Search - Gregg Wright :: World Rock

World of Wow

Russell Diederich | Littleton, CO United States | 07/01/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In the world of instrumental rock guitar there are a few names that stand out above the all, Satch, Eric Johnson, Steve Vai, and now Johnny A., but there is one guitarist that is sorely overlooked, and that is the talented Gregg Wright. A lefty that plays his right-handed Fender Strat upside-down, he mixes blues, rock and a touch of jazz to form great music. He can be quick, but normally leaves the lightning fast licks to the Ibanez guys, using the fast runs to color his music. Instead, his phrasing is incredible, sweet and catchy, probably learned for opening for such greats as Freddie and Albert King. You probably haven't heard of the name Gregg Wright, but you have heard him. He's played for Michael Jackson, Mick Fleetwood, Tracey Spencer, The Gap, and many others. As to "World Rock," I was lucky to find this years ago when it was easy to find, and I continue to play it today. It never gets boring, and the guitar work is exceptional. You can hear the influences of some great axe players in his music, but he's taken it a step further, made it his own sound - a little more heavy, a little more raw, and full of energy. From the opening dive-bomb of "Time Traveller" he sets the stage with nice chunky chords, and dives and slides, while the distorted melody pulls you along. Heavy. In aerial battle takes place in the opening seconds of the aptly named "Dogfight" mimicking Hendrix's "Star Spangled Banner" rockets and bombs. "Pulse of the City" rocks with some fancy fret-work and catchy phrasing. The title track is a little bit more relaxed, and sounds a little bit like Satch from "Surfing...." He goes pretty bluesy with "Oh Darling." He shows he is a master of the blues as well, and gradually moves to a heavier and heavier sound. For anyone into heavier guitar instrumentals the time spent finding this album will be well spent. Wright continues to play and record, yet his albums are not readily available in the States. A fine axe-man."