Additionally, Greg can be heard at progressive music, news and culture station KPFA 94.1fm Monday nights from 8 to 10pm, and as a contributor to KPFA’s Hip Hop social affairs and music show HardKnock Radio.Greg has written for various publications including Jazz Now Magazine and Bayshore Magazine, and remains a constant presence on the Bay Area music and arts scene.
Below, Greg’s Fest Five:
Etienne Charles is one of my favorite trumpeters. I really dig his band and his recordings, and I also get the pleasure to hear him as a percussionist with some of my other favorite musicians. I’m looking forward to grooving to Creole Soul and really anxious to hear Etienne’s new “San Jose Suite.”
Ernesto Oviedo with the John Santos Sextet
A great singer with a great band!
Kamasi Washington & the Next Step
Saxophonist, composer, bandleader… Kamasi is wearing each of those hats well. I’ve been wanting to see him perform live for a few years, and this weekend I have the opportunity to check him out when he and his band bring his new recording, The Epic, to life in San Jose. I’m also looking forward to seeing this band because I’ve had so much fun following them on Instagram.
Charenee Wade’s Gil Scott-Heron Project
I grew up on the songs of Gil Scott-Heron and grew into manhood and personhood with a lot of his songs. So many of his tracks hold as much relevance today as they did when written 40 or so years ago. It’s nice to hear the honor that Charenee Wade pays to Gil, keeping to the integrity and spirit of the originals while definitely infusing her own essence.
Who’s in your Fest Five? Share your picks with info@sanjosejazz.org, or tag them on social media using #FestFive. To view our full Summer Fest line-up, click here, and purchases your Fest passes here.