Greg Howard (musician)

Greg Howard
Background information
Born	1964 Washington, DC
Origin	Charlottesville, Virginia
Occupation(s)	Musician, songwriter
Instruments	Chapman Stick, Keyboards, Saxophone
Website	www.greghoward.com

Greg Howard (born 1964 in Washington, DC) is a Chapman Stick player from Charlottesville, Virginia. Originally a keyboardist and saxophonist, Greg took up the Stick in 1985. Early recordings include collaborations as Sticks and Stones with guitarist Tim Reynolds.

He has appeared with Dave Matthews Band on two albums (Remember Two Things, 1993, and Before These Crowded Streets, 1998) and in several Dave Matthews Band concerts.^[1] He has also collaborated with Dave Matthews Band saxophonist LeRoi Moore.

In 1999 Greg formed the Greg Howard Band with Dutch musicians Jan van Olffen, Jan Wolfkamp, and Hubert Heeringa. Their first album, Lift, was released in 2000.

Greg travels often to teach at Stick seminars in North America and Europe. He has also written two method books and an instructional DVD for the Stick: The Stick Book, Volume One, published by Stick Enterprises in 1997, and The Greg Howard Songbook, published by Greg in 2009 and "Basic Free Hands Technique" DVD, released in 2011.

Discography

Studio releases

• Sticks and Stones: A Collection of Spontaneous Improvisations, 2001 (cassette 1987)

Greg's first record. Improvisations with electric guitar virtuoso Tim Reynolds.

• Stick Figures, 1993

12 solo Stick compositions, remastered and re-released in 1999.

• Shapes, 1994

Duets and trios with drums, percussion, guitar, trumpet. Jazz, Beatles, more...

• Code Magenta, 1995

"Groove Poetry" with vocalist Dawn Thompson and saxophonist LeRoi Moore.

2002 remastered version now available.

• Sticks and Stones, Transmigration, 1996

Tim Reynolds and Greg jam on all sorts of instruments. Remastered in July, 2005.

• Sol, 1997

Greg leads a group of Charlottesville jazz musicians on these eight Latin and Spanish-influenced instrumentals, with Tim Reynolds, John D'earth, Darell Rose and more...

• Water on the Moon, 1998

A live solo one-hour Stick improvisation. Remastered 2001.

• Lift, 2000

The debut CD by the new Greg Howard Band.

• Ether Ore, 2005

Live sonic expeditions on The Chapman Stick.

Gear

Chapman Stick

• Rosewood 10-string (1995)
  • Standard SE Stickup
  • Baritone Melody/Standard Bass tuning

• Paduak 12-string (2000)
  • "The Block" pickup
  • Matched Reciprocal tuning

Rack

• Lexicon MPX-G2 (Stick melody)
• Rane SP-13 (pre-amp melody, mix all)
• TC Electronics Fireworx (Stick bass)
• Boss VF-1/Boss SE-70 (bass/melody)
• SWR SM-400 (preamp bass, power all)

Pedals

• double switch for Fireworx
• volume pedal for bass side (Fireworx)
• Lexicon MPX-R1
• Shape Shifter(TM) (MIDI pressure pad)
• Boss FC-50 MIDI control for SE-70
• two on/off switches for SE-70
• volume pedal for melody side (SE-70)
• expression pedal for Fireworx

Other

• The Stick Book, Volume I

References

External links

• Official website
• Greg Howard discography at MusicBrainz