Spencer Merk

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Greg Chako: Hard Bop for the Record

by Jack Bowers
September 11, 2026

If the name Greg Chako is unfamiliar to you, perhaps it is because the veteran Cincinnati-bred guitarist, composer, and arranger has spent much of his career performing and recording in Asia, including years abroad in Hong Kong, Singapore, China, and Japan. After recovering from a near-fatal case of sepsis, Chako took full advantage of his new lease on life, returning home to lead a piano-less quintet on Hard Bop for the Record, whose second track, “Second Chance," salutes ...