Washington, DC- February 18, 2008- America's Hot Musician judge Gregory Charles Royal has inked a deal with Japanese import label Celeste to re-issue his 1979 debut album Dream Come True. The album which contains the cult classic “Dancer" featured then unknown pianist Geri Allen and bassist Clarence Seay.
Seay, who also owns the burgeoning jazz club B-Sharp's in Florida (http://b-sharps.com/), went on to do major recordings with Grammy winners Wynton Marsalis and Wallace Roney, and Billy Harper and the Smithsonian Jazz Works Orchestra.
Allen, whose performance on this album is believed to be her first commercial recording, went on to become one of the most celebrated pianists of her generation recording on the Blue Note label and with jazz greats including Miles Davis alums Ron Carter and Tony Williams. Allen has also received several major awards.
Royal, prior to becoming a judge on America's Hot Musician, was a trombonist with the Duke Ellington Orchestra for ten years and was an on-stage musician in the Broadway hit Five Guys Named Moe. He also lived and played with legendary drummer Art Blakey as a teen.
The album, which was composed by Royal in Switzerland in 1978 at age 17, led to a grant from the National Endowment of the Arts for Royal to study with Slide Hampton in 1981, with whom he joined in Hampton's World of Trombones in 1982.
Celeste has a catalog that includes releases from legends such as Thelma Houston and Chet Baker.
Seay, who also owns the burgeoning jazz club B-Sharp's in Florida (http://b-sharps.com/), went on to do major recordings with Grammy winners Wynton Marsalis and Wallace Roney, and Billy Harper and the Smithsonian Jazz Works Orchestra.
Allen, whose performance on this album is believed to be her first commercial recording, went on to become one of the most celebrated pianists of her generation recording on the Blue Note label and with jazz greats including Miles Davis alums Ron Carter and Tony Williams. Allen has also received several major awards.
Royal, prior to becoming a judge on America's Hot Musician, was a trombonist with the Duke Ellington Orchestra for ten years and was an on-stage musician in the Broadway hit Five Guys Named Moe. He also lived and played with legendary drummer Art Blakey as a teen.
The album, which was composed by Royal in Switzerland in 1978 at age 17, led to a grant from the National Endowment of the Arts for Royal to study with Slide Hampton in 1981, with whom he joined in Hampton's World of Trombones in 1982.
Celeste has a catalog that includes releases from legends such as Thelma Houston and Chet Baker.
For more information contact All About Jazz.
