Greg McGriff is a San Francisco Bay Area performing drummer who’s been playing professionally for over 30 years. Greg’s early influences are his high school band teacher Frank Bigoski (1974 – Hogan High School), who gets the credit for his discipline and drum work ethic. He studied African drumming under professor Augustus Olatunji Vidal, master drummer at Sonoma State College, where he attended in the mid 70’s. His funky style has backed the likes of
Rosie Gaines and Lenny Williams. He has done many engagements with Bay Area variety bands such as the Freeryde Band, The Floordogs, Cover2Cover, The Midnight Band w/ Matt Applin and The Tight Fit Blues Band featuring Bird Leg.
Greg was a member of The Fabulous Keys A Capella group further developing his vocals a la Earl Young, one of his favorite drummers.
Through the years he has done sessions with Ron Perry (bassist currently with Susan
Tedeschi), Tony Dewayne (song writer/musician), Rob Watson (guitarist for Joe Louis Walker/James Brown), Bobby Simmons and various other Bay Area musicians.
He also gives his beginning credit to the Chuck Brown drum method and his funky flavor from one of his favorites, Dave Garibaldi (Tower of
Power) who also studied that style. Other influences include James Levi a personal friend and mentor. It is Greg’s passion for drumming and his ‘pocket style’ that allows him to enjoy and play all styles of music including funk, blues, rock and jazz.
Greg is currently drumming for the Urban Bushmen Band
and can be seen around the San Francisco Bay-Area.
