Jazz Articles

Gregg August Sextet: One Peace

by Michael P. Gladstone
January 21, 2008

When last heard from, Gregg August's debut, Late August (Iacuessa, 2005), left listeners with a smile for the bassist/composer's bipolar emphasis on Latin and hard bop interests.

One Peace indicates a new direction for August. While Late August took advantage of a number of high profile guest musicians including saxophonist Frank Wess and percussionists Ray Barretto and Wilson “Chembo" Corniel, One Peace presents August's working group, featuring only two holdovers--trumpeter John Bailey and altoist Myron Walden. ...

Gregg August Sextet: One Peace

by Eyal Hareuveni
January 5, 2008

This is the second release by classical conservatory-trained New York-based bassist and composer Gregg August, an Assistant Bass Principal of the Brooklyn Philharmonic and a frequent collaborator with experimental composers collective Bang on a Can. One Peace is a more straight-ahead jazz showcase than August's Latin-flavored debut, Late August (Iacuessa Records, 2005). This time August worked closely with the experienced members of his sextet over the last year in a way that solidifies the interplay and trust between them all.

Gregg August Sextet: One Peace

by Terrell Kent Holmes
September 13, 2007

Bassist Gregg August is a dynamic and vastly underrated arranger and composer. On One Peace he enhances a hard bop template with complex chord structures, layering of inimitable horn arrangements and echoes from other musical genres. On “Nastissimo for example, trumpeter John Bailey, altoist Myron Walden and tenor man Stacy Dillard play almost mournfully over the quicksilver vamp by August, pianist Luis Perdomo and drummer EJ Strickland. “One for Louis" showcases Bailey, who plays throughout with a ...

Gregg August: Late August

by Terrell Kent Holmes
February 18, 2006

Bassist Gregg August's pedigree is hard bop, and his trademark compositions have heads that examine every harmonic and melodic possibility and are almost stories unto themselves. His sextet recently played a lively set at New York's Fat Cat, and a few of the tunes they performed are featured on August's new album, the somewhat self-titled Late August. “Sweet Maladie opens with a hard bop head, then shifts into a robust Latin groove. Donny McCaslin takes a strong ...

Gregg August: Late August

by Michael P. Gladstone
November 16, 2005

This is a pretty intruiging and ambitious debut for upstate New York bassist/composer Gregg August. August wanted to have all of his musical experiences reflected on this first date. From education at SUNY-Albany, the Eastman School of Music, and Julliard, he became the principal bassist in La Orquesta Cuitat de Barcelona, Spain, and then lived in Paris as a jazz musician. His growing interest in Cuban music, notably changui (a kind of Cuban folk music), led to positions with Ray ...

Gregg August: Late August

by John Kelman
October 26, 2005

More and more we seem to be witnessing a cross-pollination of musicians trained in one form of music, but ultimately actively engaged in another. Bassist Gregg August majored in classical performance when he attended the Eastman School of Music, but he also studied jazz forms with Bill Dobbins--another artist whose career has coexisted in both worlds--and composition/arranging with Rayburn Wright. While he spent the early part of his career dichotomously working the New York jazz scene and taking the bass ...

Gregg August: Late August

by Jerry D'Souza
October 8, 2005

Gregg August brings a diverse blend of elements to Late August, his debut recording as leader. The bassist finds a groove for Afro-Cuban music and mainstream jazz alike. While six of the nine tracks feature his sextet, he adds percussionists Ray Barretto and Wilson “Chembo Corniel on the first tune and goes in for a duet with the latter. The disc also features a quartet take with a different lineup and a solo turn. Now that the background check is ...

Gregg August: Late August

by Norman Weinstein
October 4, 2005

In case you've been wondering what other bassist besides Dave Holland is making adventuresome big band recordings, wonder no more. Bassist Gregg August has just released his first disc as a leader--and what a honey of a big band achievement it is. His nine original tunes, and ensemble playing showcasing eleven musicians of extraordinary skill and ardor, equal the best of Holland's big band efforts. Quite a praise for a young upstart--but wholly deserved.August has played for years ...