Music Career

The Music of Gregg Simpson can be found at Condition West Recordings

Downloads, CD's and Vinyl Lp's

EDUCATION: 

Classical Piano (Grades 1-6): 1954-58, with Kathleen Gorman, West Vancouver.
1961: Junior High School Band and West Vancouver Community Orchestra Dance Band

Drum Studies: 1962-65: Jim Blackley's Drum Village, Vancouver

Club gigs and sessions with Frank Foster, Chris Gage, Flip Nunez, Jack Wilson,
Philly Joe Jones, Don Thompson, P. J. Perry, Glenn MacDonald, Ron Proby, Brian Barley and Al Neil. 

The Al Neil Trio, Intermedia, 1968
photo courtesy of Michael de Courcy

With the New Dimension Jazz Trio, 1964-'65

ENSEMBLES

 1964: New Dimension Jazz Trio - Don French, marimba/ Andreas Naumann or Richard Anstey, bass/ Gregg Simpson, drums 

1965-70:
Al Neil Trio - Al Neil, piano, voice, toy instruments, zither/ Richard Anstey, bass,soprano sax, toy instruments, voice/ Gregg Simpson, drums, percussion, toy instruments, sound collages.

Double CD: Retrospective 1965-1968, released in 2002
1970-71:
Vitaphone Houseband - Alan Sharpe, guitar/ Tom Hazlitt, bass/ Gregg Simpson, drums
New Atlantis Houseband - Alan Sharpe, guitar/ Richard Anstey, soprano sax, Gregg Simpson, drums

1972:
Al Neil Jazz Probe (Quartet) - Al Neil, piano/ Richard Anstey, soprano sax/ Annie Seigel, alto sax,flute/ Gregg Simpson, drums. Al Neil Jazz Probe Orchestra - Al Neil, piano/ Richard Anstey, soprano sax/ Annie Seigel, alto sax, flute/ Nelson Lepine, electric guitar/ Phil Morgan, Fender bass/ Gregg Simpson, drums

1973:
Bruce Freedman Trio -  Bruce Freedman, tenor,alto sax/ Lincoln Goines, bass/ Gregg Simpson, drums 

Apex - Bill Runge, sax, bass/ Gordon Waters, trombone/ Richard Murphy, guitar/ Lincoln Goines, bass/ Gregg Simpson, drums

1974-75:
Sunship Ensemble - Ross Barrett, tenor sax, flute, keyboards/ Richard Anstey, soprano sax/ Bruce Freedman, tenor sax, Alan Sharpe, guitar/ Clyde Reed, bass/ Gregg Simpson, drums.

                                                  Sunship Ensemble opening for Keith Jarrett
                                                  at the Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, 1974.

1976: 
Vancouver Sound Ensemble - Bruce Freedman, tenor sax/ Paul Plimley, piano/ John Giordano, bass/ Gregg Simpson, drums 

Vancouver Sound Ensemble, Burnaby Art Gallery, 1976

(Bruce Freedman, tenor saxophone; Gregg Simpson, drums)

1977:
Rio Bumba - Bruce Freedman, tenor sax/ Gerry Silver, guitar/ Albert St. Albert, conga/ Lisle Ellis, bass/Gregg Simpson, drums.

1977-80 
New Orchestra Quintet - Paul Cram, alto, tenor sax/ Ralph Eppel, trombone/  Paul Plimley, piano/ Lisle Ellis, bass/ Gregg Simpson, drums

1978:
C.O.R.D. Orchestra - Various members of the New Orchestra Workshop

1979:
Sessione Milano - Don Druick, flute/ Paul Cram, alto, tenor sax/ Jane Phillips, cello/ Paul Plimley, piano/ Lisle Ellis, bass/ Gregg Simpson, percussion

1980:
A- Group - Paul Cram, alto, tenor sax, flute/ Ralph Eppel, trombone, trumpet/ Bob Bell. guitar, alto sax/ Gregg Simpson, drums

1981:
Paul Cram Quartet -  Paul Cram, tenor sax/ Paul Plimey, piano, vibraphone/ Lisle Ellis, bass/ Gregg Simpson, drums 

E.S.B. - Ralph Eppel, trombone, trumpet, electric bass/ Bob Bell, guitar, electric bass, alto sax/ Gregg Simpson, drums, percussion

1982 - 83:
Paul Cram Trio - Paul Cram, alto, tenor sax/ Lisle Ellis - electric bass/ Gregg Simpson, drums

1983-84:
Motion - Coat Cooke, tenor sax/ Paul Plimley, piano/ Clyde Reed, bass/ Gregg Simpson, drums

1985-92:
Lunar Adventures - Coat Cooke, tenor, alto sax/ Ron Samworth, guitar/ Clyde Reed, bass/ Gregg Simpson, drums

1985-87:
Vancouver Art Trio - Bruce Freedman, tenor sax/ Clyde Reed, bass/ Gregg Simpson, drums

The Vancouver Art Trio

Centre Culturel Colombien, Vancouver, 1986

1986 - 1989
Paul Plimley Trio - Paul Plmley, piano/ Clyde Reed, bass/ Gregg Simpson, drums

1992-1995
Henry Boudin Trio - Henry Boudin, tenor sax/ Clyde Reed, bass/ Gregg Simpson, drums

1993-1994
Tribal Dynamics - Francois Houle,soprano sax, clarinet/ Bruce Freedman, soprano sax, Dan Kane, tenor sax/ Ralph Eppel, tombone, trumpet, percussion/ Brad Muirhead, sousaphone, trombone/ Clyde Reed, bass/ Gregg Simpson, drums, percussion

     Tribal Dynamics in Concert
       du Maurier Jazz Festival, Granville Island, 1994 

Tribal Dynamics

 Pitt International Gallery,1993

1992-99:
Ralph Eppel Quintet - Ralph Eppel, trombone, trumpet/ Olrecht Zeitek - tenor sax/ Tony Wilson, guitar/ Danny Parker, bass (also  James Young or Paul Blaney, bass)  Gregg Simpson, drums

2002:
Module - Coat Cooke-tenor/alto saxophone / Clyde Reed-bass/ Gregg Simpson-drums

2006:
Coat Cooke-tenor/alto saxophone / Paul Blaney-bass/ Gregg Simpson-drums

2008/2009:
Collage, Homage to Al Neil / Sound Gallery - Vivien Houle, vocalist / Paul Plimley-piano, Stefan Smulovits, electronics and viola, Clyde Reed, bass/ Gregg Simpson, drums / Krista Lomax, visuals.

20011/2012:
Sound Image Net - Carole Sawyer, vocalist / Jarrod Burrows - guitar / Clyde Reed, bass / Gregg Simpson, drums / Krista Lomax, visuals.

2015:
Sound Image Net - Carole Sawyer, vocalist / Jarrod Burrows - guitar / Paul Cram - reeds / Ralph Eppel - trombone / Clyde Reed, bass / Gregg Simpson, drums
 

Compositions

1993:      Runningboard Rag, The Herky Jerk

1992:         La Pasionara

1989:      Jou Jouka Jig, Reelin' In

1988:      Stone's Throw, Song of the Soil

1987:      Cairn

1986:      Mirage Dance

1985:      Solomon, Harmolodic Highlanders, Celtic Calypso

1984:      Canyon Suite, Basement Blues, The Fever, Green Mansions

1983:      Paganology, Night Rider, Oscillation

1982:      Forest City Blues, Duende, Loopfinder, Symbolist Waltz #2;

              Strange Air, Blue Orient

1981:      Seein' it Through

1979:      Budapest Steppe, Slow Curve

1978:      Public Nuance, Symbolist Waltz #1, Projections, Samba del Oro

1977:      Blues on Pluto