ARTISTS EXTRAORDINAIRE
Master Glen Pearson
Hello World! Is it bragging when you highlight a person, a relative or an artist, for their achievements via true empirical facts? It is not our intention to brag or boast herein. However, once you begin to evaluate the body of Glen Pearson's musical journey, it becomes obvious his abundance of accomplishments have been buried in the archives of musical history. Now is the time to unravel these precious musical gems when Pearson began playing the piano at 7 years old.." Of course the accolades were expressed by the audience with a tidal wave of applause whenever Glen Pearson performed at that tender age. Pearson's diverse body of work includes tours with the legendary and recent Grammy Award winning Count Basie Orchestra, for the Live at Bird-land" project. It is noteworthy that the one and only Glen Pearson occupied the "Hot Seat" the late Count Basie bequeathed to his Orchestra. Let us continue this journey by reflecting on Pearson's work over a 10 year period with the Harlem's Boys Choir throughout the 90's as their prolific music director and keyboardist. His diversity continues to reign supreme as the arranger and keyboardist for Grammy Award winning Regina Belle during the same decade. Throughout yesterday's annals of time, Glen Pearson performed with Jimmy Scott, Melba Moore, Jazz Grammy Award winning, Diane Reeves, Melba Moore, Will Downing and a host of artists with a list longer than the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, where Pearson was born and raised.
GREG CROCKETT
Greg Crockett Goes Latin
Greg Crockett's journey takes him to the Latin Sound with his new single, "Mona Tu Quiero Yo Lisa" (Mona I Want Your Lisa) . Written and produced by Al Sherman, a high school band mate, "It was a great reunion working with someone you have over a 50 year musical relationship with," Al Sherman says. On this project, Greg Crockett demonstrates his wide range of music genres as he masterfully interpreted this composition.
Who Is Greg Crockett?
At age 18, Crockett – guitarist, bassist and pianist – was playing on professional recordings that included The Pointer Sisters, for whom he wrote and played all instruments on the title cut “Serious Slammin’,” George Clinton, The Bar-Kay’s, Rocky Robins, and Charles Earland. He also wrote, produced, recorded and/or played back-up guitar and/or bass for Marvin Gaye III, The Bar-Kay’s, TV Mama, LC Good Rockin’ Robinson, Freddie Hughes, Jesse James, Lenny Williams, T-Bone Walker, Bobby Womack, GC Cameron (former lead singer of the Temptations and Spinners) Etta James, Lowell Folsom, Big Mama Thornton, John Lee Hooker, Zakiya Hooker, Jeannie Tracy, The Two Tons Of Fun (Weather Girls), Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson, Harvey Mason, The Four Tops, Tower Of Power, Sylvester, Lou Rawls Jr., Rockwell, Rance Allen gospel group, Michael Jeffries, Harvey Fuqua of the Moon Glows, Nikita Germaine, Brian McKnight, Jimmy McCracklin and so many other entertainers. He has played on most of the major labels, and has been an ASCAP member for 47 years.
His new CD, published by Jamisha Publishing, showcases and even magnifies his talent. I particularly like the grind and pizazz of track 3, “Golden Gate,” but there’s so much more! He does a cover of Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On,” and a tribute to Michael Jackson – “Love To The King” – sung by our good friend and songwriter Sharon Barnes. Though he does not showcase his own vocal talent on this CD, Crockett’s voice comes through on his instruments – especially the guitar. Listen to him on “Just Being Me” that he wrote. You’d think he was playing words, not notes.
That Was Then & This is Now
Currently, Greg Crockett has several projects waiting to be born into music horizons. He has written a few soundtracks and is writing for some of the newer Artists. The biggest challenge Crockett says,"As producers, we must be able to thread the needle between organic music and technocratic music. You have so many samples in the studio today which subtracts from the authenticity of the music. There was a world class musician who said once, "Can you still perform if the plug is pulled out of the wall? With Greg Crockett the answer is yes!
In Loving Memory of Dre Lane