Podcast 982: A Conversation with Greg Skaff

A reliably swinging presence and facile improviser on the New York scene since the late ‘80s, guitarist Greg Skaff has shared the bandstand with such jazz greats as Stanley Turrentine, Freddie Hubbard, David “Fathead” Newman and Ralph Peterson Jr., as well current notables like Mike LeDonne, David Hazeltine, Orrin Evans, Ben Allison, Jim Rotondi and Joe Farnsworth. He has also toured and recorded with “Queen of R&B” Ruth Brown and jazz diva Gloria Lynne and recorded seven albums as a leader.

Skaff’s latest, Re Up, recorded with bassist Ugonna Okegwo and young drumming sensation Jonathan Barber, follows the guitar trio format he explored on 2021’s Polaris, which paired him with two legends: bassist Ron Carter and drummer Albert “Tootie” Heath.

Greg speaks highly of his collaborators, who were all-in on the project, and put in the time rehearsing and playing live before going into the studio. It was on the bandstand that tasty covers (Thelonious Monk’s “Green Chimneys” and Duke Ellington’s “Fleurette Africaine,” rendered as a sublime solo guitar piece) and Skaff’s sometimes challenging originals took shape. The result is Re Up (you’ll have to listen to the podcast to hear about the serendipity that led to the title).

Born in Wichita, Kansas, Skaff studied jazz at Wichita State University before moving to New York, where he soon began making an impression with his solidly swinging style. He held the guitar chair in tenor saxophonist Stanley “Don’t Mess With Mr. T” Turrentine’s band for five years and subsequently worked in bands led by saxophonists Bobby Watson and David “Fathead” Newman as well as in bassist Ron Carter’s big band. This is his seventh album as a leader.

Podcast 982 is my conversation with Greg Skaff, as he whips out his guitar to let us hear how some of the tracks on the album came to be. You can hear three tracks from the album, including a solo rendition of his dreamy “Peace Place,” which also has trio version.