Artists
Gregg Cagno
A native of Clinton, NJ, Black Potatoe recording artist Gregg Cagno has been out on the road extensively in support of his live CD Present Moment Days. He was recently a finalist in the Kerrville Folk Festival's prestigious New Folk competition and had the opportunity to open for 70's folk/rock stars America at the Birchmere in Alexandria, VA. Gregg also recently had the honor of playing at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
His ease of phrasing and clear, warm baritone communicates joy, wit, love and whatever else comes to mind without pretense. His guitar playing is bold and bassy, negotiating enlightening open tunings and various worldly rhythms like it was a roll through the park. Like just a small handful of other instrument intensive folkers - Michael Hedges comes to mind, and JT - Gregg Cagno is a studied and experienced performer and entertainer. Comfortable and warm with an audience, he's as creative an interpreter of other's works as he is his own. Gregg frequently co-writes with long time friend and novelist Christian Bauman.
Mostly appearing solo, Cagno is sometimes accompanied by keyboard wizard Karl Dietel (The Samples), or Jim Heffernan on Dobro (Brad Paisley, Joe Diffie). Sometimes he's joined by his wife, actress, singer, dancer Maggie Anderson, for a duo show. Gregg also teaches songwriting and guitar workshops for the NJ State Teen Arts Festival each year. Gregg's song "In Her Own Eyes" (co-written with Robert Meitus) was recently placed in the Smithsonian Folkways Recordings archives with the FAST FOLK catalogue, and his "Backroad Driver" was featured on NPR's 'Car Talk'. His tune "Just the 3 of Us" won 'best mellow' at the 2002 South Florida Folk Festival. He was also a songwriting finalist at the Falcon Ridge Folk Fest and the Susquehanna Music and Arts Festival.
Over the years Gregg has gotten to share the stage with many of his inspirers as the opening act including James Taylor and John Gorka. Cagno learned his craft, and perfected his smooth baritone voice, as a teenager playing and volunteering at the legendary Godfrey Daniels stage in Bethlehem, PA. The influence of fellow Godfrey's-alum Gorka can be seen in Gregg's sharp, descriptive, and often witty lyrics. But Gregg Cagno isn't an echo of any one performer, musician, or songwriter. He does, brilliantly, what only a few talented folks can pull off: translate the depths of his influences into a sound and style distinctly his own.
His ease of phrasing and clear, warm baritone communicates joy, wit, love and whatever else comes to mind without pretense. His guitar playing is bold and bassy, negotiating enlightening open tunings and various worldly rhythms like it was a roll through the park. Like just a small handful of other instrument intensive folkers - Michael Hedges comes to mind, and JT - Gregg Cagno is a studied and experienced performer and entertainer. Comfortable and warm with an audience, he's as creative an interpreter of other's works as he is his own. Gregg frequently co-writes with long time friend and novelist Christian Bauman.
Mostly appearing solo, Cagno is sometimes accompanied by keyboard wizard Karl Dietel (The Samples), or Jim Heffernan on Dobro (Brad Paisley, Joe Diffie). Sometimes he's joined by his wife, actress, singer, dancer Maggie Anderson, for a duo show. Gregg also teaches songwriting and guitar workshops for the NJ State Teen Arts Festival each year. Gregg's song "In Her Own Eyes" (co-written with Robert Meitus) was recently placed in the Smithsonian Folkways Recordings archives with the FAST FOLK catalogue, and his "Backroad Driver" was featured on NPR's 'Car Talk'. His tune "Just the 3 of Us" won 'best mellow' at the 2002 South Florida Folk Festival. He was also a songwriting finalist at the Falcon Ridge Folk Fest and the Susquehanna Music and Arts Festival.
Over the years Gregg has gotten to share the stage with many of his inspirers as the opening act including James Taylor and John Gorka. Cagno learned his craft, and perfected his smooth baritone voice, as a teenager playing and volunteering at the legendary Godfrey Daniels stage in Bethlehem, PA. The influence of fellow Godfrey's-alum Gorka can be seen in Gregg's sharp, descriptive, and often witty lyrics. But Gregg Cagno isn't an echo of any one performer, musician, or songwriter. He does, brilliantly, what only a few talented folks can pull off: translate the depths of his influences into a sound and style distinctly his own.
Website: http://www.greggcagno.com/
