Gregg August
Gregg August (* around 1975 in Schenectady ) is an American musician ( double bass , percussion , composition , arrangement ) who excelled in classical music and jazz as well as as a studio musician .
Live and act
August comes from a musical family that held jam sessions at family celebrations ; he had his first music lessons with his aunt, the pianist Peg Delaney. At the age of ten he concentrated on drums and percussion; In the 11th grade of high school he switched to the electric bass when a bassist was needed in the school's jazz ensemble. At the University at Albany he studied percussion with Richard Albagli and double bass with Paul Erhard. He finally earned his bachelor's degree from the Eastman School of Music ; there he had lessons with James Vandermark and in jazz studies with Bill Dobbins and Ray Wright. He then obtained his master's degree at the Juilliard School , where he had lessons from Homer Mensch and Rufus Reid . He was first active with John Lurie , the Eos Ensemble and on New York Broadway , to be heard in the soundtrack album Titanic (A New Musical) .
August worked for two years as the first bass player in the Orquesta Ciutat de Barcelona . Then he moved to Paris, where he performed with Jean Toussaint . After studying in Cuba, the first jazz recordings were made in 2000 with Ray Barretto ( trancedance ). In 2002 he toured Europe with Ray Vega , with whom he also recorded. He continues to serve as assistant principal bassist for the Brooklyn Philharmonic and also performs with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra .
In 2003 August recorded his debut album Late August (Iacuessa) with musicians like Myron Walden , Donny McCaslin , Frank Wess , Alon Yavnai , John Hart , Eric McPherson and Ray Barretto . In his band projects he played in the hard bop tradition. In the following years he played with JD Allen , Fabio Morgera , Michael-Louis Smith , Vince Mendoza , Arturo O'Farrill (for whom he also arranged), Lisa Hilton and with Elio Villafranca & The Jass Syncopators. In the field of jazz he was involved in 23 recording sessions between 2000 and 2017. As a studio musician he can also be heard on recordings by Jeff Grace , Michel Legrand and Vienna Teng .
Discographic notes
- One Peace (Iacuessa, 2006), with John Bailey , Mike Lowenstern, Myron Walden, Stacy Dillard , Yosvany Terry , Luis Perdomo , EJ Strickland
- Four for Six (Iacuessa, 2012), with Sam Newsome , Luis Perdomo, EJ Strickland, John Bailey, Yosvanny Terry, JD Allen, Rudy Royston
Web links
- Web presence
- Gregg August at Allmusic (English)
- Gregg August at Discogs (English)
- Laurence Borden interviews bass player Gregg August. Dagogo, July 1, 2013, accessed October 21, 2018 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b portrait (AllAboutJazz)
- ↑ Review of Gregg August's album Four By Six. Burning Ambulance, December 12, 2013, accessed October 21, 2018 .
- ↑ Tom Lord : The Jazz Discography
- ↑ Jean Szlamowicz: Gregg August: Four by Six. May 13, 2013, accessed October 21, 2018 .
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | August, Gregg |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American jazz musician (bass, percussion, composition) |
| DATE OF BIRTH | around 1975 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Schenectady |