GENE GREGORY

CINDY CALLINSKY REVIEW

A good friend of mine and wonderful author, Cindy Callinsky wrote a rave review of some of my songs off of my debut cd, "Looking Foward". Please take a moment to read the wonderful words she has written then go check Cindy out @ www.myspace.com/rearviewmirrorbook. Her book is a true life story of love and pain and making it through to the end. It is a great read.

Amy's Song:

This is about finally letting go and taking a chance. We spend so much time as a society being afraid of being hurt that we pass good things up for fear of what they may bring. While we concentrate on the "Maybe bad" we miss out on so many fabulous things.

This is about a man that finally stopped running. I would guess that no mater what the outcome was… he wouldn't take it back, ever!

Everything:

Making mistakes and trying to fix them but not knowing exactly how. Wanting nothing more than to be loved by the woman he loves but having no idea how to make it happen because he doesn't know what he has done wrong.

Woman: Believe it or not, men truly can't read our minds.

Looking Forward:

This song was really hard for me to hear because I was swept away with the guitar. I mean totally swept away. I just absolutely love the guitar and the passion that bleeds through. I listened over and over again and ended up getting engrossed in the melody the guitar was singing every time I listened.

Out of Line:

Out of all the songs on his album this is the one that had to be hardest to share. These are all of the things I have felt for Jimmy over the years and lord knows that is even hard for me to say.

Wedding Band:

This is about someone finding truelove and acknowledging that they have a pact with another for life.
After all, we do require love to survive. Not only do we need to be loved we have to feel love. If it weren't for feeling love there would be no purpose in life.
I know I am loved by my family but they are so far away I don't really feel it. I know I am loved by my son and I feel it everyday. Because of my son and the way he makes me feel, I want to be the truest person I can. He keeps me going. Everyone needs someone. Without someone we would be nothing.
What makes this album worth it? As the title expresses…, he is Looking Forward. It's upbeat and honest with a guitar that sounds like a symphony. He is sharing a time in his life that is full of content, happiness, and love.
~Cindy Callinsky - Cindy Callinsky

Here’s an act The Boss(Springsteen) would hire. Baltimore native Gene Gregory is a singer/songwriter with a predilection for penning tunes with melancholic verses flanked by uplifting, major-key refrains. Gene hails from the OAR school of acoustic rasp-rock. In fact, Gene’s voice sounds like a more unrestrained, undercooked version of OAR lead singer Marc Roberge’s throaty growl.

-Joe Master
The Islander
Jerseyshore.com
- Joe Master - The Islander

From Static Chain:

"Every week Static Chain selects an "artist of the week" based on the number of unique clicks an act receives. This weeks top honors go to "Gene Gregory," a solo performer with a demanding vocal prowess. Soulful and powerful; vulnerable and passionate. Couple that with his dynamic percussive power and command of the guitar and he is unstoppable. Well crafted and melodic songwriting brings it all together, and catching a live performance just might leave you awestruck. The depth of Gene's music is constantly at war with the wit and humor he brings to his on and off stage personality. Who wins that war? Those who are privileged to hear his songs. Gene recently signed to Muted records, a Seattle based Independent label. You probably know Gene because he is always frequenting his Static Chain page and connecting with other artists and listeners. Wonder if that had anything to do with this honor. Might be a good place to start.... "
- Jason McKay - Static Chain

http://baltimoreathome.com/dct/54/id/6606/mid/1708/Gene-Gregory---Looking-Forward.aspx


Gene Gregory - Looking Forward By: Brian Campbell

Gene Gregory - Looking Forward
Gene Gregory
Looking Forward
www.genegregorymusic.com

If there is anything you take away from music, I think it is the fact that you can tell something about a person from the music they play. In the case of Gene Gregory, after listening to his Looking Forward record, I believe he is a soulful, honest and caring person. Well, you can clearly tell that his music is honest, so that seems to be a fairly good assumption to make.

Gregory also participates in various charities, while volunteering his time to such causes as entertaining the soldiers and sailors serving our country, and sponsoring a child with Cystic Fibrosis through Project Child Smiles. It’s nice to see that he is giving back almost as much as he is taking away. This furthers my assumption about character.

Gregory croons and wails through Looking Forward, as his subtle, yet piercingly gritty voice rises above his powerful guitar playing. His words are hopeful, his music optimistic. He weaves stories like tapestries through his oft-emotional lyrics, and it is pretty evident that Gregory is a man on some type of mission. He has a purpose, both in life and through his music, and that is something that comes across in his music. He sings about memories, heartbreak and love, and really does a nice job weaving all of those topics together.

This is just a guy and his guitar, and it works. Gregory avoided the pitfall most singer/songwriters don’t, and that is releasing long records. Remember back in school in math class when your teacher would tell you that if you can find the right answer in less work, then go ahead? Well, Looking Forward is the answer, and its nine tracks is the work. It looks like Gene Gregory got it right.

Rocks like:
- Johnny Cash – This is Johnny Cash
- Hayden – The Closer I Get
- Elliot Smith – Figure 8


- Brian Campbell - Baltimoreathome.com

Looking Forward

Parts coordinator by day, musician by night. Gene Gregory is a man with the drive and ambition to sing the music that he loves and creates. At age seven Gene received his first bass guitar. From then on his passion for music has escalated into a lifetime of dedication. Some may compare Gene to Springsteen and Petty but to him his music is emotional, powerful, percussive, and an outlet to express himself. While growing up Gene listened to bands such as Kiss, Poison, and Motley Crue. Today he finds himself listening to just about everything from Neil Young to Pearl Jam to Bob Dylan.

Gene does not only play guitar, all through out high school he played the drums, bass, and other wind instruments. During high school Gene was in the band Rainy Day Parade, the band gave off the classic rock-psychedelic feel; comparing them to Pink Floyd, Rush, Grateful Dead, etc. Aquila Guitars out of South Carolina just recently made Gene his very own custom guitar which has his double G logo on the fret board and also has a tattoo design.

“The thought of feeling that you like what you do; are you ever going to be able to be good enough, making up for the things you’ve done wrong….” stated Gene. This quote to him, captures the meaning of his song “Real Eyes.” His words and music just comes to him, there is no one particular thing that is his sense of inspiration. Although, he is influenced by life, other musicians, family, Neil Young, and Bob Dylan. “I feel that the songs I have recorded have come to me easily…” says Gene. Seven years ago Gene’s father asked him to be his best man at his wedding and with that came his song “Wedding Band.” This song encompasses the love of two people coming together and symbolizing the meaning of their wedding bands.

Gene tours the East Coast at venues such as The Red House Tavern, Rams Head Live, Fletchers, The Royal, The Full Moon Salon and The Recher where he opened for Colin Hay. Gene has also appeared live playing a couple of his songs on an ABC Channel 4 show called “Low Country Live” out of Charlestown, South Carolina. Gene also has a full length album titled “Looking Forward” which includes songs such as Wedding Band, Downing You, and Looking Forward.

His dedication to music is more than anyone could ever desire. Gene says that people sometimes ask him if he gets nervous while performing and he says, “I love playing for a crowd that I don’t know, but I get more nervous when close friends are around.” But when Gene is on stage his outgoing personality excels.

When it comes down to it there are two essential aspects of music that would give anyone the drive to play, and that is practice and dedication. Gene says to, “Dedicate yourself to it with no distractions, put everything on the backburner. It takes practice and dedication, get your name and music out, and use any avenue.”

-Laura Jenkins

- Laura Jenkins