Greg Chako – Standard Roots (2024)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/48 kHz | Time – 01:37:58 minutes | 1,02 GB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Mint 400 Records
Standard Roots represents a return to what Greg Chako calls his “roots,” because it features the trio format of guitar, bass, and drums that he began his professional playing career with over 30 years ago.
Standards are the feature here, but Greg alternates the time feels of each track between Swing, Latin, and Ballad. Typical swingers like Just Friends, and bossa-novas like Jobim’s Triste are interpreted as expected, where as a couple old standbys like Out of Nowhere and It Might as Well Be Spring are given a fresh, upbeat Latin treatment. Besides the songs typically considered as being from The Great American Songbook, there is a blues: Cedar Walton’s “Cedar’s Blues,” and two modern jazz compositions: “Solar” by Chuck Wayne, and “Beatrice” by Sam Rivers (one of the bonus tracks). Other stand-outs not heard so often are Alec Wilders’ “I’ll be Around” and Arlens’ “Ill Wind.”
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Greg Chako – Christmas Time (Live In Izu Nagaoka) (2023)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 01:01:50 minutes | 716 MB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Mint 400 Records
In a pro career spanning 40 years and five countries, USA guitarist Greg Chako has released 14 albums and been the subject of a documentary called, “An American Cat in the Lion City.” He lived in the Far East for 17 years, where he evolved into a masterful, expressive composer with rich story telling abilities. His style merges Mainstream, Hard Bop, Latin & World music.
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Greg Chako – Yokohama Live! (2023)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 01:19:20 minutes | 500 MB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Mint 400 Records
In a pro career spanning 40 years and five countries, USA guitarist Greg Chako has released 14 albums and been the subject of a documentary called, “An American Cat in the Lion City.” He lived in the Far East for 17 years, where he evolved into a masterful, expressive composer with rich story telling abilities. His style merges Mainstream, Hard Bop, Latin & World music.
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Greg Chako – A Place for Bass – Chamber Jazz Duets (2023)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/48 kHz | Time – 58:26 minutes | 500 MB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Mint 400 Records
Greg Chako is a very skilled jazz guitarist and composer who performs music in his own individual voice with consistent creativity. But because he has spent long periods living overseas, he is not as well-known as his talents deserve. The release of his latest album, A Place For Bass – Chamber Jazz Duets should help improve the situation. The collaborations with bassist Mason Daugherty, which feature the duo operating as equals, is the latest accomplishment in his very productive career.
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Greg Chako – Tokyo Live! (2023)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 01:40:24 minutes | 1,10 GB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Mint 400 Records
One of the chief highlights of my live performance experience in Japan was playing with Philadelphian-born drummer Gene Jackson. Gene and I hit it off from the very first downbeat, and to this day, he’s one of my favorite drummers to play with. I had been performing often with Japanese pianist Hiroshi Tanaka when I first met Gene. Hiroshi recorded on two of my albums, Everybody’s Got a Name and Two’s Company, Three’s a Crowd. After I brought Gene to Hiroshi’s attention, the three of us began playing together as a core trio. As the only Japanese native of the trio, Hiroshi helped organize gigs and the Japanese sidemen. In 2008, we did two shows that were particularly memorable.
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