Every town has a guy like Gregg Young. He’s a multitalented musician whose guitar playing chops rival his band leading skills. He might not be a household name, but that’s a good thing for people who don’t like the hassle of expensive ticket prices, overly crowded concerts and hack performers. If talent equaled success, Young would be Elvis, Muhammad Ali and the New York Yankees rolled into one. His latest disc is a seven-song adventure that is the musical equivalent of a brisk walk through a park. As the title suggests, this is an instrumental disc that was inspired by Young and company’s stint at the ArcLight Cinerama Dome in Hollywood (where they play every Friday and Saturday). I wish I had gotten around to reviewing this earlier, as “Instrumentally Yours” makes for a great listen on any given summer day. The album kicks off with a jazz/funk/groove number called “4 Bell” that is punctuated by a scorching trumpet solo by Dr. Bobby Rodriguez.
Songs two and four (“3 Little Birds” and “Lively Up Yourself”) are steel-drum interpretations of Bob Marley songs that would have the late reggae superstar swinging his dreadlocks in joy. The third song, a previously released tune called “Rain Cried Softly,” was included on Young’s three-song disc that benefited Aquarium of the Pacific and Long Beach Schools. But my favorite is track six, “Yosemite Snowflake.”
It’s got a great piano solo by Theophilus “T” Coakley and a melody that gets toes tapping and hips shaking. If funk/jazz/groove/island music sounds tempting, Young and the 2nd Street Band won’t disappoint.
Long Beach Press Telegram
Music Review – Local Burns
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Ryan Ritchie