From Bill

The new album is here!

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 17:04:10 GMT

I am so excited to announce that the album is done, our CD release party has been had... and "Too Long Coming" is finally ready to everyone. I'm extremely proud of this, my second, CD. It was produced by John GInty who's played in and with too many bands to mention (Jewel, Robert Randolph, Citizen Cope, Santana, etc). It contains 11 new original songs I wrote and features a slew of musical talents that are truly great. You can buy the CD right here from my website, or you can download it if you prefer. I hope you enjoy! Also, my first CD "For This Day" is available too of course. If you are a fan of my music, I know you're going to love this new CD. If you're unfamiliar with my songs, I hope you'll take a leap of faith and purchase a copy of this new album! Enjoy.... :) Bill

CD RELEASE this Saturday 6/18!

Tue, 14 Jun 2011 22:30:26 GMT

It has been a blur... but the CD is done! And I'm so excited about it. We will be launching/releasing the CD officially this Saturday night, June 18th with a CD Release Gig/Party. I will be playing with a full band and highlighting all of the new material at The Dark Horse Lounge in Morristown NJ. Come on out!

Doors open @ 7:30pm and the event will go until 10:00pm. You must be 21 to attend this show.

The Dark Horse Lounge
4 Dehart Street
Morristown, NJ

CDs will be available for purchase for just $10.

Come one, come all.

:) Bill

Light at the end of the tunnel

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 01:58:40 GMT

We've been busy in studio "finishing" the new CD. We have 2 songs left to mix now, and then it's off to Mastering. Then production (printing and burning).

Hopefully the new CD will be out before May 15th.... and that it will have been worth the wait.

I'm very excited to share the final product with the world, and am forever grateful to my Producer John Ginty for giving this thing everything he's got!!!

:) BG

Morristown Green article

Wed, 29 Dec 2010 00:56:55 GMT

MorristownGreen did a nice article on their website about me and my music, specifically the use of the song in the commercial and the upcoming CD. Check it out and share if you get the chance. Thanks. Happy Holidays to all....

http://morristowngreen.com/2010/12/27/morris-plains-singer-songwriter-bill-griese-scores-a-tv-commercial/

"Zoom" zooms on

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 02:20:49 GMT

Well, as we approach Christmas, it really has been fun the life that my new song "Zoom" has taken on. As many of you know, or would recognize, Zoom is being featured in the Fujifilm camera commercial which is now running nationally. I've gotten so many kind messages and inquiries, both from people I know and new friends/fans, about the song. So many people are telling me how catchy and upbeat the tune is -- how great it makes them feel. That is awesome. I really love this track. And it is just one of a whole slew of solid songs that will soon be released on my upcoming CD "Too Long Coming." When will it be released? Hmmmmmm........ hopefully in January.

Until them, Zoom zoom zoom..............

Late nights, late stages...

Wed, 08 Dec 2010 22:08:56 GMT

The past couple of months have seen a flurry of activity, trying to finish up my new CD. I've been working hard with my producer John Ginty arranging and recording background vocals and other final touches for all of the songs. It has been quite a lot of work, and like any "best laid plans," the CD is a little bit longer than I thought it would. Despite my hopes to have it done before Christmas of this year, it's just not gonna happen! But with how well it has been coming out there is no reason to rush it. I'm so excited about how the project is evolving. It is going to be worth the wait, I promise! And the title "Too Long Coming" has never been more appropriate.... LOL.

Emerging from the hole...

Wed, 17 Nov 2010 07:51:24 GMT

Well, I've been hard at work recording this new CD -- and WOW how the time does fly. I realize my last blog post was like a hundred years ago. I had all the best intentions of documenting this recording process, both for the curious reader and for my own keepsake... but here it is, 5 months later and the best I could do was keep my head down, try to do these recording sessions and all the work involved while somehow keeping the rest of my life together. The new CD is going to be call (appropriately) "Too Long Coming." i'm hoping it will be done by the December. We are now recording all of the final vocal tracks. Most main tracks are done. Harmonies next. Then we will do any final arranging, mixing, and then master it. It has been a long road. I'm almost there.

And here it is almost Thanksgiving. I have lots to be thankful for for certain. Most of all my wife and kids. But I'm pleased to say that this next CD is going to be even better than my first release...

A gift "From Good Homes"

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 19:52:32 GMT

I'm so excited about the recording process of my upcoming album. My producer John Ginty is doing such a wonderful job capturing the kind of sound I was looking for, and his expertise, his musical sensibilities, and his industry connections are working wonders. A couple of nights ago we brought in the incredibly talented Dan Myers of the great band "From Good Homes" to lay down some saxophone tracks for the record. First of all, Dan is such a cool guy and we had a blast getting to know each other and hanging out in the studio. Second, Dan is crazy good. He KILLED the 3 songs he played on... including one which he hadn't even heard all the way through and halfway through listening he said "Okay let's try one." Well, ONE was all he needed. Despite not even hearing the second half of the song prior to recording, Dan Myers managed to lay down an amazing solo during the break and then a wonderful finale to top off the song with a nice bow. "The old 8 minute take -- 4 minutes to record it and 4 to listen back." (J.Ginty) Listening back to all three tracks during last night's studio session had John, bass/guitar player/engineer Mike Buckman, and I just smiling and shaking our heads. It is a blessing to work with such talent. It's going to be awesome!!

Morristown Green was fun

Sat, 29 May 2010 04:36:44 GMT

Here we are at the unofficial start to summer -- Memorial Day Weekend. This past Sunday I had the pleasure of playing outdoors at Festival Earth on the Morristown Green. It was a daylong affair featuring more than a dozen musical acts -- and what a beautiful day weather-wise it turned out to be. After watching a couple of extremely talented young acts I got up and did about 1/2 dozen songs. I played 3 originals, On Three, Think I'll Stay, and Finally Love. All are relatively new songs that weren't on my first CD. I also played Jack Johnson's Upside Down, James Taylor's Shower the People... and one other song that is escaping me right now. Anyway, the people in attendance seemed to really enjoy my stuff. This was my first time standing and playing guitar since I had knee surgery a couple of weeks ago (repaired meniscus). Was good to get back up and performing again.

It's nice playing outdoors for sure, and this little gig made me really look forward to playing the 3 upcoming outdoor performances I have:

June 12th @ the Morris Plains Farmer's Market
July 11th @ the Morristown Farmer's Market
August 1 -- solo concert @ Robert's Garden in Morris Plains.

Meanwhile, recording on the next CD is going very well, and it's just so great being in the studio. I'm so pleased with how the songs are coming along. Can't wait to share them all with people!!

Gig tomorrow night

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 22:40:37 GMT

It feels like a LONG time since I actually had a gig. FInally getting back out there tomorrow night, May 1st... going back to the always inviting Coco Pazzo in Morris Plains for a night of solo stuff and special guests. I'm very excited. The very talented pair of MIke Buckman and Dave Hammer will be there. I'm going to have them play on a bunch of different things, and hopefully take over for me for a while! And I'm going to try out a few new covers for the first time. We'll see how it goes. After that, I have a healthy smattering of gigs throughout the summer and fall, so there will be no rest for the weary.

Meanwhile, the recording of my second CD is going well. Have been in the studio 2 nights a week for the past few weeks. We have the rhythm tracks laid for 5 of the tunes. There will likely be 10 or 11 on the final product. Hopefully it will be all done and printed by Fall.

:) B

Recording going well...

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 20:34:30 GMT

I haven't had a performance in a little while, but I have been busy in the studio working with my good friend Mike Buckman and my new good friend and Producer extraordinaire John Ginty. We have had 4 recording sessions so far, and the results have been encouraging. Our initial goal is to get the basic rhythm tracks recorded for the 11 songs that are currently slated for the album. These sessions typically begin at or after dinner time and go through midnight. John has a great ear and vision and has been working hard to get just the right sound from the drums, bass, etc. Our first session was mostly a set-up and experimental one. The next session we tackled a song called "I'm Somebody" -- or maybe it will just be called "Somebody." We went LATE into the evening - 1:00 or 1:30, and the results are fantastic. Next session we got the basics down for a track called "They," which is going to be one of the funnest numbers on the CD. And last night we made some pretty good progress on a very nostalgic, change-of-pace song that I wrote this past Fall called "Turning." This song, though the simplest in nature, has turned out to be the biggest challenge so far. Sometimes the biggest challenge is what to do with the simple songs. After a long night of playing, recording, discussing, playing, recording, discussing, PRD, PRD... we are finally on the right track (no pun intended).

We'll meet a couple of nights next week and continue. It's going to be a long process. But once we get the rhythm tracks all set, we will be bringing in some other talented musicians to help us with other parts. It's going to be awesome.

It is SO GREAT to be back in the studio recording again. John and Mike are great to work with. And I am particularly excited, because I feel like this album is going to be even better than my first one.

:) B

Back in the studio

Tue, 06 Apr 2010 01:08:21 GMT

Well, I can't believe this is my first blog of 2010 and here it is already April 5th! That is pathetic. But 4/5 seems like it's going to be a significant date for me this year -- as tonight ( I am excited to report) I am going into the studio for the first of many sessions to record my long-overdue 2nd record. Album. CD... whatever! It has been 7 years since I released "For This Day" and I guess I was never sure exactly how or when (or if) I would follow that up. But so many people have been asking for the follow-up, and I've had the good fortune of writing a bunch of solid songs in the past couple of years that it's all come together now.

I have been very busy musically. 2009 and 2010 have been very prolific for me as a writer. And been performing out more frequently in recent months. Plus rehearsing once a week with a band, which someday I suppose will get out there and begin performing. Musically, there is a lot of diversity, which has been great for my playing as well as my songwriting. I have grown as a writer for sure... and I believe I have finally found my sound, after these many years. This next project, which will release sometime later this year is going to be a solid effort I think. I'm proud of the songs, love the groove I've matured into, and I am so excited about the people I'm going to be working with and the approach we're going to take.

So for now, that's about it. But to all of you who have been asking me for years "when is the next CD coming?".... well, it's coming. :)

Bill

In The Christmas Mood

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 21:37:09 GMT

The whole Holiday season is crazy busy, but I love it. Really been in the mood this year (as always I guess). I"m trying to learn a bunch -- or I might say "relearn" a bunch -- of Christmas songs. Playing Coco Pazzo in Morris Plains this Saturday night, and I'd love to be able to throw in a bunch of seasonal favorites to make it a special night. If you're in the area this weekend and want a little song and cheer, stop on in. 9pm start.

Meanwhile, I did throw down a quick video of my acoustic version of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, and launched it up to YouTube @ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-SFF15hKdQ

It is nowhere near as good as I wanted it to sound, but I would sit all day and keep improving it if I could. So I just went with the first full take. Sound levels are a little disappointing, with too much white noise... but that's what you get recoring directly into a laptop!!

Anyway, I hope everyone else is enjoying their Holiday Season. 2010 is going to be a very productive and exciting year for me musically. I'm really looking forward to it...

:) B

Playing Bar East tonight with Hammer

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 01:28:14 GMT

I'm really excited about going into the City tonight to play with my great friend Dave Hammer. He's going to have a slew of guests. Is that how you spell slew? I'll have to check after this......

I expect to do up to 10 songs. The talented Mike Buckman will be there jamming away, along with a few other special guests. Should be fun.

If you're on/near the Upper East Side, come on out tonight for the big Hammerfest Thanksgiving Show!!! 9pm BAR EAST.

Hammer's going to rock the place as always....

Rock The Pazzo

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 23:49:47 GMT

Had a great gig last night @ Coco Pazzo in Morris Plains. I had such a fun time playing, and I'm so happy for everyone who came out to enjoy a night of music, food, drink, etc. It sure was a special night, with good friends like Dave Hammer, Mike Buckman, Michael Laddey, Jason Mills, and Steve Flanagan getting up on stage with me for many songs -- and many sounds.

A couple songs went over better than I thought! And I think I've learned a couple of songs that I should probably DROP from my repertoire. Don't Go Back To Rockville doesn't seem to be going over very well. Not so sure about my version of What a Fool Believes. But on the flip side, Folsom Prison Blues and a couple of other covers I've added seem to be crowd-pleasers.

And on the original front, people seem to be loving (and asking for) On Three a lot -- the tune I penned with Dave Hammer. So that's cool. Tired today from a late night. Looking forward to the next scheduled gig at the Dublin Pub.... after all the Holidays are over!

Experiment Five -- #5

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:03:35 GMT

Well, The FIFTH round of Experiment 5 is all complete. The last set of lyrics was contributed by Bill Maier -- it was called "Good Enough For You."

...I changed mine to "Great Enough for You."

You can hear my creation -- as well as those by the other 4 Experiment Five members for THIS round and all previous rounds at... http://www.billgriese.com/fr_x5:experimentfive

I'm attaching my "Great Enough For You" to this blogpost also.

I hope you enjoy it. Experiment Five sure has been a great experience. 20 songs written by 5 people all in about a 6-month period. Awesome.

The Dublin Pub Was Rockin....

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:13:10 GMT

Thanks to everyone who came out to the Dublin Pub in Morristown last week. The gig there was tremendous. It was hands-down the best time I've ever had playing out. The room was packed, the audience was so into it... and thanks to some great guest appearances by my good friends Dave Hammer and Mike Buckman, the roof came down!

Dave Hammer took over for several solo songs, and he and I also did a few numbers together, playing guitars and doing some (passable) harmonies.

Mike Buckman brought his axe and tore the night up through at least 10 songs -- taking my rockaBillity up to a whole new notch.

The highlights were:

Mary Jane's Last Dance
Rockin the Free World
Freebird
and then of course Running On Empty, featuring all three of us.

The Dublin Pub has asked me back -- so I've scheduled 2 gigs with them in advance for 2010. So be sure to come back, or come for the first time when I return there on February 6th!!!

Can't wait....

my long lost Blog!!!

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:08:47 GMT

oh NOOOO, i have neglected my blog. my blog hath been all alone. so sad. i am lame.

okay, time for some updates I guess.....

Revised "Power Of Our Love"

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 21:05:26 GMT

The new song Dave Hammer and I wrote a month or two ago has been evolving. We simplified it recently, eliminating the bridge of the song, and cutting the length down to about 3:20. He and I are really excited about this one, and have gotten some very positive initial feedback from a music publisher. So we're hoping it goes the way of "On Three." You can check out the new version in the music "works in progress" section. or here, i think, i'm going to try to attach it to this blog entry...

Still Got the Bug...

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 20:57:50 GMT

Whatever creativity bug got into my system is still there. I'm really excited that I've written 2 brand new songs in the past couple of weeks. They are different from one another, and also pretty different from much of my old material. One is an alt-country song in the style of Wilco, Whiskeytown, Jayhawks, etc, called "Probably Shoulda Said It." I've actually been doing a weekly jam with some guys in a buddy's basement, and we've started to kick it around. So perhaps in the next week or two I'll throw up a live version of it with the full band. The second song is a straight blues rock song called "Ain't Been Through" -- and it rocks. Also playing that song with the full band and might could throw it up here for sampling as well. I love playing these two new songs, in additon to the few others I had written over the past few months. And the good news is another new song will be done by this weekend.... as we are on round 4 of "Experiment Five," a musical experiment with a few songwriting friends whereby one member submits a set of lyrics and the rest of us has to write a full song to it. Mr Dave Hammer just completed his round, and I have about 5 days to get him something. Haven't started it yet, but they usually come quickly. Check out Experiment Five @ http://www.myspace.com/experimentfive