| About Chris Greco | Chris Greco is an award-winning composer and woodwinds specialist. He was raised and educated as a woodwind multi-instrumentalist and composer in Los Angeles, and he was a significant contributor to the jazz culture of Los Angeles from the 1980's to 2000. His jazz recordings from this period can be found on the independent label gwsfourwinds records. The record logo reads "Music for the 21st Century reflecting directions in modern jazz." Greco's music is shaped by the influences of American jazz music, Western European art music traditions, non-western, folk and rock music. He holds a D.M.A. (UCLA) in classical saxophone performance and has substantial professional experience in multiple jazz idioms. Equally adept performing both jazz music and classical Greco's improvisational skills equally excel with his ability to interpret and perform twentieth century contemporary classical music. He holds a masters degree in composition, and he has been developing a unique body of work over the past two decades. His compositions in jazz, chamber music, and contemporary classical music combine a variety of standard and contemporary techniques. He explores a number of compositional approaches derived from a broad spectrum of influences. Moving beyond the sphere of composition, several works are associated with philosophical ideas ("The Flight Of A Bird Leaves No Trace"- Pleiadian Call/Music for Trio), and literary ideas ("Sterope"- Trane of Thought). Taken from the liner notes of the project Pleiadian Call/ Music for Trio he says, "the harmonic language eschews functional tonality for a more relevant and more vitally significant tonal/twelve tone synthesis." Recognition for his work in jazz composition includes a 2001 Julius Hemphill Composition Award ("The Flight Of A Bird Leaves No Trace") and eight consecutive ASCAPlus Awards (2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002) for his emerging catalog of works that "have a unique prestige value." Greco's recordings on GWSFourwinds include; "Well You Needn't, Standards Vol.1," the electro-acoustic compositions of "Trane of Thought," and the chamber jazz of "Pleiadian Call/Music for Trio." Greco studied privately with Los Angeles woodwind multi-instrumentalists but considers himself an autodidact as well because "anyone seriously interested in studying music has to be one, really; because to me an excellent musician and artist is ultimately self-guided by a compelling desire to learn and explore more, including the music of one's time." Greco has experience as a producer of jazz music with the independent label gwsfourwinds Records. Reviews for releases on GWSFourwinds records can be found in the magazines; JazzTimes (U.S.), Jazz Hot (France), Jazz Journal International (U.K.), Cadence (USA); and online at allaboutjazz.com, jazzdimensions.com (Germany), wartajazz.com (Indonesia), euroclubdejazz.com (U.K.), and jazzreview.com (USA). |
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