Grammy winning keyboardist/composer and Gregg Karukas is enjoying the rare accomplishment of 2 consecutive #1 hit songs from his stellar CD release “Soul Secrets”. His current single, “Rio Drive” sits at top spot on the The Billboard and Smooth Jazz Top 20 charts which monitor the national airplay on radio and internet stations. It follows “Elegant Nights” which hit the top of the charts in January of this year. Gregg will bring his melodic grooves to the Catalina Jazztrax Festival for his 4th headline show on October 18 at noon.
One of urban contemporary jazz’s most versatile and acclaimed artists for over 25 years, Gregg won the Grammy for producing, composing, arranging, playing all keyboards and engineering Echoes of Love (a collaboration with Omar Akram), which won Best New Age Album at the 55th Grammy Awards in February 2013. He has had a diverse career in music with a long list of credits in all media; Gregg arranged and played all keyboards on the theme songs to Disney’s Ducktales and Chip and Dale’s Rescue Rangers and is a veteran of lots of TV/Film music sessions, (Cheers, Stand and Deliver, Life Goes On, Mr. Wrong).
As a solo artist, Gregg’s 11 all-original CDs have garnered consistently solid reviews for his signature piano touch, pristine production, and melodies that are both soulful and sophisticated. Always in demand as a musical director and keyboardist, Gregg has received multiple Best Keyboardist nominations at the Oasis and National Smooth Jazz Awards. His best-known songs, “Elegant Nights (#1), “Rio Drive”(#1), “Girl in the Red Dress” (#4) “Nightshift” (#1), and Jessy J.’s #1 hit “Tropical Rain” showcase Gregg’s funky, melodic compositional style familiar to his fans.
“People say my music sounds romantic and uplifting – and I look so happy on stage,” he says. “It’s totally true. For me, the best music comes out of an inner feeling of either intense happiness or sadness. I always try to stay faithful to that original inspiration, because that is where the true ‘sound of emotion’ comes from.” Gregg’s contagious smile and positive attitude shows in his concerts, as he has emerged over the years as one of the genre’s most dynamic and inspiring live performers since he first took the stage in 1987 with the original Rippingtons and toured through the years with superstars Boney James, Sergio Mendes, and Larry Carlton.
In addition to his own headline shows, Gregg tours occasionally with guitarist Peter White and trumpeter Rick Braun; and served as musical director for the annual Dave Koz and Friends at Sea Smooth Jazz Cruises 2011-2013, featuring international stars such as Michael Bolton, Shelia E., Michael McDonald, and Jeffrey Osborne.
more at kurakas.com
