Gregg Hill

Biography

Gregg Hill, born around 1945 in the South Side of Chicago, grew up in a musical household influenced by his parents' love for big band music, particularly Duke Ellington, before moving to New Jersey for high school and college. He began writing songs in seventh grade and played saxophone, aspiring to attend Berklee School of Music, but instead studied at Michigan State University, dropped out, and immersed himself in New York's 1960s jazz scene at venues like Slugs Saloon, experiencing artists such as Sun Ra, Yusef Lateef, and Archie Shepp. Settling in Midland and later Lansing/East Lansing, Michigan, Hill pursued a non-musical professional career, composing over 60 jazz tunes self-taught over 20 years without initially seeing himself as a performer or professional musician.

In 2013, at age 68, Hill transcribed his compositions, releasing a sample book that sparked collaborations with Michigan jazz luminaries. His late-blooming career as a jazz composer flourished through recordings by artists like Rodney Whitaker, Randy Napoleon, and Michael Dease, yielding albums such as Common Ground (2019), The Door Is Open (2024), and Mosaic. Meanwhile, a parallel path emerged as a New Orleans-based singer-songwriter after moving there around 2018, drawing from country, rock, roll, roots, and folk influences honed in cities like Chicago, New Jersey, Dallas, D.C., and New York. There, he performs as a guitarist and pianist, releasing albums like Bayou St. John (2023) with bassist Roland Guerin and drummer Doug Belote, and Born Liar featuring Nashville stars.

Hill's musical style blends complex, unconventional jazz harmonies and melodies with plain-spoken storytelling in roots-oriented songs. His legacy includes founding Cold Plunge Records in 2019, publishing five songbooks with over 170 compositions (160 performed/recorded), and philanthropy via the Jazz Alliance of Michigan with his wife Lois, sponsoring the East Lansing Jazz Festival, supporting Lansing musicians, and hosting weekly jam sessions.

Fun Facts

• Hill started his own label, Cold Plunge Records, in 2019 at age 74 and has published five songbooks with over 170 jazz compositions.
• He is also a sculptor whose works are shown in respected galleries around the country.
• Despite composing nearly 200 songs, Hill had no parallel career as a performer until later moving to New Orleans.
• Hill supports weekly jam sessions and is a main sponsor of the East Lansing Jazz Festival through the Jazz Alliance of Michigan nonprofit he co-founded with his wife.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Duke Ellington - parental influence through big band fandom (general inspiration) [childhood]
• Sun Ra, Yusef Lateef, Archie Shepp - jazz scene inspirations in 1960s New York (live performances at Slugs Saloon) [1960s]

Key Collaborators

• Rodney Whitaker - longtime friend and key jazz performer/recorder of compositions (Common Ground (2019), Mosaic, four albums total) [2013-present]
• Randy Napoleon - friend and jazz guitarist collaborator (The Door Is Open (2024), Waking Dream (upcoming)) [2009-present]
• Michael Dease - trombonist who records and champions compositions (OUTROSPECTION (2021), City Life) [2021-present]
• Roland Guerin - bassist/vocalist for New Orleans trio recordings (Bayou St. John (2023)) [2023]
• Doug Belote - drummer for New Orleans trio recordings (Bayou St. John (2023)) [2023]
• Kenny Vaughan, Ron Block, Jeff Coffin, Shane Theriot, Anders Osborne - guest artists on Nashville production (Born Liar) [pre-2023]

External Links

• Spotify