Electronic Busker Reviews

ELECTRONIC BUSKER REVIEWS

The music itself is a great blend of roots styles with tinges of blues, country and a little roots rock. Brian's guitar playing and vocals shine, and the musicians he has gathered to help him seem to share in his busking spirit.

Cam Hayden
Alberta Morning & Friday Night Blues Party - CKUA

Northern Journey Online Journal

Electronic Busker by Brian Gregg

Review by Robert A. Kenyon

June 1998

Reprinted with permission

Electronic Busker

Brian Gregg - EB 1998

Can a musician independently produce a CD, then take it to the street

and give it away for donations...like an electronic busker? That's

exactly the question that long-time Edmonton singer-songwiter Brian

Gregg asked himself and others. He decided to find out and produced

a thousand copies of "Electronic Busker".

The 13 tracks on "Electronic Busker" demonstrates Brian as a musical

chameleon. They are fairly electric, but mellow, in nature and vary

greatly in style. The very acoustic "Changes Fly By" demonstrates

Brian's skill as a folk musician. Other tracks show him as as a blues

artist ("Electronic Busker", "Why Don't You Go To Your Room?"). There

are also hints of country ("Out To The Country", "Blacksmith Joe"),

rock-a-billy ("Make Alot A Money"), and some rock-and-roll ("Hot

Plastic Man", "The World Says Yes", "Strange Loops").

Selections like "Blind Date Blues", pleasantly confuse the eclectic

listener, as the chameleon emerges. What is it...blues, country, swing,

rock-a-billy, ragtime? Brian also shows how you can play with a song,

on the rocked-up second version of "Blacksmith Joe" renamed "Time

Won't Let Some Stop". The closing track, an instrumental, is what Brian

calls an electric guitar concerto version of "Why Don't You Go To Your

Room?"

Brian describes the lyrics on "Electronic Busker" as essay-like poetry,

with a good balance of sarcasm, truth and humor. These are presented

well by Brian's clear vocals and are pleasant and entertaining to listen

to. The role of the singer/songwriter is accomplished!

The musicians that accompany Brian, represent some of Edmonton's

best! Combine Brian's lyrics, vocals and guitar playing with Gary

Bowman, Peter Dykes, Marek Forysinski, Bill Hobson,Gary Koliger,

and Duane Smith you have the makings for a great album. Dale

Ladouceur and David Bjarnason also help on background vocals.

Was the "Electronic Busker" project a success? Brian explains that

"nearly half of those who received a copy responded with a donation;

some small and some more than generous and some strange

including an onion and some home made venison jerky."

Brian explains that now that the original copies of "Electronic Busker"

are gone he has decided to now release "Electronic Busker"

commercially. He says "I'm proud of this music on "Electronic Busker"

so I'm going to sell it, and try and get some commercial air play."

When Brian performs the tunes in concert, and most certainly on the

street, he plays mainly acoustic guitar. This is probably shades of

things to come. He wants to go into the studio next winter and record a

new CD. With all his recent success as an acoustic musician around

Edmonton, (Sariena's Cafe, Sidetrack Cafe, Uptown Folk Club), I

expect the next contribution from Brian Gregg to be a good, solid

acoustic project. Of course life, like Brian, is full of suprises. I'm waiting

to see.