Old Knew Gregory Groover Jr. featuring Joel Ross, Paul Cornish, Harish Raghavan, Kendrick Scott

• 1 Spaces 03:27
• 2 551 07:00
• 3 Go For Broke 04:45
• 4 Rain Shall Fall 05:48
• 5 Retrogade 06:38
• 6 Sumner 03:03
• 7 Good Sir 05:07
• 8 Juanita and Betty 03:36
• 9 William and Vinson 04:40
• 10 Old Knew 07:33
• 11 Arrivals 02:02
• Total Runtime 53:39

Info zu Old Knew

Old Knew is Gregory Groover, Jr’s follow-up to his 2024 Criss Cross debut, Lovabye (Criss 1419), on which – in the exalted company of Joel Ross, Aaron Parks, Vicente Archer and Marcus Gilmore – he projected his soulful, reflective tenor saxophone voice throughout an 11-track recital of, as Groover puts it, original “love songs and songs of people I love.”

On Old Knew, Groover, 32, addresses similarly inspired repertoire from a different angle, eliciting collective kineticism and creative spirit from a pan-generational A-list quintet, comprising Joel Ross, the nonpareil 30-year-old vibraphonist; Paul Cornish, the 20-something pianist; and the glorious drummer Kendrick Scott and bass provocateur Harish Raghavan, both 40-something. The first three are Blue Note label-mates of Groover’s producer, the eminent saxophonist Walter Smith, III, once the leader’s hero, now his fellow faculty member at Berklee College of Music, where Groover serves as Assistant Chair of the Ensemble Department and, for much of the 2024-25 academic year, Interim Director of Danilo Perez’s Global Jazz Institute.

“I’m proud of Lovabye because there’s a cohesive theme, which I set out to do,” Groover said in late July, a few days after returning to the U.S. from a fortnight in Perugia, where Berklee stages clinics during the Umbria Summer Jazz Festival. “There’s also a theme on this new record Old Knew, but I wanted the energy to feel different, less about the written composition and the mood, and more about the interaction and my playing.” Towards that aspiration, Groover wrote or arranged another 11 pieces tailored to the idiosyncratic tonal personalities of his bandmates, who color and characterize the music.

Gregory Groover Jr., tenor saxophone
Joel Ross, vibraphone
Paul Cornish, piano
Harish Raghavan, double bass
Kendrick Scott, drums

Recorded January 6, 2025 in New York City, NY, USA
Engineered by Chris Allen
Editing by Ryan Renteria
Mixed and mastering by Michael Marciano
Produced by Walter Smith III & Jerry Teekens

Gregory Groover Jr.
New York-born and Boston-bred, emerging saxophonist, composer, and educator Gregory Groover Jr has already left an indelible mark in the jazz world, in a short period. Saxophonist Walter Smith III describes him as a thematic musician, who's playing very much relates to the song. He plays with a lot of energy, and he leads with that. The heart is the most important thing – the direction and motion of what he plays is where he really feels.” Groover’s artistry seamlessly marries genres as he continues to push the boundaries of jazz while honoring its deep legacy.

Raised with a devotion for music, Groover’s journey in music began at a young age. His passion for jazz flourished as he honed his craft, eventually earning him a full tuition scholarship to pursue his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Music Performance Studies at Berklee College of Music. Under the guidance of esteemed mentors like Terri Lyne Carrington, John Patitucci, Miguel Zenon, Billy Pierce and Dave Liebman, he thrived within the acclaimed Berklee Global Jazz Institute, helmed by the renowned pianist and UNESCO Artist for Peace, Danilo Perez.

Groover’s continued dedication to his craft and unwavering commitment to excellence have solidified his position as a prominent figure in the contemporary jazz scene. As a bandleader, Groover has released two albums (Negro Spiritual Songbook, Vol 1 & 2) and will be making his Criss Cross Records debut in April 2024 with his record, Lovabye. In addition to being a bandleader, Groover is a highly sought-after collaborator having performed in music festivals in the United States, Latin America, Europe, and Africa with some of the world’s leading voices in contemporary music.

As an educator, Gregory has served as the co-chair of music at his alma mater, the Boston Arts Academy, and currently serves as the Assistant Chair of Ensemble at the world-renowned Berklee College of Music. Through his teaching, he shares his passion for music with the younger generation, inspiring them to explore their creative potential. His dedication to uplifting the next generation of artists underscores his belief in the transformative power of music.

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