Summer 2017 Newsletter

Here are some of the latest happenings going on these last few months at Nightowl Studios and in the "homeland".

First, Sunday was Yvonne's birthday!!!, and we stayed close to home celebrating with Alex, her dad Bob and sister Michelle!!!

Since her diagnosis last September, we spend a great deal of time taking care of Yvonne's health and have visited many specialists from Bethesda, Maryland at NIH to UCLA, City of Hope and Cedars Sinai. We are constantly researching all about brain tumors and the treatment options that are available. We are completely focused on the next step, given that no one has a protocol for reducing the size of a severe, inoperable brain stem tumor such as Yvonne's.

Fortunately, Yvonne has been feeling pretty good​,​ except for the constant fatigue and double vision, and the ​latest MRI showed the ​tumor has not grown in the last few months. Such a welcome change from the fall and winter when the radiation and chemo took its toll​ and we were house-bound​. We are ​now ​taking advantage of every day and have actually gotten in some nice trips to just chill and enjoy some different surroundings.

​In April we went to our favorite place on the Central Coast, Los Osos and Montana De Oro state park. This is a hidden gem, a very dramatic coastline plateau where massive wave Pacific swells hit the rocks. The trail is level, and there are a few little cove beaches.​ Then we went to NIH, National Cancer Institute in Maryland for our consult and had some extra time to visit with MD/VA friends and get our supply of Ledo's Pizza. We stayed right next to Great Falls in Virginia. Spectacular!!​

We just had a great 10 days in Hawaii in May; six days on Maui before our show with Peter White and Michael Paulo in Honolulu. ​W​e saw our good friends Phil and Angela Benoit​. ​Phil​ (David's brother)​ was kind enough to lend me ​his C​a​sio Privia, my favorite lightweight keyboard​, ​for the week so that I could keep my fingers limber​,​​ and I sat in on their gig ​at Ami Ami, a very nice restaurant in ​​Kihei​.​

While we are celebrating every day together, we ​t​ook advantage of the calendar most evenings out at some of the finest restaurants on the island - telling them that it was our 25th wedding anniversary, which is this month on June 14. ​Actually, we've been together 30 wonderful years!!! ​Each restaurant did a nice little thing for us and we were able to enjoy some of their better desserts, usually free of charge.

After chilling on the ocean for six days in Maui, we flew to Honolulu for the show with Peter and Michael and it was a great evening. Unfortunately Yvonne was really tired and didn't make the show, but it was nice to ​play for all of our Oahu friends. Then, three more days on Waikiki Beach staying at the incredible Sheraton, thanks Julie Loo, and we were ready to come home, recharged, and went right in to Kaiser for Yvonne's six week Mri. The great news is that the tumor has not grown and although she is still having some daily symptoms, we were relieved.

I should also mention the great show we had in May at ​S​paghettini in ​S​eal Beach. It was great to play with the guys, Joel Taylor, ​E​rnest Tibbs, Dave Hill, and Keith Mc​K​elley. I also had a great time doing a co-bill show with Everette Harp in Albuquerque, NM and a fantastic show at Manchester Craftsman's Guild in Pittsburgh with Peter, Vincent Ingala and myself for their 30th anniversary.

I'm looking forward to my own solo shows, especially in my hometown of Annapolis Maryland at Ramshead onJuly 9. My last visit there in October of last year was a great night, with Scott Ambush (Spyro Gyra), Brad Collins, Deren Blessman and Stanley Cooper. Another fun show coming up is Aug 6 ( 5-6:30PM) here in Thousand Oaks. Our good friends harpist Lori Andrews and bassist/husband Bart Samolis have invited Ron Boustead, Pat Kelley and myself to join them for a couple of songs each in their show. It is free, and a beautiful setting at The ​G​ardens of the ​W​orld.

I have to thank all of you and our Facebook friends for their good thoughts and support during this challenging time. We all get older, and cancer take​s​ its toll on so many, but we have to fight and continue to be our own advocates. It​ has been ​very interesting, and a bit frustrating, to hear so many different opinions from the smartest neuro-oncologists in the country.

Musically I've got a few interesting things planned and in the works. Some ​new, very intimate, solo piano and dynamic "world music" songs are in the ​can, and ​future plans for a very live, funky collection.​...and another "concept album" that is top secret for now. ​However, I will admit that I have been preoccupied lately -with life- and it will take some time to put on the finishing touches and release my next project​(s)​. I always take an organic approach and try not to let the pressure of time or deadlines force the music. ​

Speaking of "organic", I have recently purchased a Hammond B3 ​"​clone​", the Crumar MOJO.

It is my new personal challenge to get my jazz organ and left-hand bass chops up, going back to my roots listening to Jimmy Smith, McDuff and Groove Holmes on Paul Anthony's jazz radio show in DC. This new, vintage recreation has a great feel and sounds just like the Hammond B3 I used to play at my Dad's restaurant as a teenager. Well, I never played it for people​ back then​........the dining room was always pretty dark. The story is, at age 13, I started my restaurant "career" (busboy, dishwasher, cook, etc...) working as the cleanup guy on Sunday afternoons when the Bowie Inn was closed. I would vacuum the dining room and clean the bathrooms. If I got finished before the opening at 4pm, Harry would get the key to the B3 and let me play on the beautiful organ that belonged to Ted Freed, a great orga​​nist who played solo on weekends. I really didn't know what I was doing, except playing "Inna Gadda Da Vida" and a few other rock licks over and over but I loved the sound. ​Later, I did take organ lessons on the Hammond C2 in the church at McDonogh School in 9th grade. I owned a Farfisa then, with a real Leslie 145!! ​After that we had a little quartet that played dinner music ​at The Bowie Inn with Dale Carley​ on trumpet​, Jeff Davang​ on guitar​, Steve Pronk​ on bass​ and myself on my new Fender Rhodes - one of my first professional gigs.

Someone just reminded me of one of my first sessions in LA in 1983, for the Jazz/Soul great Gene Harris. I was called in to play synthesizers and did some overdubs. I never got a copy of the LP, but here is the cover. But then, you might ask, what was the first record date I did....? Besides the Bowie High School Starliners "fundraising" LP, here it is, found it on ebay:

Together, Tim Eyermann and I took part in our first original recording project in 1974: we drove up to rural PA to a studio to put our own music to the spoken word recordings of Naturalist Euell Gibbons reading Henry David Thoreau. We improvised some and I used some of my song ideas and Minimoog to make a free-form sound tapestry.

Ok, that's enough history. Looking forward to playing live, writing more music and celebrating every day.

Gregg www.karukas.com (exclusive autographed CD's and other goodies) www.cdbaby.com i-Tunes Amazon June 23 - Newport Beach, CA Gregg guests with Peter White at The Hyatt Newport

  • July 8 - Dobson, NC (Charlotte area) Jazz At The Vineyard -CANCELLED due to organizational problems. Sorry for any confusion.

* July 9 Annapolis, MD Rams Head On Stage

  • Aug 6 Thousand Oaks, CA Gardens of the World 5-6:30PM (Gregg guests with Jazz Harpist Lori Andrews and Ron Boustead) * Sept 2 Pensacola, FL Gulf Coast Summer Jazz Fest.
  • Oct 1 - Temecula, CA Gregg guests with Peter White and Marc Antoine * Oct 7 - Norfolk, VA The Attucks Theater (tix on sale soon) * Oct. 14 - San Diego, CA Jazz Diego with Paul Brown , Larry Carlton, Michael Paulo, Jessy j. and more
  • Oct 21 - Avalon, CA Gregg guests with Peter White and Marc Antoine

Gregg Karukas

Serenata Review by Kathy Parsons Mainlypiano.com

With Serenata, his first solo piano album in a long and illustrious career, Gregg Karukas dazzles, not with piano pyrotechnics, but with subtle nuance and a deep love for this music.

A mix of new and re-imagined original compositions along with “piano impressions” of Brazilian artists Milton Nacimento, Clube da Esquina and Dori Caymmi, Karukas clearly demonstrates that, in the right hands, great music (and great musicianship!) defies genres and categories to enrich the ears and hearts of anyone willing to take some time to listen. Calling the project “a labor of love that came out of the isolation of the last few months,” the album was initially inspired by a rediscovered cassette tape of his live performances from the 1990’s with Dori Caymmi and Ricardo Silveira at Le Cafe in Los Angeles. One evening, Karukas sat down at the piano and played some of the pieces from memory - a deeply emotional experience that set him off on a new adventure to create this wonderful collection of 15 solo piano gems.

A Grammy Award winner, Gregg Karukas’ 30+ year career as a keyboardist/ composer/ producer has included twelve solo albums, many #1 radio hits, touring with a variety of artists that include Sergio Mendes and Melissa Manchester, being a founding member of The Rippingtons, contributing to more than 100 albums, and sessions for many films and television shows. He has recorded and played on the world’s biggest stages with many of his Brazilian musical heroes, including Montreux Jazz with Caymmi, and multiple shows at the Hollywood Bowl with Ivan Lins, Oscar Castro Neves, Tom Jobim, Toots Thielemans, Mendes and Caymmi. Serenata brings this musical "love affair" full circle - “a crossover treat from the heart, for the heart” (Karukas’ words).

The album begins with “Travessia” by Fernando Brant and Milton Nascimento - a beautifully wistful and dreamy piece that sets the tone of the album. “Ponta de Areia,” also composed by Brant and Nascimento, conveys a warm, soothing energy in a relaxed and understated style. The title track, a Karukas original, has a sweet, simple melody that floats on the flowing left hand broken chords - a favorite! “Tudo O Que Você Podia Ser” by Lô Borges and Marcio Borges combines a jazzier, more rhythmic style with a beautifully poignant melody. Karukas’ “Better Days” is another favorite - simple, direct and from the heart. “Sound of Emotion,” (Karukas) feels like an intimate conversation without words - I love it! “Paisagem da Janela” by Fernando Brant and Lô Borges is a light and breezy bit of musical sunshine. Karukas’ tender, loving “Dori’s Song” is a heartfelt tribute to a dear friend. He also composed "Para Sempre (Until Forever)," a reflective and deeply emotional soul searching at the piano, perhaps late at night by the light of a candle - my favorite piece on the album. The last two tracks were also penned by Karukas. “Lament (Final Embrace)” is a heartbreaking goodbye that goes far beyond any words to describe it, and “Long Ago” brings the album to a very peaceful, serene close.

I sincerely hope that Serenata is just the first in a long series of solo piano albums by Gregg Karukas and predict it will be one of the best and most honored albums of 2021!

Album Links Amazon(referral)Apple/iTunes/Spotify

Contemporary Fusion Reviews - Dick Metcalf

Melodic solo keyboard magic Gregg Karukas – SERENATA:   I’ve spent a lot of time with the piano; playing it (both live and in-studio) as well as reviewing 100’s of other players, so I can tell you that solo pianist Gregg Karukas’ melodic solo keyboard is pure, unadulterated, magic!  Get an intimate look at his preview trailer for the album first…

When you SUBSCRIBE to Gregg’s YouTube channel, you will experience his magic on many other instruments as well (this is his first solo piano album ever).

The thing that truly sets Gregg’s piano apart from other pianists is his sensitivity for what the listener will need to hear; nowhere is that more evident than on his original composition, “Better Days“… his “pacing” is perfect, and every note is formed with the utmost care… DJ’s of all stripes will be plugging this into their playlists for days (and months & years) to come!

Another original composition that really impressed me is Gregg’s “Para Sempre” (Until Forever)… in his own words, “For me, the best music comes out of an inner feeling of either intense happiness or sadness”, and both moods are reflected in this emotional song.

Of the fifteen fascinating songs Gregg offers up for our piano pleasure, I found one of the shorter performances (2:59), “Lament” (Final Embrace) was my choice for personal favorite… he reaches down inside his own heart to touch yours with passion and intensity… I just LOVED this song!

I give Gregg a MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED rating, with an “EQ” (energy quotient) score of 4.99.  

 

JW Vibe by Jonathan Widran

“A thoughtful, reflective and ultimately joyful work. After so many years of in-the-pocket Smooth jazz hit-making, it’s wonderful to experience Karukas’ truest heart on display. To quote one of those earlier titles, that’s truly the sound of emotion coming through loud and clear.”

 Gregg Karukas’ extraordinary success over the past 30-plus years as a #1 charting smooth jazz artist and one of the genre’s busiest sidemen make it easy to overlook the deeper elements of versatile composer/keyboardist’s expansive resume – including winning a Grammy in 2013 for his work with new age pianist Omar Akram and his many years of touring with Brazilian greats Sergio Mendes, Dori Caymmi and Ricardo Silvera in the 90’s.

 Both of those extracurriculars come into play on Serenata, a thoughtful, reflective and ultimately joyful work that marks Karukas’ first-ever solo piano album, his first release in over six years and first since losing his wife Yvonne to cancer. The unique concept – captured in the album subtitle “Piano Impressions of Milton Nascimento Clube Da Esquina and Dori Caymmi “ – grew out of a recent discovery of old cassettes of some of those Brazilian shows. Listening most attentively to his shows with Caymmi at the small L.A. club Le Café, where the singer often introduced Karukas as “my orchestra,” sparked a powerful emotional reaction.

The keyboardist also re-discovered the video of his 1992 wedding where Caymmi sang “O Cantador” – a gently wistful piece that is one of the emotional centerpieces on the generous 15 track collection. Karukas also thought back to memories of his early days driving to gigs in his hometown of Washington, DC, listening to Nascimento imports. Combining all of these inspirations with the isolation of the COVID-19 lockdown created an ideal palette for him to explore his deeper piano artistry and find the kind of healing and hope that only the music of the heart can bring. That’s the sparkling magic Karukas shares throughout from the elegant, seductive Nascimento-penned opening tracks “Travessia” and “Ponta de Aeria” to the equally subtle graces of “Club da Esquina” and Caymmi’s “Historia Antga” and the playful hypnotic romp “Paisagem de Janela.”

 In a good way, Serenata’s subtitle mentioning the Brazilian influences isn’t quite accurate because nearly half the tracks are delightful ultra-melodic Karukas originals that fit in perfectly among the works of the masters. These include solo piano reworkings of two gems from his mid-90’s smooth jazz classic Sound of Emotion (including, naturally, the soulful, tender-hearted tribute “Dori’s Song”) and moody originals whose titles (“Better Days,” “Lament (Final Embrace),” “Long Ago”) capture his process of acknowledging and letting go of the sorrows of the past and embracing the grand possibilities of the road ahead.

 After so many years of in the pocket smooth jazz hit making, it’s wonderful to experience Karukas’ truest heart on display. To quote one of those earlier titles, that’s truly the sound of emotion coming through loud and clear “A thoughtful, reflective and ultimately joyful work. After so many years of in-the-pocket Smooth jazz hit-making, it’s wonderful to experience Karukas’ truest heart on display. To quote one of those earlier titles, that’s truly the sound of emotion coming through loud and clear.”  Jonathan Widran. JW Vibe https://www.jwvibe.com/single-post/gregg-karukas-serenata

Serenata By Gregg Karukas

Written by Steve Sheppard

 There are moments in time when you really need to be lifted into a better frame of mind and sometimes, just sometimes, it will be music that will help you get there, this was the case for me this sombre Monday morning in March, when the refrains of the quite tranquil, yet deeply pleasing album entitled Serenata by Gregg Karukas lifted my mood and raised my spirits.

Gregg’s slice of piano heaven is a jam packed 15 track album of beautiful layered and textured offerings, that are all undeniably lush and beautiful. The opening piece is a fine example of that charm, as we can enjoy the first footsteps of the album with the warm and all-embracing opener Travessia.

My personal favourite from the release would be the title track Serenata, the lightness of performance and the melody together for me was a touch of magic from beyond the supposed limits of brilliance, and reminded me greatly of classic David Lanz at times.

With emotive and thoughtful offerings like Better Days or the colourful refrains of pieces like O Cantador, this album was always going to be a hit from start to finish; those who love to sit and bathe within the realms of a collection of a solo piano master class will love tracks like the touching and classy Historia Antiga, or perhaps the gentle and serene offering known as Lament (Final Embrace), a piece with a sombre, but reflective and emotional composition, one that will touch the musical heart with ease.

Serenata by Gregg Karukas is a fine collection of wondrous solo piano compositions, it is a musical tale told by one, to be felt, touched and listened to by many.

No less than 15 opportunities lay within the dimension of piano heaven, and each one of them can be sampled willingly many times over, this timeless manifestation of heartfelt moments of solo piano genius, have raised the bar in the ranks of this genre by a mile, and as such should be a huge hit for the artist should there be any justice left in this musical world of ours.

Serenata
By Gregg Karukas
Buy on Amazon

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You can also order from Amazon, but no autograph.

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