Justsoul.net just posted their review of our new album, 'Universal Communication'. You can check it out there at http://www.justsoul.net/albums/albums36.htmuniversalcommunication.

Heres an exerp... Yell it from the hilltops!

"I'm sure we will be hearing much more from these high level and skilled, well-trained vocalists and musicians. The CD has solo moments from the instrumentalists and good lyrics. Greg Mayo may have lost the Groove from their name, but not from their music, they are rhythmically together in a funky, jazzy and soulful blend. The Greg Mayo Band, in their recording infancy is sounding good; with more variety and a smidgen of raw and gutsy passion, I feel they can do even better. I wish Greg and his band huge success with their funky debut CD. Well recommended." Tracey Cope [Just Soul]

Thanks! Check it out on iTunes or CdBaby. See you at the shows!

Well,
I might be the craziest workaholic in the world. I know its July 4th, and I'm sitting in a Starbucks back from my mini vacation on Long Beach Island, waiting to load in for a gig I have tonight at a country club... Thats me, the loser you see as you come into starbucks on your Vacation, sitting at his computer, obviously doing work.

Anyway, self-loathing aside... The news of the day is; We're On The Radio! Thats right, our song 'Love and Evolution' was played on 88.5 This past tuesday afternoon. "The Upper Room with Joe Kelly" played our record at around 6pm.
Also, our friend Dan Herman from "Dan Herman/Radio Crystal Blue....Indie freeform internet radio since October 2000." who's been playing our EP for some time now just began playing our material as well.

Good times all around, Happy Independence Day to all! We are finally free from the tyranny of.... um.. er... not being played on the radio!

So, feel free to email or call these shows to REQUEST OUR SONGS!!!! The more the better, its The American Way! Email Dan Herman at cblue456@optonline.net and "The Upper Room" at npsfunk@optonline.net.

SWEET,
Ok... Now I'm done working on my day off... See you around! I'm the guy on his computer, signing off.

Greg Mayo

"Welcome to MusicTown, may I service you?"

Check out our new album 'Universal Communication' on iTunes!! It was just posted, and not a moment too soon. Our first album release party is TONIGHT in Boston. Our second release party is TOMORROW NIGHT in Burlington. And the grand finale is on MAY 24 in New York City!

So, to recap, some shows coming up.. and OUR ALBUM IS ON ITUNES, GO CHECK IT OUT!!
just search The Greg Mayo Band.

Hey Everyone!
As you may have noticed, we have a bunch of new song up on this here myspace page. Please give them a listen and let us know what you think! They're off an album we're releasing late next month. Oohh yea, thats right; 'Universal Communication' will be released (finally) sometime in late May.
Our album release party will be held at our very own Bitter End in New York's Greenwich Village on May 24th. Come on out and get your very own copy of greatest album The Greg Mayo Band has ever released...
Thanks for stopping by, and let us know what you think!

Enjoy!

The Greg Mayo Band

Check out this review from the show we played a the Bitter End in August! It was written by Leslie Lehrman, she was blogging for Billboard Magazine Online at the time. - Enjoy, see you all soon!

August 29, 2007

8/24: Greg Mayo & The Groove @ The Bitter End, NYC

Throughout this awesome stint as a wanna be music journalist (by far one of the best summer's to date…thank you again Billboard), us bloggers have had the privilege of seeing (and hearing) some of the greatest live acts on today's concert circuit. Wanting to hit up as many big names as possible, it's easy to forget that some of the best live music is often that which is yet to be discovered by major record labels and concert promoters. Before my days of befriending security guards and unfairly weaseling my way in front of thousands of other screaming fans (being 5' does have it's advantages), my favorite Friday or Saturday nights were spent roaming (ok, stumbling) through NYC's own Greenwich Village in search of some great live music. So, with no official Billboard assignment on the schedule for the week, I pouted long enough to convince my hubby (who's been the ultimate co-concert trooper this summer) to go on a hunt for live music with me…after his rather sweaty softball game and before his post-game shower…like I said…trooper. As it's always bustling downtown on Friday night, we ventured back to Bleecker Street in the hopes of finding at least one blog-worthy band. Not so tough when you've got the Bitter End in your backyard! Oh how times have changed! Sipping Shiraz instead of guzzling G & T's and replacing otherwise unmentioned hand held objects with pen and paper (gotta keep it clean for the 'rents), we strategically positioned ourselves front and center in no other than "New York's Oldest Rock Club"…The Bitter End www.bitterend.com. If it was good enough for the likes of Bob Dylan, Neil Diamond, Joni Mitchell and Stevie Wonder (just to name a few), then it's good enough for this Mobile Beat Blogger. If legends like that got started there, and now I'm reporting from there…hmmmmm…could this be the start of…ok, I digress (and clearly daydream). The Bitter End, with its intimate nightclub ambiance and red brick walls, is not only a NYC Landmark (literally…it earned the title on 7/23/92) but a cornerstone in the world of American music at large.

We had no idea what type of music we were about to hear…not knowing a thing about any of the acts on the evening's line up, it was a virtual crap shoot. The big man at the door said Greg Mayo & The Goove www.gregmayo.net were good…what other credentials does a band (or potential concert goer) need, really. Let me set the record straight by assuring you this is not a group of college buddies banging on drums and guitars straight out of a jam session in mom's garage. With their front man and lead vocalist (obviously Greg Mayo) on keyboards, 2 sax men, a bassist and guitar player, a drummer and a hit-whatever-makes-noise percussionist spread out across the small stage, I could tell before they even started that these guys were no joke…legit musicians who were going to prove to be well-skilled and talented in their respective crafts. After hearing just the first song, "Ain't it the Truth," it was obvious that my friend at the door was on the money with his reco…and would have been justified in charging us way more than a mere $10 entry fee.

Listed second on the night's roster of about 5 acts definitely doesn't leave time for a band to ease into their set…starting off slowly and escalating into an all out musical frenzy before departing. But obviously Greg Mayo & The Groove, playing the Bitter End at least once a month, don't need me to tell them that. The band hit us right off the bat with an all instrumental song that saw alto sax and bass solos (c/o John Liotta and Chris Anderson) setting the mood for a funky, jazzy, soulful night of tunes. This first number allowed each player to show off his stuff with brief solos, but kept bringing them all back together on what was a really catchy hook, proving not only their individual talents, but their tightness as a band as well.


"Get it Going" introduced us to Greg Mayo's smooth vocals and catchy lyrics, as well as to the harmonizing backup vocals of guitarist Erik White. It was pretty impossible not to bounce in our seats along to the beats…and not wish we knew the words to sing along. My "family and friends" envy kicked in (as usual) when I saw some lip syncers dancing on the side of the stage. Mayo definitely knows how to sprinkle his songs with the perfect amount catchy lyrics so as to generate enough pop appeal without sacrificing the band's more jazz/soul foundation.

"Still Going On" and "The Flow" proved, without a doubt, that the white man does have rhythm…or at least some of us do. Scanning the stage, I wouldn't think that the tall, long-legged, four-eyed (I say that with the utmost endearment, as I think I've been sporting spectacles since birth) red head seated unassumingly in the back would be the funky one in the bunch…but alas, I sat at my table corrected, ashamed of my prejudgments and in awe of how many percussion instruments Ryan Vaughn could play at once. This guy totally funked up the back beat, whether it be by slamming on a slap box, shaking a tambourine, banging on a cowbell or doing all three at the same time! He was awesome!

"Waiting for You" was a soulful, ballad-esque song that really let Greg Mayo show off his powerful, even and emotionally charged voice (he's got the whole eyes squeezed shut during the belting out moments thing down pat). It was the first song of the night where I felt his lead vocals took center stage over the instruments…that is until White tore it up with a really bluesy guitar solo that perfectly complemented Mayo's despondent lyrics about love.

"Take Me Back" was placed perfectly in the set list. Not letting us lose too much steam from the previous slower tune (perhaps the only one of the night, actually), the band fully rocked out on this harder, more drum-driven number. Tons of jazz inspired solos from every player filled the song right up until the end when the guys once again finished it off on the same, solid note. If I had any gripe with the band, it would be that I wanted to see them go a little crazier with their jams. The guys' talents weren't in question…they were good…really good…and it was obvious they not only loved music, but loved to bring music to their listeners. But amid their smiles and jams, I was anxious to see and hear them loosen up a little, play out of the comfort zone of what seemed to be well-rehearsed improvs. In a nutshell, they were almost too good! Too tightly in sync with one another. I couldn't help but think that maybe Greg Mayo & The Groove were getting too big for this famous yet familiar Bitter End stage and were in need of some more space and freedom to accomodate their huge sound and abilities.

"I Don't Know" was a really upbeat, well harmonized tune that definitely got me singing along to the catchy chorus by the end, not to mention clapping along to the beat with the rest of the newfound fans in the audience. "Inside Your Mind," had a kind of New Orleans-y feel that really showcased the band's soulful/bluesy side. Heavy on the keyboard, drums and saxes, it was hard to shake images of Maceo Parker or even Stevie Wonder. For a bunch of early 20 something guys clad in well-worn in jeans and T's, they were (as my other frequent concert companion Yael so eloquently put it) "totally pulling off a funky/jazzy/r&b sound." Mayo again proved to be a stellar and quite comfortable front man, singing rather than screaming his lyrics with just enough power to express himself not at the expense of the great musicians on stage with him.

The guys brought up a guest sax man on "Follow" that got the room howling, and they finished their set with "Maybe" that gave a real feel for their sense of rhythm and over all musicianship. Every great band needs a signature cover, and Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer" might just be it for Greg Mayo & The Groove. Not crossing the line over to a cheesy, karaoke rendition, the guys did a great job with funking up this classic. And it was very cool to hear a little more fire in Mayo's voice as he belted out the vocals.

Any GOOD band or musician sounds better live, right? So of course at the end of the night, impressed and completely pleased with what we just heard, we had to show our support and buy some $5 CDs. But, as we walked out, we laughed about how "so different" (otherwise read as: worse) these "random" live bands can sound the next day when you listen to their studio cuts. Putting Greg Mayo & The Groove to the test, we popped their 5 track disc (extended play) into the CD changer for our drive home…and I haven't taken it out yet.

Hey all,

    Our EP (extended play) is now available on iTunes!... If you want to check it out, just open up iTunes and search Greg Mayo and the Groove.  Its only $4.95!!!

Thanks -
Greg Mayo and The Groove

Hey all, our EP (extended play) has been reviewed by British online publication JustSoul.net.  Heres what they had to say, (feel free to read it over and over and over again):

     "This EP makes you want to hear more, recorded and produced by Greg Mayo himself.  You can tell this is not just a band, but a group of fine musicians who have studied and love their music and want you, the listener to enjoy it too.  If you like Funk with a slither of Jazz and a whole handful of Soulful Rock (witha psychedelic edge), you will love it.  Energised musicians who know their music, a clasic sound with a fresh twist of youthful spiciness."  ... and so on and so on.

To read the whole review, go to www.justsoul.net and scroll down on the home page, were the first review in the Album Review section!

-See you all soon!!!

Ohh yea, (extended play), our new EP is now available online at CDBaby! as well as at our shows. The songs listed on our MySpace page are all on the record. Hope you all enjoy it!

Hey all, we got new songs up. Check em out - they're from a new EP were releasing in a few weeks called (extended play). If you like what you hear, you can buy it at shows for $5, or through our website, www.gregmayo.net . Thanks, Greg and the Groove