Greg Diamond - Beata

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:58
Size: 128,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:56) 1. Beata
(5:08) 2. Salas
(4:38) 3. Tiniebla
(3:46) 4. Giant Steps
(4:36) 5. El Condor Pasa
(5:53) 6. Caprichosa
(6:04) 7. Rastros
(5:58) 8. Ensimismado
(5:27) 9. Cumbita
(6:28) 10. Song For Jerry

Greg Diamond is a prolific guitarist, composer, and recording artist from New York City. Touted as “a rising star in the NewYork jazz scene" by All About Jazz and a “composer of great maturity and genius” by Latin Jazz Network, he has created his own niche with an innovative and eclectic to composition paired with remarkable instrumental versatility.

Since 2008 he has released five albums in various formats. His work encompasses a broad spectrum of genres such as, contemporary and Afro-Latin jazz, blues, Americana, Latin American folk traditions, classical, funk, hip-hop, and jamband among many others.

He has presented his group at numerous premier venues, such as The Blue Note, Iridium Jazz Club, Joe’s Pub, Smalls Jazz Club, and Zinc Bar not to mention numerous international festivals such as, The Madrid International Jazz Festival, Barranquijazz Festival, Jimmy Glass Jazz Festival, Teatro Libre Jazz Festival, Medejazz Festival, Jazz al Parque Festival, and the Nublu Jazz Festival. In 2007 he was a semi-finalist at The Gibson International Jazz Guitar Competition hosted by The Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland.

In the past two decades he has collaborated with numerous noteworthy artists such as, Seamus Blake, Hector Martignon, John Benitez, Steve Turre, Bob Belden, Mark Shim, Henry Cole, Stacy Dillard, Samuel Torres, Oscar Stagnaro, Emilio Solla, Antonio Hart, Michael Philip Mossman, Don Friedman, Gretchen Parlato, Asha Puthli and others

Diamond has a DMA in Instrumental Jazz Performance from the University of Miami and currently resides in the city of Miami.

Beata

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Greg Diamond - Avenida Graham

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:53
Size: 153.1 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 2016
Art: Front

[7:57] 1. Synesthesia
[6:35] 2. Rastros
[7:21] 3. El Coronel
[7:42] 4. Hint Of Jasmin
[7:24] 5. Gentrix
[8:23] 6. Laia
[6:22] 7. Ultima Palabra
[6:35] 8. Cascade
[8:31] 9. Motion Suite

Greg Diamond: guitar; Stacy Dillard: tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone (1, 4-6, 8, 9); Seamus Blake: tenor saxophone (2, 3); Mike Eckroth: piano; Peter Slavov: bass; Henry Cole: drums; Mauricio Herrera: congas, percussion (1, 3, 5, 9).

Brooklyn-based jazz guitarist Greg Diamond issues his most culturally diverse musical mosaic on Avenida Graham reflecting a blend of jazz and the Latin sound that has been an influential part of his life. Being half Eastern European Jewish and half Colombian, Diamond long ago learned to appreciate the Latin sounds listening to the music of Hector Lavoe and Willie Colon as he immersed himself in the jazz idiom later on. Living near Graham Avenue (aka Avenue of Puerto Rico) and Broadway for over a decade, this album is a reflection of the places, cultural and musical landscape that remain a strong influence in his life and work today.

One big asset this recording has going for it is, the A-list of players the guitarist assembles to document his music. Miguel Zenon's drummer Henry Cole and John Scofield's pianist Mike Eckroth along with bassist Peter Slavov, form the core rhythm section quartet providing the fuel to this musical engine. Diamond elevates the tone and texture of the music by adding jazz luminary Stacy Dillard on the tenor and soprano saxophone on five tracks with tenor saxophone great Seamus Blake on "Rastros" and "El Coronel" along with percussionist extraordinaire Mauricio Herrera rounding out the cast on four pieces.

There are no short pieces here with the starter "Synethesia" providing almost eight-minutes of percussive percolating grooves featuring Dillard on soprano, Herrera and Cole pounding out the beats and the leader unfurling lightning solos of his own. "Rastros" opens up in tender fashion with the guitarist delivering soft fingerplay on the strings against the backdrop of Blake's humble tenor phrases in a warm ballad of which Diamonds states is, "One of my favorite tunes of the record." One of the centerpieces of the album has to be the up tempo, fast-paced Latin-styled "El Coronel" and homage to a character from a novel by Colombian author Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

Diamond's writing provides many moments of musical magic throughout the recording such as a solemn guitar solo on the introduction to "Hint of Jasmin," the introspective haunting sounds of "Laia," the melodic and uplifting "Cascade" and the complex tempo-changing "Motion Suite" the guitarist's most ambitious work taking two years to complete. ~Edward Blanco

Avenida Graham

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