y first thought after hearing Greg's "Wyrd" CD. Was, "Where the heck has this guy been"? Clearly a dynamic player/composer. An articulate groove oriented jazz player with a very smooth technique. A hard rocker of the intense breed. And solos with assassin-like precision. A smokin' CD that's at times reminiscent of the great collaboration between Greg Howe and Ritchie Kotzen, "Tilt". The perfect union of jazz, rock and shred. Greg's CD leans more towards the rock side. The difference is Greg takes a BIG creative edge with "Wyrd", with the feel of a concept CD, in that all the songs seem to interlock musically. If you listen straight through the CD, you can almost hear a story line. (or maybe it's just me?)
Still not impressed? He played the guitars, bass, keyboards and drum programming. His guitar playing goes without question (oh... man!). But his bass playing....that was a big surprise. WOW! Keep in mind that Greg's music is jazz. Be it heavy... it's jazz. And his style is very funky and groove oriented. My point being that this isn't just a boom ba ba boom rhythm line to jam over. This dude lays down some of the baddest (as in awesome) bass grooves I've heard in a very long time. After a few listens from the CD, I found myself zeroing in on the bass line. Then I put the bass line together with the guitar. And I was in awe... absolutely! And the drum programming... again he amazed me. Many times when a "guitarist" (as in not a drummer) programs their own drums, it can be flat or redundant to disastrous. But Greg must have spent thousands of hours programming this disc. The programming, just like everything else on this disc, is precise and creative.
As if all that weren't enough, he also handled production, engineering, artwork and design. Greg is a consummate professional. Not only doing it all, but doing it with the skills of a veteran. A career in music must have been in the stars the day Greg was born.
"Wyrd" is a look into the progressive visions of Greg Rapaport. A look that's as sweet and light as it is deep, moody and often dark. An exact blend of jazz/rock/shred, each style being dominant enough to be considered. Greg shifts effortlessly between styles (all within the same song). One second you'll be pounding your head to a metal riff/solo and the next be chilling to a nice tranquil jazz progression/solo. This contrast in styles creates a dynamic experience for the listener, with the heavier music enhancing the lighter music, and visa versa. Greg uses different sound bites cleverly placed throughout the CD to even further enhance the feeling that something much bigger is going on. If you're a fan of any one of these styles there's plenty for you on "Wyrd". A great jazz CD that's also easily palatable to rock fans, while also a great rock CD that should appeal to jazz fans. My #1 CD for the year 2002.
y first thought after hearing Greg's "Wyrd" CD. Was, "Where the heck has this guy been"? Clearly a dynamic player/composer. An articulate groove oriented jazz player with a very smooth technique. A hard rocker of the intense breed. And solos with assassin-like precision. A smokin' CD that's at times reminiscent of the great collaboration between Greg Howe and Ritchie Kotzen, "Tilt". The perfect union of jazz, rock and shred. Greg's CD leans more towards the rock side. The difference is Greg takes a BIG creative edge with "Wyrd", with the feel of a concept CD, in that all the songs seem to interlock musically. If you listen straight through the CD, you can almost hear a story line. (or maybe it's just me?)