IMPRESS!VE Collective

Having been involved in A&R since the 90’s, including 10 years at Freestyle Records, where he launched the highly popular and ongoing Craig Charles compilation series then Soul Bank Music, a musician (as organist and pianist in various groups including The Soul Destroyers, The Fantastics!) a DJ (currently for Ronnie Scotts Late Sessions) a radio presenter, music writer (BBC Music Online) event promoter, and manager of British jazz fusion legend Brian Auger, we get the low down on Greg’s varied career – and his approach to working with independent artists in an ever evolving industry landscape.

What first inspired you to get into the music industry, and how did your career evolve to the point where you decided to launch your own label imprint?

Having left school at 16 without any idea of what to do with myself I endured a few years of dead end, working class jobs like van driver, I packed up everything I owned into the back of my Transit van, including my records and Hammond Organ, moved to London and used those as tools to blag my way in to the independent label game, being a ‘jack of all trades’ to begin with, selling merchandise, moving equipment for groups – and eventually ended up doing a&r for Acid Jazz Records in the mid 90s. From the late 90s to 2006 I worked for BBC Radio, developing and launching their whole DAB radio platform – including launching 6Music and I managed to bluff my way to regular ‘on air’ time on that station, so that was really interesting and also an invaluable experience of another important side of the music business.

Have you had any mentors in the industry who significantly influenced your career? How did they shape your approach to management and running a label?

Some of the musicians I have met and worked with have certainly positively influenced me, and in terms of the label side of the equation – I have definitely learned how to NOT do certain things. As I am a musician and DJ I have experienced the business from all sides – so I try to be as fair, realistic and as equitable as I can be with artists and the other creatives involved because I have been in their situation too.

How much do your personal music tastes influence the decisions you make for your label?

A great deal, as I have never studied music, or the music industry, or have any kind of relevant qualifications, all I have to go on is my ears and my gut instinct – there have been some amazing moments when a new project has just instantly fired me up and I have decided within seconds of hearing it, that its something I want to sign. Over the years that’s happened with Jessica Lauren, Omar, Brian Auger, Kizzy Crawford, Mark de Clive-Lowe, and Tamil Rogeon. With those artists it was the easiest decision to make.

What advantages do independent labels have over major labels in today’s music landscape?

Mainly that it’s still possible to simply believe in a project to do it, the only dealings I have had with major labels has been as soul destroying and as horribly corporate as you can imagine. And so that cuts out the majority of input from the ’uncreatives’ I.E the accountants – and I don’t have to even consider the utter nightmare of having new projects assessed by algorithms to get them signed.

At this point, Impressive Collective has released another installment in the long running Craig Charles compilation series, and the second album you have signed by Tamil Rogeon – what else can we expect?

Without giving away too much, there will be new albums by some of the artists I have worked with before across my previous two labels, but also new artists, brand new compilations, some re-issues of classic and long lost and unreleased projects.

Looking back, what are some of the most significant milestones in your career?

These aren’t milestones in a business sense – just the most rewarding personal moments; Meeting Herbie Hancock, Stevie Wonder, Johnny Hammond and Brian Auger on my first trip to the US 30 years ago. Also when Bernard Purdie liked my bands playing so much, he left his dressing room and jumped on stage and started drumming with us at the Jazz Cafe, saying after ‘you guys sounded so sweet – I couldn’t help myself!’.
Having jazz organ / soul-jazz as my ‘specialist subject’ – it’s obviously been brilliant meeting my heroes – playing live with Reuben Wilson, working with Brian Auger on his catalogue and other projects, and releasing previously unheard music by Jack McDuff – and now I’m currently working with Blue Note legend Ronnie Foster in regards his European live appearances – all that is something the teenage Greg would have been utterly freaked to know was going to happen. Not too bad for an ex van driver.