his deeper piano artistry and find the kind of healing and hope that only the music of the heart can bring. That’s the sparkling magic Karukas shares throughout from the elegant, seductive Nascimento-penned opening tracks “Travessia” and “Ponta de Aeria” to the equally subtle graces of “Club da Esquina” and Caymmi’s “Historia Antga” and the playful hypnotic romp “Paisagem de Janela.”

 In a good way, Serenata’s subtitle mentioning the Brazilian influences isn’t quite accurate because nearly half the tracks are delightful ultra-melodic Karukas originals that fit in perfectly among the works of the masters. These include solo piano reworkings of two gems from his mid-90’s smooth jazz classic Sound of Emotion (including, naturally, the soulful, tender-hearted tribute “Dori’s Song”) and moody originals whose titles (“Better Days,” “Lament (Final Embrace),” “Long Ago”) capture his process of acknowledging and letting go of the sorrows of the past and embracing the grand possibilities of the road ahead.

 After so many years of in the pocket smooth jazz hit making, it’s wonderful to experience Karukas’ truest heart on display. To quote one of those earlier titles, that’s truly the sound of emotion coming through loud and clear “A thoughtful, reflective and ultimately joyful work. After so many years of in-the-pocket Smooth jazz hit-making, it’s wonderful to experience Karukas’ truest heart on display. To quote one of those earlier titles, that’s truly the sound of emotion coming through loud and clear.”  Jonathan Widran. JW Vibe https://www.jwvibe.com/single-post/gregg-karukas-serenata

Serenata By Gregg Karukas

Written by Steve Sheppard

 There are moments in time when you really need to be lifted into a better frame of mind and sometimes, just sometimes, it will be music that will help you get there, this was the case for me this sombre Monday morning in March, when the refrains of the quite tranquil, yet deeply pleasing album entitled Serenata by Gregg Karukas lifted my mood and raised my spirits.

Gregg’s slice of piano heaven is a jam packed 15 track album of beautiful layered and textured offerings, that are all undeniably lush and beautiful. The opening piece is a fine example of that charm, as we can enjoy the first footsteps of the album with the warm and all-embracing opener Travessia.

My personal favourite from the release would be the title track Serenata, the lightness of performance and the melody together for me was a touch of magic from beyond the supposed limits of brilliance, and reminded me greatly of classic David Lanz at times.

With emotive and thoughtful offerings like Better Days or the colourful refrains of pieces like O Cantador, this album was always going to be a hit from start to finish; those who love to sit and bathe within the realms of a collection of a solo piano master class will love tracks like the touching and classy Historia Antiga, or perhaps the gentle and serene offering known as Lament (Final Embrace), a piece with a sombre, but reflective and emotional composition, one that will touch the musical heart with ease.

Serenata by Gregg Karukas is a fine collection of wondrous solo piano compositions, it is a musical tale told by one, to be felt, touched and listened to by many.

No less than 15 opportunities lay within the dimension of piano heaven, and each one of them can be sampled willingly many times over, this timeless manifestation of heartfelt moments of solo piano genius, have raised the bar in the ranks of this genre by a mile, and as such should be a huge hit for the artist should there be any justice left in this musical world of ours.

Serenata
By Gregg Karukas
Buy on Amazon

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You can also order from Amazon, but no autograph.

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