Sonny Greenwich

Bio:

.. In jazz circles Sonny Greenwich is a legend. He is a demanding performer totally dedicated to his art and uncompromising in his standards. An innovator, who has created his own distinct style for the guitar, he has many proteges, both in jazz and rock music. Rock bands such as 'Pink Floyd' and 'Genesis' have been influenced at some level by his music.

Born in Hamilton Ontario, Greenwich called Toronto home until the late '60s. He has resided exclusively in Montreal since l974.

The press describes Greenwich's musical command as absolute, his combination of serenity and power bring beauty and clarity to every note he plays, which leaves his audiences enthralled in reverent silence. Ultimately, it is the open expression and caring in his music that people completely relate to. His network of fans is as far reaching as the former Soviet Union.

This world-renowned jazz guitarist has played in major Canadian and American cities including a concert at Carnegie Hall and with such 'greats' as Miles Davis, Charles Lloyd, Wayne Shorter, Pharoah Sanders, McCoy Tyner, Chick Corea, saxophonist John Handy and Sun-Ra.

With Michel Lambert, David Piltch, Don Thompson, live at the Top O' the Senator, November 22, 1990

'Some critics regard (Greenwich) as the most important Canadian jazzman' states the New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, New York, l988. He has the distinction of being the only Canadian in Francis Wolff's book of jazz photography, The Blue Note Years, 1995, featuring legendary jazz artists from the Blue Note label. He is listed as one of the '10 Best Canadian Jazz Musicians of All Time' in the Canadian Book of Lists, l979. 'There is a deep emotion and sincerity in Sonny's music ... and I consider him a really rare kind of talent' writes Barney Kessel in The History of the Guitar in Jazz, l983. Greenwich's prominence has him written up in -- the Canadian Encyclopedia; Jazz in Canada: Fourteen Lives, Mark Miller, 1982; Who's Who of Jazz in Montreal, John Gilmore 1989; Jazz Lives: 100 Portraits in Jazz, Gene Lees, photographs by John Reeves, l992 and featured in countless jazz magazines and articles.


Me and DT (Don Thompson)

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Greenwich first drew notice for his jazz style in the early sixties, when both Horace Silver and Lee Morgan independently brought Greenwich's name to the attention of Alfred Lion at Blue Note Records. 1965 saw him in New York at the Village Vanguard with saxophonist Charles Lloyd. Greenwich's reputation brought him to the attention of saxophonist John Handy, with whom he played from December l966 through March l967, in Seattle, San Francisco and New York. Their concert appearance at Carnegie Hall, January 15th l967 was released on Columbia, 'Spirituals to Swing'. Also in New York that year, Greenwich recorded with Lee Morgan and saxophonist Hank Mobley on Mobley's album 'Third Season' for Blue Note Records and was preparing to record for Milestone's Orrin Keepnews when problems with his green card forced him to return to Canada.

In l968 Greenwich led his own quartet composed of pianist Teddy Saunders, bassist Jimmy Garrison and drummer Jack DeJohnette, at the Village Vanguard in New York. December l969 he played with Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea, David Holland and Tony Williams at the Colonial Tavern, Toronto and the following year played downbill to Miles Davis at Massey Hall. That year Greenwich recorded his first album, with the CBC, 'The Old Man and the Child". Greenwich made his second album, again with the CBC, 'Sun Song' in l974, with his quintet of Don Thompson, Richard Homme, Terry Clarke and Clayton Johnston. In l978 he recorded 'EVOL-UTION, Love's Reverse' at Yellowfingers, Toronto, on PM Records with Don Thompson, Gene Perla and Claude Ranger.

From l983 through l988, Greenwich with his quartet - Fred Henke, Ron Seguin and Andre White, performed at jazz festivals and in clubs in Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa and New York as well as recording two albums on the Justin Time label. The first 'Bird of Paradise' was released in l987 and the second 'Live at Sweet Basil' released in l988, was recorded during a performance at the Greenwich Village Jazz Festival in New York City. 'Live at Sweet Basil' was nominated in 1989 for a FELIX in the Jazz Album of the Year category, at the ADISQ Awards in Montreal.

With Michel Lambert, David Piltch, Don Thompson, live at the Top O' the Senator, November 22, 1990

In June 1989 Greenwich, with Margie Gillis, one of Canada's premiere solo dance artists, were the star performers at a benefit concert. Each artist performed independently with the finale being a collaborative work for which Greenwich composed and arranged the music.

Describing his influences and early approach to music Greenwich says: 'It started with Sonny Rollins. The way he played his tenor sax. When I heard his big sound, I said to myself, this is what I want to get on the guitar, this sound, this kind of feeling! I went from there to Miles Davis and John Coltrane ... they led me to start playing my instrument more like a horn than a guitar. I was always searching into style back then. After reading, in my late teens, statements made by Charlie Parker, that he listened primarily to classical music, I was moved to do the same. A practice I have continued to this day. ... The solo structures of my playing were based on an interpretation of the work of cubist artist Paul Klee, where I saw the fretboard in diagrams, while my chordal approach was based on the music of Ravel, Debussy, Hindemith, Red Garland and Bill Evans. I was also interested in the control and timbre of the human voice, and listened carefully to such singers as Maria Callas, and have made studies on sound itself.'

Greenwich on his music states, 'I play a wide range, from ballads to very fiery, very free pieces. It's like an ocean -- you have to have the two things, the storm and the calm that comes after, and the one thing helps the other express itself. It's music that has a spiritual basis to it, which is trying to make people feel good. Not some kind of a preaching but a feeling of beauty I have, that I express so that some one else can feel it -- trying to uplift them somehow.'

Beginning in late 1991 Greenwich decided to spend more time on composition. In this vein he put together a quintet and sextet, featuring saxophone and trumpet, as well as a nine-piece band, with added trombone and percussion, for a series of productions for CBC, 'Jazz Beat'. These productions, Greenwich's self proclaimed foray into the 'mainstream', were released on CD in 1993, entitled 'Standard Idioms', resulting in both a JUNO & FELIX Nomination: Best Mainstream Jazz Album.

In 1993 he participated in the Toronto Jazz Festival, in a collaboration with Kenny Wheeler; as well as the Montreal Jazz Festival, leading his own nine-piece band.

Late 1993 again marked a stylistic change, resulting in the SONNY GREENWICH UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE BAND which he referred to as 'HEAVENLY FLIGHTS OVER EARTHY RHYTHMS'. Greenwich foresaw this band evolving to include changing band members and instrumentation, intending to use it as the base from which stylistically varied music projects would result. The JUNO nominated CD 'Hymn to the Earth' marked the first recording of this concept.

1995 saw the re-emergence of Greenwich into the public arena in a way not seen since the early '70s. He was busy with concert dates (Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Hamilton, the Maritimes), recording sessions (one as co-leader in a collaboration with his son, Sonny Greenwich Jr. - lead guitarist of the funk-rock band Bootsauce)- entitled 'Welcome: Mother Earth', a second as guest with Jane Bunnett and Alain Caron on a session for the Cuban, Hilario Duran; a third, this time as leader entitled 'Spirit in the Air' and a documentary dealing in part with his unique career, 'It Ain't All Jazz', by Sussex Productions, aired on Bravo in 1996 and CFCF in 1997.

1996, Greenwich formed within the same band, a smaller group called 'Concepts' (an offshoot of the Universal Language Band) performing with a free-er approach to standards and compositions or solos, similar but not related to Miles Davis in the 70's with Wayne, Herbie, Ron, etc., where each musician is free to follow his own concept of what is taking place in the song form. More of a collective improvisation. The composition 'Free Form' on the new CD 'Spirit in the Air' is an example of this approach.

'Spirit in the Air' was nominated for a JUNO, 1997.

Greenwich performed with Kenny Wheeler at the Montreal Bistro in Toronto in April 1997, and Jane Bunnett performed with him during his concert at the Toronto Jazz Festival.

In 2000, Sackville Records released 'Days Gone By' featuring Greenwich and Ed Bickert on guitar along with Don Thompson on bass and Terry Clarke on drums.

2001 saw Greenwich with another CD release, from Cornerstone Records called 'Fragments of a Memory' featuring many new compositions. During this time he also performed club dates in Toronto and Montreal while continuing to evolve as a composer adding many new compositions to his repertoire.

In 2003, Greenwich recorded with Canadian jazz pianist Marilyn Lerner releasing through CBC Records a CD entitled titled 'Special Angel', which featured five new Greenwich compositions.

Performances in Toronto with his band as well as shows with Marilyn Lerner also took place throughout 2003.

In 2004 Greenwich performed with his band at the Upstairs Club in Montreal, and with the Sonny Greenwich and Marilyn Lerner Quintet at The Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto. Greenwich is also featured as a guest artist on a new CD by his sometime vocalist, Ernie Nelson entitled 'Just for the Beauty' released by Kleo Records.

Recent concerts as a duo with Marilyn Lerner took place at the National Library in Ottawa, The Jazz Festival in Montreal and the Jazz Festival in Halifax.

02/2006 Sonny Greenwich becomes a Member of the Order of Canada for his exceptional contribution to Canada and Canadians in the area of Performing Arts/Music

Member Since:

June 13, 2006

Influences:

Discography

AS DUO
Special Angel , CBC Records, TRCD 3006
Sonny Greenwich Guitar
Marilyn Lerner, Piano
Montreal QC, 2002


AS LEADER

1. Fragments of a Memory, Cornerstone Records Inc, CRST CD 116
Sonny Greenwich Ensemble
Greenwich g; Don Thompson, p;
Mike Allen, ts; Charles Ellison, tpt;
Jim Vivian, b; Barry Elmes, drs;
Montreal, QC, 2001


2. Days Gone By, Sackville, SKCD2-2052
Sonny Greenwich & Ed Bickert Quartet
Greenwich g; Bickert g;
Don Thompson, bass; Terry Clarke, drs;
Toronto, ON, 1979


3. Kenny and Sonny Live at the Montreal Bistro, Justin Time Records, Just 114-2
The Kenny Wheeler Sonny Greenwich Quintet
Kenny Wheeler, trumpet/flugelhorn, Greenwich, g;
Don Thompson, p; Jim Vivian, b; Barry Elmes, drs;
Joe Labarbera, drs
Toronto, ON, 1993 and 1997


4. Spirit in the Air, Kleo Records, Kleo 3-CD
Sonny Greenwich septet Greenwich, g; James Gelfand, synth, p;
Ron Seguin, b; Jim Hillman, drs; Lazaro René, perc;v Ernie Nelson, vocal, prc;
Guy Thouin, tablas;v Montreal, QC, Nov 11-12, 1995


5. Welcome: Mother Earth. Justin Time Records, Just 80-2
Sonny Greenwich Sr., g / Sonny Greenwich Jr., g;
Alan Baculis, b; James Gelfand, synth; Jim Hillman, drs;
Montreal, QC, 12-13-14 July, 1995


6. Hymn to the Earth. Kleo Records, Kleo 2-CD
Sonny Greenwich sextet; Greenwich, g, synth;
James Gelfand, synth; Brian Hurley, b; Jim Hillman, drs;
Lazaro René, prc; Ernie Nelson, vocal, prc.
Montreal, QC, 6-7 October, 1994


7. Outside In. Justin Time Records, Just 69-2
Paul Bley/Sonny Greenwich duo:
Bley, p; Greenwich, g.
Montreal, QC, July 8, 1994


8. Standard Idioms. Kleo Records, Kleo 1-CD
Sonny Greenwich nonet:
Greenwich, g; Mike Allen, ts; Charles Ellison, tpt;
David Grott, trombone; Fred Henke, p, synth; Brian Hurley, b;
Jim Hillman, drs; Lazaro René, prc; Ernie Nelson, voice
CBC, Montreal, QC, 2 November 1991, 15 September 1993


9. Live at Sweet Basil. Justin Time Records, Just 26-2
Sonny Greenwich quartet:
Greenwich, g; Fred Henke, p;
Ron Seguin, b; Andre White, drs. Club 'Sweet Basil', New York, 2 September 1987


10. Bird of Paradise. Justin Time Records, Just 22-2
Sonny Greenwich quartet:
Greenwich, g; Fred Henke, p;
Ron Seguin, b; Andre White, drs.
Montreal, QC, November 1986


11. Sun Song. Akasha, AKH 26 (45 rpm)
Sonny Greenwich quartet:
Toronto, ON, August 1979


12. EVOL-ution, Love's Reverse. PM, PMR-016
Sonny Greenwich quartet;
Greenwich, g; Don Thompson, p, el p;
Gene Perla, b, el b; Claude Ranger, drs
Yellowfingers, Toronto, ON, 30 May - 3 June 1978


13. Sun Song: 'The Music of Sonny Greenwich'. CBC, RCI 399
Sonny Greenwich quintet
Toronto, ON, February 1974


14. The Old Man and The Child. CBC RCI 303 / Sackville C 2003
Sonny Greenwich quintet Montreal, QC, January 1970


Another blast from the Past. Me and DT (Don Thompson)

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AS GUEST ARTIST

1. Just For The Beauty. Kleo Records, Kleo 20 Ernie Nelson
Montreal, QC, 2004


2. Different Voices. Cornerstone Records Inc.
Barry Elmes
Toronto, ON, 1997


3. Portraits in Jazz: A Tribute to Wes Montgomery. Radioland RACD 10006
Various trios including Sonny Greenwich trio
Nov 1995


4. Francisco's Song. Justin Time Records
Hilario Duran quartet
Montreal, QC, 10/1995


5. Solar Explorations. GRT
Moe Koffman, fls, piccolo, ss, as; with various groups, including Greenwich, g.
Toronto, ON, 07/1974


6. Rob McConnell (Untitled) CBC LM 109 (EP)
Big Band with Strings: Arrangements by McConnell


7. Love Song for a Virgo Lady, CBC RCI / Sackville
Don Thompson quintet
Montreal, QC, 09/1969



8. Jazzzzz. CBC, RCI
Lee Gagnon quintet
Montreal, QC, 09/1969


9. Soft and Groovy, CBC/Capitol
Jimmy Dale Orchestra;
Dale, org, arr; Greenwich, g; Lenny Breau, g;
Ed Bickert, g; and others
Toronto, ON, 02/03, 1969


10. Third Season, Blue Note Classic, LT-1081
Hank Mobley septet,
Mobley, ts; James Spaulding, as, fl; Lee Morgan, tpt;
Sonny Greenwich, g; Cedar Walton, p; Walter Brooker, b;
Billy Higgins, drs
Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 02/967


11. Spirituals to Swing. Columbia
John Handy sextet
Handy, as, saxello; Greenwich, g;
Michel Sampson, violin; Calo Scott, cello;
Don Thompson, b; Terry Clark, drs
Carnegie Hall, New York, 01/1967

Awards

10/2006
Sonny Greenwich becomes a Member of the Order of Canada
for his exceptional contribution to Canada and Canadians
in the area of Performing Arts/Music


10/2004
Sonny Greenwich/Marilyn Lerner
'Special Angel' (CD, CBC Records)
Winner in the Outstanding Jazz Recording Category
Western Canadian Music Awards
Held in Calgary,Alberta


05/1998
The Sonny Greenwich/Kenny Wheeler CD
'Live at the Montreal Bistro'
was nominated for a FELIX at the Gala de l'ADISQ, Montreal
Jazz Album of the Year category.


02/1998
Greenwich's album
'Kenny and Sonny Live At The Montreal Bistro'
was nominated for a JUNO
Best Mainstream Jazz album category


05/1997
Greenwich was the recipient of the
Electric Group of the Year (1997) Award
at the Jazz Report Awards, Toronto


02/1997
Greenwich's album
'Spirit in the Air'
was nominated for a JUNO
Best Contemporary Jazz Album category


04/1996
Greenwich was the recipient
for the fourth consecutive year
of the 'Guitarist of the Year' (1996) Award
at the Jazz Report Awards, Toronto


09/1995
The Paul Bley/Sonny Greenwich album
'Outside In'
'Jazz Album of the Year' category
was nominated for a FELIX
at the Gala de l'ADISQ, Montreal


04/1995
Greenwich was the recipient
of the prestigious 'Jazz Musician of the Year' (1995) Award
in addition to the 'Guitarist of the Year' (1995) Award
at the Jazz Report Awards, Toronto


02/1995
Greenwich's album
'Hymn to the Earth'
was nominated for a JUNO
Best Contemporary Jazz Album category


01/1995
Greenwich's composition
'The Nightingale' from his CD 'Hymn to the Earth'
was selected by the Canada Council
as part of its commemorative United Nations 50th Anniversary CD set
entitled 'Here and Now'


08/1994
Greenwich's album
'Standard Idioms'
was nominated for a FELIX
Jazz Album of the Year category
at the Montreal Gala de l'ADISQ


05/1994
Greenwich
was the recipient
of the 'Guitarist of the Year' (1994) Award
at the Jazz Report Awards, Toronto


03/1994v
Greenwich's album
'Standard Idioms'
was nominated for a JUNO
Best Mainstream Jazz Album category


05/1993
Greenwich received the
'Guitarist of the Year'1993) Award
at the Jazz Report Awards, Toronto


09/1989
Greenwich was presented
with the 'Performing Rights Organization of Canada'
Award for Excellence in Canadian Music
for Achievements in Composing Jazz Music'


l989
Greenwich's album
'Live at Sweet Basil'
was nominated for a FELIX
Jazz Album of the Year category
at the Montreal Gala de l'ADISQ


1982
Greenwich was the recipient
of the Canadian Music Council
'Best Jazz Broadcast Award'
for a program done for CJRT - Sound of Toronto Jazz


1981
Greenwich was recognized
as a Member of the Hall of Fame
at the Canadian Black Music Awards in Toronto.

Record Label:

Kleo Records