We wanted to share the fact that guitarist/composer Gregg Belisle-Chi (who’s performed with Bill Frisell, Cuong Vu, Steve Swallow, Reid Anderson to name a few) is releasing his third as a leader, ensō, with this guitar/ elec. bass/ drums trio of floating rock, contemporary classical, open-air jazz music while relating to the Zen idea of wabi-sabi, or the beauty in the imperfection of all things. The latter represents a sort of transitory perfection; not that the practitioner has reached perfection, but that the moment was perfect.
And during this pandemic and not knowing what the future holds, a few months back Gregg started hand-drawing mini books on a variety of subjects from Paul Motian to Bill Frisell to Sun Ra, and including “non-musical” subjects like “when sleep evades you”.
Releases on Oct. 3rd ’20 (Bandcamp Friday!)
Digitally & one-of-a-kind mini-zines by Gregg
What folks have said about Gregg and his composition style:
“Gregg plays the electric guitar with a monk’s integrity, patience and attention to detail. Each note is rendered with a delicate and flawless touch and the music unfolds moment by moment as a deeply considered and crafted work of individual art.” – Keith Ganz
“On this expansive and ambitious album, Gregg Belisle-Chi strikes an engaging balance between lyricism and dissonance, with strong performances from everyone involved. Highly recommended.” – Ben Monder
“Meticulously written material within a thoroughly thought out form, this music takes the listener through a multitude of landscapes that are painted with mesmerizing harmonies. What’s not to like? Gregg and his bandmates’ deliver a captivating journey.“ – Cuong Vu
“To be explored straightaway, this is a stylistically elegant album that oozes beauty both in concept and execution, making us luxuriate in its immersive sonorities.” – Jazz Trail
