An Interview with Greg Manning About His March 15, 2020 Concert!

On Sunday, March 15, 2020, from 7-8:30 pm, keyboardist Greg Manning and saxophonist Jeff Ryan will be performing at Spaghettini in Seal Beach.  The two artists have been touring together this past year around the world.

Originally from the Bay Area, Jeff Ryan has played a variety of soul, funk, smooth jazz, and big band ensembles.   Ryan has performed at the Oxnard Jazz Festival and the Stockton Jazz Festival, opening and performing along with urban jazz greats Marion Meadows, Eric Darius, Paul Taylor, Nick Colionne, and Julian Vaughn. Fans in Southern California have seen him perform with guitarist Nils, and recently he has teamed up with keyboardist Greg Manning.  With the release of his single “Up and Up,” and his multifaceted debut album Embrace, Ryan has had huge success on the Billboard charts.

Greg Manning is a Swiss-American keyboardist, and has performed on stages worldwide.  He made his U.S. debut in 2000 with the Back at One Tour with Brian McKnight.  Manning has also toured for nearly a decade as the keyboardist/musical director for musicians such as Jonathan Butler, Gerald Albright, Mindi Abair, Dave Koz, and many more.  Manning has produced a multitude of musicians, which include Jeff Ryan, Phil Denny, Will Donato, and Deniece Williams. Greg Manning has made two albums, The Calling and Dance With Me.

I had the opportunity to interview Greg Manning and talk about his upcoming concert with Jeff Ryan and their careers.

Sheryl Aronson:  Please tell me about your concert at Spaghettini this Sunday, March 15th.

Greg Manning:  I am looking forward to playing with Jeff Ryan at Spaghettini.  We have called ourselves “MR,” which was coined by our manager Jack Cohn.

Sheryl Aronson:  What can the audience expect to hear from you and Jeff on that evening?

Greg Manning:  I produced Jeff’s first album.  The very first single I produced for him went to number on Billboard. We are going to feature Jeff’s music.  He has had 4 very successful singles on Billboard.  We are also going to feature my music as well.  I think our music if a really fun mix.  I always love incorporating saxophone with my compositions, especially tenor saxophone.  That’s why I think Jeff and I are a really good fit.  He has a beautiful tone on his horn.

Sheryl Aronson:  What was the name of the single that reached number one on Jeff’s album?

Greg Manning:  The single was called “Up and Up” that went straight to number one on Billboard.  The album that I produced for Jeff was called Embrace. The other singles were “Sweet Spot,” and “J Factor.”

Sheryl Aronson:  What do you enjoy about playing with Jeff?

Greg Manning:  Jeff is a great player.  He has a lot of energy.  We have a very good chemistry, which is something that is hard to find.

Sheryl Aronson:  What will you be playing on March 15th?  You’ve had quite a few hit singles yourself.

Greg Manning: I will be playing my hit singles as well.  I just found out that my newest single just is now in the top 10 on Billboard.  It’s called “Twinkle” originally written by Earl Klugh.   

Sheryl Aronson:  What’s new in your career?

Greg Manning: I’m now an independent artist and I’m no longer with the Kalimba label.  I writing new music and I’m not sure if it’s going to be an EP or full play.

Sheryl Aronson:  What songs will we hear from your repertoire at Spaghettini?

Greg Manning:  I’ll be playing “The Calling,” “Groove Me,” “Sugar & Spice,”  “Dance With You” and my new single “Twinkle.”  And there may be a few surprises.

Sheryl Aronson:  Who will be in your band?

Greg Manning:  We are going to have a smoking band [with] Eric Valentine on drums, Kay-Ta Matsuno on guitar, and Ian Martin on bass.   

Sheryl Aronson:  Is there anything else that you’d like everyone to know about?

Greg Manning:  I just moved out of LA and now live closer to San Diego.  I built a studio in the back of my home so I’m doing a lot of production currently. I’m excited about the new adventure.

You can see Greg Manning and Jeff Ryan at Spaghettini on March 15, 2020.  Go to this link to buy tickets:  https://spaghettini.com/entertainment/greg-manning-jeff-ryan-3-15-20

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