Gregory Golub

Gregory Golub is a composer, pianist and keyboardist whose music is full of surprises, creativity, and a blending of different idioms while always being inventive jazz. He was born and raised in the USSR and began teaching himself piano when he was 12. Although he would have a formal musical education, he has long had his own style. Early on, Golub performed at a jazz festival in Russia and received a prize for his writing talents. Since moving to Israel in 1990, he has steadily developed as a pianist, keyboardist, composer, and arranger in addition to being a poet and a philosopher. African and Other Jazz Passions is his third album, following Idioms and Jazz Aftertaste.

The new project consists of a dozen original compositions featuring Gregory Golub on an array of keyboards, where electric piano frequently intertwines with acoustic piano and a variety of electronic timbres — a combination central to his musical signature; he also adds occasional voice, weaving it in as an additional musical instrument. It begins with his electric piano which seems to think aloud during the thoughtful “African Passions" before the piece gets a bit funky. “Toledo," which has him utilizing several keyboards to achieve a rhythmic pulse, is full of movement and activity, musically depicting a city in motion. “Hasidic Melody" is catchy with Golub including some vocal sounds, “Caucasian Blues" is a one-chord jam over an infectious rhythmic pattern in which the structure of the blues is easily recognizable, and “Espana" has a strong Spanish feel.

“Other Time And Passions Same" features Golub drawing on the sound of vibraphone in his speedy playing, creating a lively dialogue between vibraphone and electric piano, with several musical ideas unfolding at once. He builds up a dense, driving Latin groove on “Latino Smile," scats a bit on the forceful Chara, and is introspective on the ballad “Not Knowing What The Future Holds."

The unpredictable but consistently colorful outing concludes with the happy rhythmic piece “Oriental Jazz," the waltz time of “Hallelujah," on which his voice sometimes mixes with an electronic scat background choir, and a second and concise rendition of “Other Time And Passions Same" that is looser and freer than the first version.

Gregory Golub’s African and Other Jazz Passions makes for a stimulating listen by an inventive and distinctive musician who is well worth discovering.

~Scott Yanow, jazz journalist/historian

Composer, jazz pianist, and songwriter Gregory Golub has officially launched his own independent label—Gregory Golub—bringing together his complete discography under a unified artistic identity.

The label’s first release was the album Jazz Aftertaste; today the catalog includes not only jazz compositions but also original songs, personal reinterpretations of jazz standards and other musical themes, as well as Golub’s own instrumental music—spanning a wide stylistic range.

“This label brings together the core of what I’ve officially released so far—while leaving space for what’s still to come,” says Golub. “Jazz is at the heart of it, but songwriting, cinematic moods, and works that intersect and expand the possibilities of genres have always been part of the same voice—alongside a wide spectrum of other pursuits: from experimental music to pure classical, from a deep reverence for melody to minimalism, from electronic soundscapes to a passion for tango. There’s more to come from my musical vault—especially instrumental works, with jazz often a part of it—some already taking shape, others patiently awaiting their turn.”

This move marks a turning point for Golub, allowing him to consolidate works released over several decades—many of which previously existed only in scattered formats or on separate platforms—under a single, intentional artistic banner. The label serves not only as a home for past works but also as a foundation for future releases and cross-genre projects.

Golub’s entire discography is now available as a curated collection on major platforms, offering listeners a single destination for his complete body of work.

Looking ahead, Golub is preparing a new full-length album—African and Other Jazz Passions—targeted for release in November 2025. The project will explore jazz through the prism of cultural dialogues and stylistic contrasts. This upcoming release will be presented under a second label, Gregory Golub Music Concept, created specifically to support conceptual albums and future-forward artistic statements.

Jazz pianist and composer Gregory Golub unveils his latest work, Not Knowing What the Future Holds—a new solo jazz piece with an unusual format, captured live and released both as an audio single and a concert video.

The live recording was captured in a single take, highlighting the spontaneity and conversational spirit of improvisation. (A separate studio take was also recorded, equally spontaneous in its own way.)

The composition is built so that Golub manages to play both acoustic piano and synth bass nearly at the same time, all without overdubs—and he truly pulls it off. Everything begins with an electronic introduction—a nervous surge that gradually draws the listener into the piece’s atmosphere. The music unfolds as a dialogue between two voices—sometimes asking, sometimes answering their own questions: the grounded tone of the bass, and the expressive phrasing of the piano, each in its own way developing the idea of the explosive instability of our world and reminding us how uncertain and fragile the present can turn out to be.

Conceptually, Not Knowing What the Future Holds is a meditation on the mad reality of our time—on the sense of lost meaning. Our world today presses in on all of us—relentless, insistent—disturbing the artist’s inner harmony—always bare and therefore especially vulnerable—until, perhaps, a flash of insight or clarity bursts into the light.

For Golub, improvisation is always a kind of conversation—sometimes a little cheeky, always searching, but above all, alive and honest. In this music, piano and bass find common ground, speaking to us all without words. And maybe, that’s what jazz is really about.

The live video version is available on YouTube, alongside the audio release on all major streaming platforms.

Release date: June 19, 2025

Read the article on All About Jazz
 https://www.allaboutjazz.com/news/gregory-golub-releases-a-new-jazz-reflection-on-the-madness-of-the-moment-not-knowing-what-the-future-holds/

About Gregory Golub

Gregory Golub is a jazz pianist, composer, and songwriter based in Israel, whose music bridges genres and moods with an unmistakable personal touch. From jazz originals to cinematic instrumentals and experiments in electronics, his releases move easily between jazz, contemporary classical, and electronic sounds — all grounded in the improvisational nature that lies at the very heart of Golub’s music.

Gregory Golub’s latest composition, “Idiom for Harmonica and Piano," offers a fresh reimagining the jazz concept of harmonic exploration. While the pairing of harmonica and piano is not entirely uncommon in jazz, author’s treatment of the two instruments brings new depth to their interaction.

The piece evolves with a deliberate sense of purpose. The harmonica, with its naturally vocal and emotive tone, leads much of the melodic narrative, while the piano provides both rhythmic drive and harmonic richness. Rather than dominating, the piano supports the harmonica’s phrasing with carefully crafted voicings and subtle rhythmic nuances, creating a cohesive and balanced dialogue. The musical fabric of the piece is infused with vivid improvisational colors, naturally unveiling its stylistic diversity.

Golub’s strength as a composer lies in his ability to let the music breathe. The piece avoids unnecessary complexity, instead focusing on creating space for each instrument to shine. There’s a restraint here that feels quite justified, allowing listeners to fully engage with the textures and interplay between the instruments.

“Idiom for Harmonica and Piano" is a testament to Gregory Golub’s maturity as a composer and his ability to seamlessly navigate between the modern jazz tradition and contemporary classical music, all while offering something deeply personal and uniquely his own.

Golub plans to include the composition “Idiom for Harmonica and Piano" in his upcoming album: Jazz Idioms—Reminiscences. As the author himself defines, “jazz idioms" are “compositions of an improvisational nature, characterized by an interplay between jazz and contemporary classical music,” which represent one of the significant layers of Gregory Golub's work as a composer and performer.