Raised in Cleveland and now domiciled in San Francisco, guitarist Lloyd Gregory is a well established figure on the Bay Area music scene. As well as releasing five critically acclaimed solo albums he has also recorded with Martha Reeves and performed on-stage with Rodney Franklin, Stanley Clarke, George Duke, Gerald Albright, The Dells and Freda Payne. Indeed, this connection with Stanley Clarke is significant as Gregory has recently signed with the bass legend’s own label, Roxboro Entertainment, to release his latest (and self titled) CD. It is a splendidly sophisticated collection of contemporary jazz for grown-ups which fuses soul, pop and jazz in the most inviting of ways.
Lloyd Gregory quickly confirms what he is all about with the wonderfully mellifluous ‘Brazilian Sea’ which benefits from subtle backing vocals and a retro fusion vibe. Later, with the expansive ‘Slither’, he shows he can get funky with the best of them and, although ‘El Espirtu De Diana’ proves to be a melodic delight, Gregory again ramps up the tempo for ‘Germ’ where a techno beat lays a foundation for his own smooth playing.
The contemplative ‘Gentle Warrior’ shows off a different side of Gregory’s musical persona and he keeps the mood relaxed for the pleasing ‘Dream Of Love’ which is absolutely up there with the album’s best. In fact, as the CD progresses, Gregory shows himself to be at his finest when handling tunes of a tender nature and in this respect there is none better than ‘Desert Wind’ that can be honestly described as tranquillity personified.
From mellow beginnings, ‘Zulu, Son Of Cobra’ evolves into a joyously uplifting anthem while the first single to be offered to radio is the decidedly tropical ‘Haiti’. With a warmth that is extremely attractive it is sure to light up the airwaves and much the same can be said of the easy grooving ‘A Moment In Time’ where Gregory really has a Wes Montgomery thing going on.
In terms of personal favourites ‘Remembering Carmel’ offers a jazzy twist combined with more chilled out guitar from Gregory but just shading it as Smooth Jazz Therapy top track is the languidly appealing ‘Philly’. One of four songs written by Gregory and Felton Pilate this one evokes Fourplay at its delicious best and comes highly recommended.
The motivation behind this excellent recording can perhaps be best summed up in Lloyd Gregory’s own words. “As we grow in time, age, experience, knowledge and wisdom” he explains, “there comes a time when it’s time to put it all into music and share it with the world. It’s time to make music for my friends.”