Lovabye Gregory Groover Jr

• 1 30 01:20
• 2 Bygone Towers 05:53
• 3 May All Your Storms Be Weathered 04:39
• 4 Joy 04:59
• 5 Lovabye 04:57
• 6 Stages 04:32
• 7 5660 02:59
• 8 Ambivalence 05:18
• 9 Lovabye Theme 01:28
• 10 In For A Pound Or Penny 05:42
• 11 Cactus Lullaby 02:24
• Total Runtime 44:11

Info for Lovabye

Gregory Groover’s Criss Cross debut, recorded on the Boston born-and-bred tenor saxophonist’s thirtieth birthday, is a tour de force. Joined by a bespoke sextet of his favorite players, all New York-based, Groover presents a recital of 11 original tone-parallels to family and friends, his intentions anticipated, illuminated and fulfilled by his gifted bandmates. Lovabye follows Groover’s formidable first full-length album.

During the lockdown, Groover had generated a group of “love songs and songs of people I love.” In spring 2023, he brought this music to Walter Smith III, who Groover had idolized as a teenager, and is now his friend and colleague at Berklee School of Music, their mutual alma mater, where Groover serves as Assistant Chair of the Ensemble Department. “I told Walter I’d like to play with some of my other heroes and peers,” Groover recalls. “He said, ‘What’s stopping you? The music is there.’ Luckily for me, everyone who I wanted to record with was available and happy to do it.”

“Greg’s composing supports how he plays,” Smith says. “He’s a thematic musician, whose 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.

Gregory Groover Jr., tenor saxophone
Joel Ross, vibraphone
Matthew Stevens, guitar (tracks 2, 3, 11)
Aaron Parks, piano
Vicente Archer, double bass
Marcus Gilmore, drums, percussion

Recorded at GSI Studios on August 16, 2023 in New York City, NY, USA
Engineered by Michael Marciano (editing / mixing / mastering)
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.

This album contains no booklet.