Greg Diamond released his fourth album, “Musings & Origins – Solo Acoustic”, in September on Chasm Records. Recorded all on a Collings OM2H – T Series guitar, the album joins latin and jazz flavors into thirteen original compositions.
Diamond is an expert finger style player – his clear, articulate technique yields a pristine sound as each composition moves across the whole dynamic palette of the guitar. He uses single note lines, comping, latin bass grooves, jazz chord solos, even big, full strumming (which is surprisingly rare on an acoustic album) to create big, diverse arrangements. He definitely does not just leave the style stick on ‘auto-pilot’! As his songs move between latin and straight-ahead jazz territory, you get the sense he’s grabbing every technique available to enhance the setting of the melody as he pushes along.
If you’re going to just check out one song, give a listen to “Caprichosa”. It’s a fun, technically challenging, latin-groove number that’s worth three minutes of your time.
Listen On
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Album Description
Musings and Origins, Greg Diamond’s fourth studio release and first solo album, features an array of originals written over a span of almost two decades— all arranged for acoustic guitar. This recording is a vignette of Diamond’s musical journey highlighting both his prowess on his instrument as well as his nuanced approach to composition. Diamond’s writing embraces a broad range of genres— with inflections of Pan-Latin American styles, classical, jazz and Americana/folk—blended with lush harmonies, syncopated rhythms and odd-meter time signatures.
Track Listing
- El Pozo
- Laia
- Delicate Contents
- Caprichosa
- Mist
- Song For Jerry
- Last Word
- Prelude:Yvette
- Waltz Americana
- Solar Canvas
- Salas
- In Vain
- Traces
About Greg Diamond
Critically acclaimed guitarist, composer and bandleader Greg Diamond creates music inspired by Latin American sounds and rhythms which he seamlessly infuses into the context of contemporary jazz — with modal harmonies, odd meters, and various other elements that comprise the vibrant soundscape of his native city of New York. All About Jazz hails Diamond as “a rising star in the New York jazz scene”, while Latin Jazz Network touts Diamond as a “composer of great maturity and genius”— featuring his sophomore release Conduit [Dot Time 2012] as an editor’s pick for “Best Albums of 2012”. Diamond has shared the stage with luminaries the likes of: Seamus Blake, Steve Turre, Hector Martignon, Henry Cole, John Benitez, Antonio Hart, Michael Philip Mossman, Stacy Dillard, Corcoran Holt, and a host of others.
You can connect with Greg Diamond on his website (www.gregdiamondmusic.com), as well as on Instagram and YouTube.
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