Gregg Karukas

Grammy winning keyboardist/composer and Gregg Karukas is enjoying the rare accomplishment of 2 consecutive #1 hit songs from his stellar CD release "Soul Secrets". His song, "Rio Drive", was also named the #1 SONG OF THE YEAR 2015 by the Smooth Jazz Top 20. It follows "Elegant Nights" which hit the top of the charts in January of 2015. The Smooth Jazz Top 20 just named his 3rd single, "Only You" the  #5 SONG OF THE YEAR 2016.

Organic, funky, and melodic is how Gregg describes his latest, long awaited 12th solo project, Soul Secrets. Gregg's elegant grand piano and tasteful grooves are everywhere, and this time around he digs into his roots with the classic Fender Rhodes, Wurlie, Minimoog and Hammond B3 keyboards he grew up with in Bowie, MD. Guest appearances by friends Rick Braun, Euge Groove, Ricardo Silveira, Eric Valentine, Nate Phillips, Michael O'Neill, and 24 year old rising sax star Vincent Ingala add to Karukas' instantly recognizable sound, while constantly exploring a wide range of styles and grooves.
Look for a new project soon featuring some new/old sounds for Gregg, as he has been developing material based on the classic organ trio/quartet format. Soul Jazz for the 21st century.

......."Gregg Karukas’ music is the epitome of class and elegance…he’s got such a nuanced touch on the piano, and his compositions are always so satisfying. Add in a great ability to communicate live, and you have an all-around great talent." 
  Dave Koz---

A prolific, genre-crossing veteran of Smooth Jazz, Brazilian, and R&B/Pop, Gregg received his Grammy award in 2013 for producing, composing, playing all keyboards, arranging....and engineering the Echoes of Love CD, which won Best New Age Album. His 12 solo CDs have garnered consistently solid airplay and reviews; and his musical versatility, easygoing nature and professional work ethic is what has kept him in demand as a musical director (Dave Koz Cruises) and keyboardist in the company of the top acts in the Smooth Jazz and R&B pop genres for decades, touring with Boney James, Peter White, Rick Braun, Dave Koz, Melissa Manchester, Larry Carlton, Sergio Mendes, Shelby Flint, Brenda Russell, Jeffrey Osborne and featured with various Allstar groups in recent years. He has received multiple Best Keyboardist nominations at the Oasis and National Smooth Jazz Awards and his recurrent radio hits,  "Elegant Nights"(#1), "Rio Drive" (#1), "Girl in the Red Dress" (#4) "Nightshift" (#1), and Jessy J.'s #1 hit "Tropical Rain" showcase Gregg's funky, melodic compositional style familiar to his fans.

"People say my music sounds romantic and uplifting - and I look so happy on stage," Gregg says. "It's totally true. For me, the best music comes out of an inner feeling of either intense happiness or sadness. I always try to stay faithful to that original inspiration, because that is where the true 'sound of emotion' comes from."
As a key player in the emergent LA Smooth Jazz scene, Gregg's late '80's bands and CD's included young undiscovered sax talents Dave Koz, Gary Meek and yes, Boney James, before his breakout Warner Brothers deal. As a founding member of The Rippingtons,  Gregg suggested Dave Koz for the signature, expressive EWI (wind synthesizer) sound heard on the genre defining Moonlighting CD and the rest is Smooth Jazz history. When Dave began his own Dave Koz and Friends at Sea Cruise in 2011, he asked Gregg to be Musical Director and together they established what has become one of the ultimate "destination concert" events. 

Gregg honed his multi-keyboard, synth programming, songwriting and album production skills in the studios and clubs of Washington, DC, paying dues thru the late -70's with Jazz/Fusion groups Tim Eyermann and East Coast Offering and Natural Bridge. Since moving to Los Angeles in late 1982, his first major sessions were playing synthesizers and bass lines for Rockwell's Motown Gold Album "Somebody's Watching Me", then arranging and playing the theme songs to Disney's Ducktales and Chip and Dale's Rescue Rangers. While doing lots of TV/Film music sessions, (Cheers, Stand and Deliver, Life Goes On, Mr. Wrong) Gregg kept developing his own original contemporary jazz catalog on the LA club scene and The Gregg Karukas Group became the house band for It's Garry Shandling's Show on Showtime.

His solo career began in LA with the Nightowl CD in 1987 and thru 11 CDs he has stayed true to his "no covers" policy. Gregg's uplifting attitude shows in his concerts, as he has emerged over the years as one of the genre's most dynamic and inspiring live performers since he took the stage in 1987 with the original Rippingtons at the very first Jazztrax Catalina Jazz Festival. He has returned to Catalina as a headliner 4 times and dozens of times as a member of various bands. Most recently, Gregg has taken his ever present smile and energetic, show around the world to Java Jazz in Jakarta, London, Manila and The Mallorca (Spain) Smooth Jazz festival.