Gregory Boyd

GLOBAL MUSIC ARTIST GREGORY BOYD Biography The traditional texture of Trinidadian Steel Drums are reinvented and combined with contemporary funk/Pop music to create the contemporary global fusion of New Orleans based steel pannist singer songwriter Gregory Boyd. Now residing in Europe and based in Denmark, Gregory Boyd's music can be described as one part Global and one part Funk and the rest equal parts excitement. Truly Gregory Boyd gives it all when performing.

One of his singles, "Rich In A Troubled Time", released in 5 European countries Denmark, Finland, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia to Pop, top 40 and State radio stations, was heard by 40 million people. While, his collaborations with American artists such as Charles Neville, Cyril Neville, Delmar Brown, Paul Jackson, Jon Cleary, Lillian Boutte', Doctor John, Daryl Johnson , Jon Cleary and his absolute monster gentlemen, Anders Osborne and Theresa Andersen, Danish/American artists Butch Lacy, and Danish artists Kluvers Big Band, Peter Bastian, Tomas Franck, Kim Menzer, Klaus Menzer, Emil De Wail, Jesper Bodilsen, Uffe Steen, Christian Vuust, Ben Besiakov, Lise Westzynthius, USO and many others, has won him acclaim in the International, European and Danish press. The Copenhagen based newspaper Metroxpress stated over a performance with BIG PAN FUNK one his first European lineups which included Delmar Brown keyboard player extraordinaire and one of Stings' and Miles Davis sidemen
, "Americans Musiker setter lid till oliet?nderne"....... or ?American musician sets fire to Steel Drums?....MetroXpress Denmark
Blue Note records president Bruce Lundvall stated ?My word would be "originality." I thought he was also very original also as a lyricist. Those lyrics are very interesting. The way he was able to scat and play the pans simultaneously is incredible! And I like the quality of his voice. He has a very, very interesting vocal quality."
Blue Note Artist Cassandra Wilson also stated: "I love this guy! Okay, where do I begin? He's playing steel drum and singing-how many times do you see that? It is very innovative. His improvisation is really great! I love what he is doing! Singing with his instrument-I've never seen anyone do that. It's a whole new twist!"
Moving to Denmark in 2002 and marrying Danish Jazz vocalist Lone Boyd, Gregory Boyd went from working with some of the best of the best in the United States to working with some of the best of the best in Europe and Scandinavia.
Boyd joined the US Navy steel drum band in 1987. Based in New Orleans Louisiana, USA, and toured with the acclaimed outfit until he left the military in 1990. He was introduced to Charmaine Neville, the daughter of Charles Neville from the New Orleans Super group the Neville brothers. Boyd went and sat in with the Charmaine Neville Band at Snug Harbor Jazz Club in New Orleans and was hired on the spot. Boyd toured with Charmaine for 3 years which often brought him to Europe to perform at a great many major Jazz festivals, performance venues and concert stages worldwide. On Charmaine's 2nd CD release ?Its About Time?, Boyd co-wrote several songs as well as played steel drums, percussion and drum programming.
Charles Neville often came to Snug Harbor, where Charmaine performed Monday and Thursday nights when not on tour. There he met Gregory and was so enthusiastic about his playing that he asked him to join his new band ?Diversity? the same night. Boyd promptly agreed. During the next 5 years, Boyd toured with Charles Neville and Diversity while at the same time also performing and touring with Neville brother Cyril with his acclaimed New Orleans funk band, ?The Uptown All-stars?. During this time Boyd also logged in a very important musical journey with acclaimed space jazz outfit Michael Ray and the Kosmic Krewe where he recorded with the band was featured highly on two recordings Michael Ray and Cosmic Krewe (Evidence Music) and Funk If I Know (Monkey Hill Records) as well as and performing and touring with Trey Anstacio and John Fishman (Phish), John Medesky (Medeski, Martin and Wood), Kool and The Gang and The Sun Ra Arkestra. In 1993, Boyd changed gears and began to seriously write songs and set out to become a band leader in his own right playing the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival annually and gaining the attention on industry leaders such as Bruce Lundvall, and performer such Cassandra Wilson. Today Gregory Boyd is an accomplished Steel Pannist Singer Songwriter who continues to push the boundaries of Modern Music with his very own brand of Global Music, which is Steel Drum Textured, Vocal layered and steeped in the traditions of American Rock, Funk, R&B, and Jazz.

GROOVESVILLE MUSIC
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