Greg Ryan

Over the years I have played many styles of music, from Andean folk to gypsy jazz and much in-between. I started the band ‘They Might be Gypsies’ years ago with my son Aidan and we just released our third record together. All have received great reviews. In addition to playing Gypsy Jazz with my son, I have had the pleasure to play with many incredible musicians over the years. They've all been great teachers and I've soaked up everything I could. 

I’ve always had an interest in improvisational music. When the covid lockdown began, I started keeping a daily improvisation journal.  I am now exploring using these diary entries as a jumping off point for further exploration but this time in a live setting.  It's similar to jazz I suppose, where there's a malleable form that allows things to be taken in many different directions. These are not ‘songs’ per se, but rather emotional states expressed through music...based partly on the improv diaries, and partly on what Bobby McFerrin so perfectly describes as ‘Spontaneous Invention’.

I play a combination of Guitar and an instrument I designed and built now known as the ‘Oudjo’, part gourd banjo, part Turkish Oud (with a little octave mandolin for good measure). Committing fully to the moment, whether through meditation or, what hip-hop artists might refer to as, a flow-state, results in a truly unique experience. Every time.