Greg Grainger is surprisingly fresh in his artistry and musical perspective.  Upon hearing him, it is easy to see why Whitney Houston signed him for her 1988 world tour, why Britain’s Rhythm Magazine called his work “solid and tasteful” dubbing him a “rhythm master” and why he is the drummer for national smooth jazz artists such as Acoustic Alchemy, Kim Waters; along with being drummer for Paul Reed Smith; founder and owner of PRS Guitars. Being the drummer for PRS Guitars means that Greg gets to work with and play behind famous guitarists and bassists such as Santana, Buddy Guy, Al Di Meola , Rhonda Smith, David Grissom, Wyzard (of Mother’s Finest) and Mark Tremonte  just to name a few.

A self-proclaimed “drum junkie”, Greg is as at home with pop, soul and rhythm and blues as he is with fusion, swing and hip-hop.  His world debut came at the age of 19 as the youngest member of the group Pockets, the protégé band of Earth, Wind and Fire; where Greg was the percussionist.  The group produced three albums with Earth, Wind, & Fires’ Verdine White.  The Pockets experience was followed with Greg back on drums for a stint with Peaches and Herb on their Reunited tour.  He later became the drummer for jazz pianist Lonnie Liston Smith, along with starting a band with his brothers called “The Graingers”.

As a small boy growing up in his hometown of Baltimore, Maryland, Greg was weaned on the grooves and rhythms of such acts as Parliament, James Brown and Weather Report.  He began drumming at age seven, jamming with his musical family and neighborhood buddies. At the age of 14, Greg was awarded a scholarship to the highly respected Peabody Conservatory of Music at Johns Hopkins University. 

Something very close to Greg’s heart is The Musicianship.  The charity was inspired by Greg’s daughter Dianne to help provide instruction to children who may otherwise not have the opportunity to study music, and who are suffering from an underfunded school music program. You can learn more about the charity at www.themusicianship.org.

In recent years Greg has managed to remain busy as a producer and session player, while maintaining a rigorous touring schedule.  As if that wasn’t enough he is currently co-writing the new album for “Grainger”, the band he has with his brother Gary Grainger. The first two albums Phase I and Phase II, released on their own label, GBM Records, have received world-wide critical acclaim. Greg is also a co-founded of G*Funk The Band; a funky jam band based in the UK.