In jazz circles Sonny Greenwich is a legend. He is a demanding
performer totally dedicated to his art and uncompromising in
his standards. An innovator, who has created
his own distinct style for the guitar, he has many proteges,
both in jazz and rock music. Rock bands such as 'Pink Floyd'
and 'Genesis' have been influenced at some level by his music.
Born in Hamilton Ontario, Greenwich called Toronto home until
the late '60s. He has resided exclusively in Montreal since l974.
The press describes Greenwich's musical command as absolute,
his combination of serenity and power bring beauty and clarity
to every note he plays, which leaves his audiences enthralled
in reverent silence. Ultimately, it is the open expression and
caring in his music that people completely relate to. His network
of fans is as far reaching as the former Soviet Union.
This world-renowned jazz guitarist has played in major Canadian
and American cities including a concert at Carnegie Hall and
with such 'greats' as Miles Davis, Charles Lloyd, Wayne Shorter,
Pharoah Sanders, McCoy Tyner, Chick Corea, saxophonist John Handy
and Sun-Ra.
'Some critics regard (Greenwich) as the most important Canadian
jazzman' states the New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, New York, l988.
He has the distinction of being the only Canadian in Francis
Wolff's book of jazz photography, The Blue Note Years, 1995,
featuring legendary jazz artists from the Blue Note label. He
is listed as one of the '10 Best Canadian Jazz Musicians of All
Time' in the Canadian Book of Lists, l979. 'There is a deep emotion
and sincerity in Sonny's music ... and I consider him a really
rare kind of talent' writes Barney Kessel in The History of the
Guitar in Jazz, l983. Greenwich's prominence has him written
up in -- the Canadian Encyclopedia; Jazz in Canada: Fourteen
Lives, Mark Miller, 1982; Who's Who of Jazz in Montreal, John
Gilmore 1989; Jazz Lives: 100 Portraits in Jazz, Gene Lees, photographs
by John Reeves, l992 and featured in countless jazz magazines
and articles.
Greenwich first drew notice for his jazz style in the early sixties,
when both Horace Silver and Lee Morgan independently brought
Greenwich's name to the attention of Alfred Lion at Blue Note
Records. 1965 saw him in New York at the Village Vanguard with
saxophonist Charles Lloyd. Greenwich's reputation brought him
to the attention of saxophonist John Handy, with whom he played
from December l966 through March l967, in Seattle, San Francisco
and New York. Their concert appearance at Carnegie Hall, January
15th l967 was released on Columbia, 'Spirituals to Swing'. Also
in New York that year, Greenwich recorded with Lee Morgan and
saxophonist Hank Mobley on Mobley's album 'Third Season' for
Blue Note Records and was preparing to record for Milestone's
Orrin Keepnews when problems with his green card forced him to
return to Canada.
In l968 Greenwich led his own quartet composed of pianist Teddy
Saunders, bassist Jimmy Garrison and drummer Jack DeJohnette,
at the Village Vanguard in New York. December l969 he played
with Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea, David Holland and
Tony Williams at the Colonial Tavern, Toronto and the following
year played downbill to Miles Davis at Massey Hall. That year
Greenwich recorded his first album, with the CBC, 'The Old Man
and the Child". Greenwich made his second album, again with
the CBC, 'Sun Song' in l974, with his quintet of Don Thompson,
Richard Homme, Terry Clarke and Clayton Johnston. In l978 he
recorded 'EVOL-UTION, Love's Reverse' at Yellowfingers, Toronto,
on PM Records with Don Thompson, Gene Perla and Claude Ranger.
From l983 through l988, Greenwich with his quartet - Fred Henke,
Ron Seguin and Andre White,
performed at jazz festivals and in clubs in Montreal, Toronto,
Ottawa and New York as well as recording two albums on the Justin Time label. The
first 'Bird of Paradise' was released in l987 and the second
'Live at Sweet Basil' released in l988, was recorded during a
performance at the Greenwich Village Jazz Festival in New York
City. 'Live at Sweet Basil' was nominated in 1989 for a FELIX
in the Jazz Album of the Year category, at the ADISQ Awards in
Montreal.
In June 1989 Greenwich, with Margie Gillis, one of Canada's premiere
solo dance artists, were the star performers at a benefit concert.
Each artist performed independently with the finale being a collaborative
work for which Greenwich composed and arranged the music.
Describing his influences and early approach to music Greenwich
says: 'It started with Sonny Rollins. The way he played his tenor
sax. When I heard his big sound, I said to myself, this is what
I want to get on the guitar, this sound, this kind of feeling!
I went from there to Miles Davis and John Coltrane ... they led
me to start playing my instrument more like a horn than a guitar.
I was always searching into style back then. After reading, in
my late teens, statements made 
by
Charlie Parker, that he listened primarily to classical music,
I was moved to do the same. A practice I have continued to this
day. ... The solo structures of my playing were based on an interpretation
of the work of cubist artist Paul Klee, where I saw the fretboard
in diagrams, while my chordal approach was based on the music
of Ravel, Debussy, Hindemith, Red Garland and Bill Evans. I was
also interested in the control and timbre of the human voice,
and listened carefully to such singers as Maria Callas, and have
made studies on sound itself.'
Greenwich on his music states, 'I play a wide range, from ballads
to very fiery, very free pieces. It's like an ocean -- you have
to have the two things, the storm and the calm that comes after,
and the one thing helps the other express itself. It's music
that has a spiritual basis to it, which is trying to make people
feel good. Not some kind of a preaching but a feeling of beauty
I have, that I express so that some one else can feel it -- trying
to uplift them somehow.'
Beginning in late 1991 Greenwich decided to spend more time on
composition. In this vein he put together a quintet and sextet,
featuring saxophone and trumpet, as well as a nine-piece band,
with added trombone and percussion, for a series of productions
for CBC, 'Jazz Beat'. These productions, Greenwich's self proclaimed
foray into the 'mainstream', were released on CD in 1993, entitled
'Standard Idioms', resulting in both a JUNO & FELIX Nomination:
Best Mainstream Jazz Album.
In 1993 he participated in the Toronto Jazz Festival, in a collaboration
with Kenny Wheeler; as well as the Montreal Jazz Festival, leading
his own nine-piece band.
Late 1993 again marked a stylistic change, resulting in the SONNY
GREENWICH UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE BAND which he referred to as 'HEAVENLY
FLIGHTS OVER EARTHY RHYTHMS'. Greenwich foresaw this band evolving
to include changing band members and instrumentation, intending
to use it as the base from which stylistically varied music projects
would result. The JUNO nominated CD 'Hymn to the Earth' marked
the first recording of this concept.
1995 saw the re-emergence of Greenwich into the public arena in a
way not seen since the early '70s. He was busy with concert dates
(Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Hamilton, the Maritimes), recording sessions
(one as co-leader in a collaboration with his son, Sonny Greenwich
Jr. - lead guitarist of the funk-rock band Bootsauce)- entitled 'Welcome:
Mother Earth', a second as guest with Jane Bunnett and Alain Caron
on a session for the Cuban, Hilario Duran; a third, this time as leader
entitled 'Spirit in the Air' and a documentary dealing in part with
his unique career, 'It Ain't All Jazz', by Sussex Productions, aired
on Bravo in 1996 and CFCF in 1997.
1996, Greenwich formed within
the same band, a smaller group called 'Concepts' (an offshoot
of the Universal Language Band) performing with a free-er approach
to standards and compositions or solos, similar but not related
to Miles Davis in the 70's with Wayne, Herbie, Ron, etc., where
each musician is free to follow his own concept of what is taking
place in the song form. More of a collective improvisation. The
composition 'Free Form' on the new CD 'Spirit in the Air' is
an example of this approach.
'Spirit in the Air' was nominated
for a JUNO, 1997.
Greenwich performed with Kenny Wheeler
at the Montreal Bistro in Toronto in April 1997, and Jane Bunnett
performed with him during his concert at the Toronto Jazz Festival.
In 2000, Sackville Records released 'Days Gone By' featuring Greenwich
and Ed Bickert on guitar along with Don Thompson on bass and Terry
Clarke on drums.
2001 saw Greenwich with another CD release, from Cornerstone Records
called 'Fragments of a Memory' featuring many new compositions. During
this time he also performed club dates in Toronto and Montreal while
continuing to evolve as a composer adding many new compositions to
his repertoire.
In 2003, Greenwich recorded with Canadian jazz pianist Marilyn Lerner
releasing through CBC Records a CD entitled titled 'Special Angel',
which featured five new Greenwich compositions.
Performances in Toronto with his band
as well as shows with Marilyn Lerner also took place throughout 2003.
In October of 2004, the Sonny Greenwich/Marilyn
Lerner 'Special Angel' (CD, CBC Records) was the Winner in the Outstanding
Jazz Recording Category Western Canadian Music Awards held in Calgary,Alberta.
In 2005/2006, Greenwich performed
with his band at the Upstairs Club in Montreal, and with the Sonny
Greenwich and Marilyn Lerner Quintet at The Glenn Gould Studio in
Toronto. Greenwich was also featured as a guest artist on a new CD
by his sometime vocalist, Ernie Nelson entitled 'Just for the Beauty'
released by Kleo Records.
Recent concerts as a duo with Marilyn
Lerner took place at the National Library in Ottawa, The Jazz Festival
in Montreal and the Jazz Festival in Halifax.
In October of 2006 Greenwich became
a member of the Order of Canada for his exceptional contribution to
Canada and Canadians in the area of Performing Arts/Music.
Currently Kleo Records is producing
two new Cd's of Sonny's past concerts, the first one being 'The Missing
Link' featuring Greenwich and The Universal Languae Band recorded
live in Montreal during the mid 90's.
