Sunday Serenades: Matinee Performances with Timeless Charm. From the smooth sounds of jazz to the grandeur of Classical Crossovers and Broadway classics, this series invites you to enjoy an afternoon of elegant and exhilarating music.
Piccolo remains in top form, 60+ years of non-stop performing. Many consider Greg as one of the premier tenor sax players of his time. Now, at age 75, Piccolo brings full circle his passion for songwriting and has taken center stage as a lead singer. Supporting his new release, “Who Knows What the Future Holds”, Greg exposes his alternate career as a singer-songwriter, unleashing songs written over the past 30 plus years. These songs and his on-stage delivery capture a lifetime of experience including the highs and lows, the grit and grace, personal regrets and resilience all presented with wit, emotional clarity and honest passion with every word and every note.
Piccolo’s shows swing between rhythm & blues originals, rock & roll, traditional jazz, and blues – even a sprinkle of reggae and world music rhythms may sneak in. His performances are spontaneous, no set list, no plan…a true artistic presentation straight from his core.
Greg has a long and fascinating history, starting his first band in Westerly, RI at age 13. He spent twenty-five years as an integral member of the world-famous horn section with Roomful of Blues. After departing Roomful in 1994, he is now entering a third decade with his own band, Heavy Juice. May 2024 marked the celebration of his 60th year as a performing artist.
Greg has meticulously captured the subtle nuances of his tenor sax mentors, Illinois Jacquet, Lester Young, Ben Webster, Red Prysock, and others of that era when sax was king, while adding his own unique style and phrasing to create an unforgettable musical experience.
Piccolo’s unique vocal delivery serves every song rendered in the best possible way. Greg’s current performance format ranges from a 4-piece ensemble including organ/piano/bass, drums, guitar and Greg on lead vocals and sax. With the addition of a three-piece horn section the band can accommodate larger stages and festival settings.
Greg is a multi-nominated Blues Music Award nominee by the Memphis based Blues Foundation, and an inductee into the New England Music Hall of Fame. Greg has recorded with and/or shared the stage with a litany of notables including Pat Benetar, Steve Ray Vaughan, Jimmie Vaughan and Tilt -A-Whirl, Eric Clapton, Big Joe Turner, Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson, just to mention a few.
“Piccolo wails with wild abandon… resurrecting the sound and spirit of the legendary R&B sax heroes of the 50s.” -Michael Point
“...the best songwriter in the jump blues style since the genres heyday in the 30s and 40s” -Geoffrey Himes
“...Piccolo has a passel of original music that molds modern funk, rock, soul, and rhythm and blues into a sizzling contemporary blend.” -Jay N. Miller
