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CD |
| 4.500 Ft
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| 1. | Girl in the Red Dress
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| 2. | London Underground
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| 3. | Looking Up
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| 4. | Relentless
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| 5. | First Flight Home
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| 6. | Show Me the Way
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| 7. | Corner Club (Clube da Esquina)
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| 8. | Isabella
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| 9. | Crossrhodes
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| 10. | Deep into You
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| 11. | Lost in Negril
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Jazz
Gregg Karukas - Engineer, Mixing, Piano, Producer
Andy Suzuki - Flute, Guest Appearance, Saxophone
Peter White - Guest Appearance
Ricardo Silveira - Guest Appearance
Rick Braun - Guest Appearance
Thom Rotella - Guest Appearance
* Bettie Grace Miner - Photography
* Ken Weil - Back Cover, Photography
* Randy Gallign - Photography
* Ron Boustead - Mastering
* Severin M. Koller - Cover Photo, Photography
From Gregg Karukas' prolific resume as a sideman for Boney James, Peter White, and Larry Carlton, among others, to a hot streak of radio hits dating back to 1987, this versatile keyboardist perfectly captures the joyful, optimistic, smooth jazz lifestyle. The title of his latest independently released gem, Looking Up, characterizes the uplifting nature of the disc, which features a slate of more irresistible keyboard melodies and a wide rhythmic palette that includes old-school soul, driving funk, samba (his Brazilian associations include Sergio Mendes and Dori Caymmi), reggae, and his first forays into the chill phenomenon. The disc opens with the vibrant and graceful, easy swinging light funk of "Girl in the Red Dress" (which features lush, retro-soul Rhodes harmonies), then takes us to the funky, old-school "London Underground," the disc's first single which includes B-3 organ harmonies. On the moody, chill-oriented title track, Karukas swirls his bright piano melody with cool, trippy ambient and rhythmic effects. Rick Braun's distant muted trumpet helps Karukas explore the more romantic side of chill on the soothing, lush ballad "First Flight Home," which is followed by "Show Me the Way," a tune that captures the "classic Karukas" sound -- happy, swinging brass sizzling behind a bright, bouncy key melody. While more artistic- than consumer-friendly, the track that digs deepest is "Crossrhodes," a trippy, percussive excursion through classic styles that have been foundational in the keyboardist's musical evolution -- Latin, blues and old-school soul. Karukas once again dares even the most confirmed musical skeptic to kick back with a glass of wine and smile through the dark times.
---Jonathan Widran, All Music Guide
Gregg Karukas
Active Decades: '90s and '00s
Genre: Jazz
Styles: Christmas, Instrumental Pop, Fusion, Contemporary Jazz, Crossover Jazz, Smooth Jazz, Holiday
A talented keyboardist who has mostly worked in the commercial side of jazz, Gregg Karukas has the potential for stardom. Although he noodled on the piano from age six, he did not start studying music seriously until he was a teenager. Karukas often played organ in r&b bands early on and at 17 he began a five year stint with Tim Eyermann's East Coast Offering. After a period working as a studio musician in D.C., he moved to Los Angeles in 1983 where he became a major part of the pop jazz scene, playing with (among others) Richard Elliot, Grant Geissman, Ronnie Laws and David Benoit. Karukas worked for a year-and-a-half with Melissa Manchester, had a band that featured the young saxophonist Dave Koz and in the mid-1980's he became an original member of the Rippingtons. In addition to his crossover work, Karukas has gained extensive experience playing Brazilian music including with Ricardo Silveira, Sergio Mendes and Dori Caymmi, worked as a freelance producer, been a sideman on albums by Boney James, Peter White and Craig Chaquico, worked as a studio musician and written songs for a variety of r&b/pop artists. As a leader, Gregg Karukas has recorded for Nightowl (1987), Positive Music, Fahrenheit, I.E. Music and N-Coded Music (2000).
---Scott Yanow, All Music Guide |
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