Greg Manning

Greg Manning is the former keyboardist and music director for GRAMMY Award-nominated artist Jonathan Butler… and keyboardist for Mindi Abair, Gerald Albright, Will Downing, Richard Elliot, Brian McKnight, Chante Moore, and Kirk Whalum, just to mention a few. After touring extensively for ten years throughout the U.S., Europe, South Africa, and the U.K., Greg made a conscious decision to come off the road. Not too long thereafter, he started composing music for film and television. As an artist, his own music is the union of jazz, soul, and funk… and has been described as “Soul-Jazz at its best”… which can be heard on his album “Sugar and Spice,” which was released on Kalimba Records. The title track went on to spend 20 weeks on the charts rising to #5 on Billboard. Most recently his chart topping single “Top Down” was celebrated as Billboard’s 2019 Smooth Jazz Song of the Year. Roberto Restuccia has established himself among the upper echelon of high-octane smooth jazz guitar cats with his Top 15 Billboard chart hits “Arrival” and“ Love Crazy,” from his 2021 Trippin N’ Rhythm debut With Every Turn. As a self-taught guitarist, Restuccia likes to say he went to the “University of Slash,” learning to play from VCR recordings of concerts by Guns N’ Roses and Pearl Jam. Restuccia credits the evolution of his jazz and blues sensibilities to influential figures like Chuck Loeb, George Benson, Larry Carlton, Ronnie Jordan, Jeff Golub and, perhaps most importantly, Robben Ford “whose tones spoke more personally to me.” Teased by the slammin’, brassy funked out, party-ready (and perfectly titled) lead single “Stand Up!,” the UK based artist’s latest label release Lounge Katz, offers a master class in the balance of sassy, crackling jazz-rock-blues with lush, nuanced balladry that touches on the gentler, but no less soulful side of his evolving artistry. Breaking free from the status quo, Restuccia blasts through the boundaries with all the gritty, bluesy passion he’s got, playing his guitar in a way that’s rare among even the most renowned artists in the genre. Restuccia makes the guitar talk, expressive, authentic…..”I’m not aiming for perfection because to me, perfection lies in the imperfection.”