Projects
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The Phil DeGreg Trio
Brasilia
Jazz@First Concert Series
Queen City Vintage Vibe
Hymnprovisation
Phil DeGreg / Joe Lukasik Duo
Phil DeGreg Trio
The Phil DeGreg Trio has been a recognized performing group and mainstay of the jazz scene in southern Ohio since 1988. They are currently in residence at the Dee Felice Café in Covington, Kentucky every Sunday night since 2009. From 1991 to 2007 they accompanied many national and international jazz artists in at Cincinnati’s famous Blue Wisp Jazz Club. They have received two of the Cincinnati Enquirer’s prestigious “Cammy” Awards and five CityBeat Cincinnati Entertainment Award nominations in the jazz category.
The trio performs in many styles ranging from jazz and Brazilian classics, to contemporary remakes of Beatles and Stevie Wonder music. In the Greater Cincinnati area, the Phil DeGreg Trio has performed in countless jazz concerts at Xavier University, CCM, the Public Library, on Fountain Square, and many churches, retirement communities and other venues. You can hear their recording of Harold Arlen’s “Come Rain or Come Shine” as the theme music for WVXU’s “Around Cincinnati” program every Sunday night. The current trio has been together for eleven years, and includes bassist Aaron Jacobs and drummer John Taylor, both highly in-demand players and on the faculty of CCM.
Aaron Jacobs is a very busy upright and electric bassist in Cincinnati, OH. He studied at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) where he graduated with a degree in jazz performance and is now adjunct professor. He plays all over the region in styles ranging from jazz, rock, latin, funk, to classical and musicals. He is a regular member of the Phil DeGreg Trio, Brasilia, John Zappa’s “Now Hear This”, Hickory Robot, and the Rick VanMatre Quintet.
John Taylor is a freelance drummer, composer, arranger, and adjunct professor in the Commercial Music Production program at CCM. John studied at Berklee College of Music and later earned a B.A. in Music Education from Wright State University. In addition to drums and percussion, he also plays piano, guitar, and electric bass and arranges for competitive high school marching bands and percussion groups throughout the Midwest. John maintains a busy performance calendar playing in a wide variety of Jazz, Pop, and World styles. He performs regularly the Phil DeGreg Trio, Brasilia, Puzzle of Light, and as leader of his own trio in Dayton.
Recordings by this group (click to view in shop):
Brasilia
Brasilia is a samba/jazz group that performs classic Brazilian repertoire. Phil started the band after returning from his semester-long Fulbright Fellowship in Brazil in 2008. The band has appeared regularly at the Greenwich Tavern in recent years, as well as the Blue Wisp, the Cactus Pear, Xavier University, the Jazz Education Network annual convention, and other regional locations. Some of our repertoire can be heard on Phil’s CDs Brazilian People, Brasilia, and Amazonas. Below are some sample tracks from the band's CD. Purchase the CD in the online shop.
Jazz@First Concert Series
Phil founded the Jazz@First Concert Series in 2016, under the umbrella of the Cincinnati Contemporary Jazz Orchestra, a 501(C3) educational organization. The concerts feature thematic/educational presentations by Phil and mostly Cincinnati musicians, in addition to frequent visiting artists. The concerts always occur on Sunday afternoons from 2-4 at the First Unitarian Church, Linton and Reading in Cincinnati. The space is intimate and sounds marvelous. All concerts are acoustic (no microphones) and the admission price includes wine and cheese snacks during the intermission, along with social mixing.
Jazz@First Concerts are themed based, and have included fresh renditions of music associated with these artists: Dave Brubeck. The Beatles, Bill Evans, Cole Porter, Jelly Roll Morton. Thelonious Monk, Horace Silver, Chick Corea, Benny Goodman, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Nat King Cole, and Cannonball Adderley, and Billy Strayhorn, among others. Visiting guest artists have included: Conrad Herwig, Alan Barnes, Harry Allen. Bruno Mangueira, Paul Keller, Scott Robinson, Andy Brown, Charlie Young, Byron Stripling, Hal Melia, Janelle Reichman, and others.
View the upcoming schedule and information about The Jazz@First Series and the Cincinnati Contemporary Jazz Orchestra.
Queen City Vintage Vibe
Queen City Vintage Vibe is a trio that performs classic traditional American jazz music from the early 20th century. They specialize in music performed by artists like Jellyroll Morton, Bix Beiderbeck, Louis Armstrong, Eddie Condon and others. Joe Lukasik, clarinet, and Sally Lukasik, trumpet, join Phil to play music that is both fun for listeners and challenging for us. Joe and Sally have been in the front line of Cincinnati’s Buffalo Ridge Jazz Band since the early 90’s, and are veterans of many national traditional jazz festivals.
Below are some live audio clips:
Hymnprovisation
Hymnprovisation is a CD collection of jazz arrangements of hymns and praise songs, on which he performs in a solo, duo (with my daughter on violin) and trio format. Phil is a Christian believer, and enjoys performing in church services on Sundays or in other related concert activities. Below are some sample tracks from the CD. Purchase the CD in the online shop.
Joe Lukasik / Phil DeGreg Duo
Phil DeGreg and virtuoso jazz clarinetist Joe Lukasik have enjoyed performing traditional jazz music together as a duo for many years. Their interaction is telepathic. They play music ranging from New Orleans classics of Jellyroll Morton to the swing era gems of Benny Goodman to Brazilian traditional choro repertoire, as well as the American Songbook. Joe performed with the legendary Horace Henderson band, and is a mainstay of the Cincinnati jazz scene. He is the clarinetist with the Buffalo Ridge Jazz Band and performs frequently with the highly acclaimed Faux Frenchman.
Below are some audio clips of Phil and Joe together: