Greg Federico - Live to Love Love to Live

LIVE TO LOVE, LOVE TO LIVE: This latest offering features the incredible musical talents of Ron Velosky on acoustic and electric basses, guitarists B.D. Lenz and Steve Girardi, and multi-instrumentalist Dave Edwards on piano, violin and electric and acoustic basses. Rounding out the group is composer Greg Federico on keyboards, drum kit, and percussion. Thirteen soulful musical portraits are beautifully arranged and performed in a generous program lasting over a satisfying 77 minutes! This recording features 9 compositions by Federico, 2 by B.D. Lenz, and 1 each by Steve Girardi and Ron Velosky. Says Federico: 'This record represents the highest level of writing, arranging and performing I've ever been associated with.' What the press have said about 'Live to Love, Love To Live': 'Federico's 'Live To Love, Love To Live'. . .is a collection of jazzy hybrids mixed with Midwestern folk impressionism, world, Latin, classical and pop. . .the album is astoundingly well constructed. It is a kind of musical motion picture, in which each track seems to tell it's own story before flowing easily into the next. And like a good movie, it is filled with wonder and surprise.' ~ Jack Florek (U.S.1) 'It is hard to express the mystical in music, yet Mr. Federico succeeds somehow.' ~ Susan Van Dongen (Princeton Packet) 'Federico's ('Live To Love, Love To Live') recording takes his listeners on an eclectic and geographical journey.' ~ Curt Yeske (Trenton Times) -------------------------------------------------- As much as Greg Federico would like to say that he chose in this life to express himself as a musician, in his heart of hearts he believes it was the other way around: That music, instead, chose him. . . Greg was born in the southern U.S. (Alabama) but was raised in the northeast (Maryland, and then New Jersey). Music has been in his blood for as long as he can remember, and his musical studies began in his childhood with the piano. As he progressed into his teens, his interests expanded to include the drums. Before recognizing that his vocation for the musical life was undeniably set in stone, Greg spent his college years on different paths of learning, eventually earning a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Villanova University (in western suburban Philadelphia, PA). To this day Greg maintains that there is great value he obtained from this discipline and that he is the better for it as is the music he's created to date. Subsequent to his time at Villanova it became abundantly clear to him that music called and would continue to call him until he answered in the affirmative and gave himself over to it. He went on to study music education for two years at Trenton State College specializing in drums and percussion under the tutelage of Tony DeNicola [Harry James Orchestra] while further augmenting his studies outside of the classroom on drums and exotic percussion with Joe Mekler [Deborah Henson-Conant]. Greg's love of hearing live jazz eventually took him to New York City's famed jazz 'dive', The 55 Bar, where he met and subsequently studied with drummer Dick Weller, who had been performing with Atlantic recording artist and jazz guitarist Mike Stern. Shortly thereafter, Greg connected with drummer Richie Morales [Spyro Gyra, Grover Washington, Jr.] at another Mike Stern show and this proved pivotal to Greg's educational advancement. Studies with Morales led to studies with Greg's latest mentor, John Riley [Stan Getz, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Quincy Jones], who authored such instructional books as 'The Art of Bop Drumming' and 'Beyond Bop Drumming'. Over time, Greg developed a diverse array of musical proficiencies, not only as a performer, composer, and recording artist, but also as a music transcriptionist and engraver. To the latter, he has worked behind the scenes with jazz guitarist, composer, and 19-time Grammy award winner Pat Metheny, assisting the legendary musician in scoring two songbooks published by Hal Leonard Publishing: 'Orchestrion - The Complete Score' (released in March 2011) and a revision of 'The Pat Metheny Songbook' (currently in production at this time). As a performer, Greg has had the good fortune to play with many notable jazz artists including mulit-keyboardist, composer/arranger Pete Levin; nationally acclaimed New York bassist Tony Cimorosi; Milwaukee guitarist Jack Grassel; New York pianist Eric Olsen; and the late, great bassist Ron Velosky. In addition to his work as a sideman, the philosopher-turned-musician has developed several of his own jazz ensembles over the past 19 years, each with their own unique sound, performing primarily in the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. Though 'home' for Greg is considered the New Jersey corridor between Philadelphia and New York City, he has also toured the Midwest to promote his CD recordings. As a composer, Greg has been awarded many accolades over the past decade from various songwriting competitions. These include such significant acknowledgements as: 1st Place in the Portland Songwriter's Association Song Contest for: • 'Pacific Coast Highway' (Instrumental category - 2006) • 'Beneath the Stars' (Instrumental category - 2005) • 'Here We Are' (Pop category - 2004) • 'The Promise' (Instrumental category - 2004) • 'Faith' (Instrumental category - 2003) 1st Place in the Mid-Atlantic Song Contest for: • 'Beneath the Stars' (Instrumental category - 2006) 1st Place in Composer's Guild Annual Composition Contest for: • 'Postcard' (Pop category - 2003) • 'Beneath the Stars' (Jazz/New Age category - 2003) Other noteworthy awards include: • An impressive Finalist showing for 'Pacific Coast Highway' in the Instrumental category of the 2006 UK Songwriting Contest (top 4% out of over 750 entries in this category alone), an important and highly regarded contest said to be 'the UK's leading songwriting event and one of the world's major international songwriting competitions' • 4th Place (out of over 600 instrumental entries) in the Instrumental/Jazz category of the 2004 Unisong International Song Contest for 'Beneath The Stars' When composing, Greg draws great inspiration from the positive, life-affirming experiences he's been gifted with, ranging from many of the wonderfully unforgettable places to which he has traveled over time to some of the beautiful, influential persons who have profoundly touched his life along the way. . . -------------------------------------------------- ADDITIONAL BUZZ: 'Greg Federico is a philosopher. He also is a musician. It's almost impossible to separate the two facets of who he is - and probably not necessary, because one enhances the other. Whether he's teaching, gathering in more academic knowledge, or composing, playing, or marketing his music, Greg Federico is constantly blending all those facets of who he is into one. It's just that blend of diversity that makes his music so interesting, entertaining and moving.' ~Janet Purcell Piggott (Hopewell Valley News) '. . .this man is very talented in a lot of areas. . .Federico. . .concentrates on the groove and creates support for the soloists. He avoids the cliché of playing predictable, repetitive rhythms. . .and his timing is flawless.' ~ Jack Grassel (Milwaukee City Edition) 'I can honestly say that (Greg Federico's) music is pleasantly surprising. While not invoking hard work for the ear to accept, it nevertheless provides an excellent mix of the expected and unexpected, rhythmically, melodically, and especially harmonically. I've often said that good music sets you up for the familiar, while consistently delivering the extraordinary. I found that to be true in (this) music.' ~ Fred Srock (Fredio.Com)

1) O.C. (Ocean City)
2) Bridges
3) Faith
4) Lonely Tree
5) Kathy's Samba
6) Still Waters
7) Your Soul Shines
8) The Promise
9) Beneath the Stars
10) A Special Place
11) Lullabye for Alexis
12) Live to Love Love to Live
13) Epilogue (A Final Prayer)